How to Air Fry Everything

Here’s how to air fry everything!! Wondering how air frying works with fish, chicken, beef and vegetables? We’ll share the best method of crisping it all + foolproof recipes your family will love. 

Air Frying Everything

From how to cook your favorite frozen foods, to fresh meats, veggies, and even desserts, crisping makes everything better! Are you obsessed with Cosori air fryer recipes like I am right now? I seriously use mine on a daily basis.

I mean not just for main meals or side dishes either. It can cook breakfasts like eggs or bagels to toast all the way to desserts. Talk about an easy way to make small batch cookies like Air Fryer Cookie Dough. Totally.

How to air fry everything

We will help you understand how to make all things wonderful in this hot air machine. That way you’ll be as obsessed as I’ve been. 😉 With a few tips in your back pocket you can cook meat, vegetables or even quick easy desserts in it.

If you’re already kinda’ a pro and just looking for tips on how you can improve your groove in the kitchen, we have ideas for you too.

• First it is important to know how to preheat air fryer for 5 minutes.
• Then grab this little chart, it will help you a lot!
• You know when you’re scratching your head wondering how long this or that takes?

We have all the answers (well, we try) with this free printable here. Click here on my air fryer cooking times chart and hit print.

Best Foods to Air Fry

First let’s start with a cheat sheet of sorts shall we?? Why not right??!! Anything that makes my life easier is a go + it’s FREE to print out. Score!

• Tape it on your fridge so you’ll have a good idea of what temp and timing each food requires to air fry.
• Want to make roasted potatoes in air fryer or air fryer beets, this will guide you appropriately.

Then decide whether you just want to toss in olive oil and seasoning, or if you’re going to bread your food. You’ll want to dredge it into some flour, then into whisked egg, and finally press it into some bread crumbs or Panko. Wet batter will not work.

I have been asked about using tempura batter. Don’t do it or you’ll have a muddy mess of a cleanup. Stick to this breadcrumb coating method.

• The next thing you’ll need is a bottle of olive oil spray. THIS is KEY to getting your hot air fryer recipes super crispy
• Like deep fried but WAY healthier.

It will help crisp so if it’s not brown enough just give it a bit of spray and voila.

This is the one I usually choose, but honestly I get whatever is on sale.

How to Cook Meat in Air Fryer

You do not have to add breading to make things taste amazing though! Like our air fryer steak bites that just have a bit of oil and our steak dry rub, no breadcrumbs are used.

Our tofu air fryer recipe just uses a marinade too while frozen chicken thighs in air fryer use just bbq sauce to add flavor. After you’ve breaded your foods and placed them into your air fryer basket, spray it with this in order for the outsides to get nice and brown.

I kid you not, you mind as well buy it in bulk right now. 😉 For foods like air fryer egg bites that have no breading, you won’t need this.

Then refer to your printed time sheet with the recommended temperature (or use preset buttons on machine) and cook accordingly. You can even cook frozen foods like air fryer frozen corn dogs by referring to the oven temp. and times on the box, they’re pretty close.

Even every day lunch options like grilled cheese in air fryer are better in this machine!

Here are a few questions you might have on your mind. I know I did and now that I have been using it regularly for a year now, I have some answers to share with you.

Now you’re going to choose whether you’re going to bread or not. Our air fryer salmon has none, but I love it on things like our air fried fried chicken.

What are the differences between all the electric air fryer machines you see out there. We will begin with our Cosori hot air fryer, it’s the style you’re used to seeing.

Why we like this style:

• There are preset buttons for cook time and temperature for a variety of foods.
• The air fryer basket is square and quite large (even for the 6 quart version) compared to the older versions that are round.
• There’s a bit of space between the drawer and the basket for oils/liquid/fat to drain away from the food.

I love how contained it is without a lot of unnecessary space so foods like our air fryer zucchini fries get really nice and crispy in no time. Next favorite is our Ninja Foodi Air Fryer Steak!

Have a larger family? You can find larger versions with trays almost like a dehydrator to fit more. I will tell you this is a game changer if you want to get a large batch done all at once. Want to make a bunch of beer battered onions rings for dinner? Pile them on the shelves!

This is why I love and think this is the best large air fryer model.

• It has 3 air fryer shelves that hold a lot of food.
• This Power Air Fryer Pro comes with a rotisserie so you can cook a air fryer whole chicken really easily and it will rotate on it’s own.
• You can learn how to dehydrate apples, other fruits, and beef jerky in this.
• There are preset buttons for a variety of foods to help you try a bunch of new things and have them turn out perfectly crispy.

BUT what if you want a multi-functional device?  Next we will discuss how the Ninja Foodi recipes are so different! This is why I love this model:

1. It’s no surprise I do love Instant Pot recipes, but this magic pot takes it a step further!
2. With larger cuts of meat you’re able to pressure cook something like our air fryer pork loin, and then brown the outside all inside one pot!
3. If you have limited counter and storage space it’s awful nice to have a few different functions available all in one appliance.
   1. It’s the only way we cook white rice now too.

How does the Ninja air fryer work?

The individual device, I’m referring to the Ninja Foodi model. These are two different things. Get one that offers 7 different functions in one machine.

Why do I love this machine??!!

OH let me count the ways…..I do really love multi function kitchen appliances like this. The main ones I use are pressure cooker and air fryer.

• I show you how to use both with our Ninja Foodi steak and mashed potatoes recipe here.
• You can create more than fried parmesan chicken fingers and fish though.
  • We’ve even made mini molten chocolate cakes and air fryer brownies for dessert!
  • And air fryer spinach chips or soft and buttered as well.

That is right! You can “bake” in it like this bundt air fryer cornbread as a side dish too.

• There are more functions than just one like the others. You’ll be able to replace your steamer and rice cooker too. As I shared above, you can even bake in it!
• The air fryer basket is a bit smaller than the Cosori above because it’s round, but the added functions kinda’ make up for it.
• You can see the air crisp lid below, there is a different one for the other functions.

It really depends on what you’re looking for. If you don’t have an Instant Pot yet I would recommend a Foodi instead since you can crisp in it as well.

• If you do have one, you can turn your Instant Pot into an air fryer with this CrispLid.
• It is a cheaper option but if you’re going to air fry everything you’ll want something more than just this.
• I would recommend one of these 3 above.

The difference is that the lid only browns a few spots on top of the food facing up.

With an actual air frying machine it will crisp the food all the way around, it’s just better I tell you.

All of these machines will create your favorite fried chicken fingers and fish and chips, turning them into healthy meals with no added oil.

The biggest difference is the size of the basket and machine itself:

• I don’t know about you but I do love to get it all done in one shot vs. multiple batches.
• If you live by yourself, or there’s just two of you, the smallest one at the top will work fine.

For families I’d recommend the large air fryer for families. There are 5 of us and this one works well if I don’t need to pressure cook anything beforehand.

How to Air Fry Frozen Foods

Now let’s talk about a few of our favorite easy air fryer recipes:

• Let’s start with these barbecue or cherry chipotle dry rub air fryer chicken wings, they’re to die for!! If we’re talking about finger foods, let’s talk air fryer artichoke hearts. Serve them with frozen meatballs in air fryer as the best appetizers.
• You can do it with all three models really, the biggest difference is the size of the basket.

We have a great example of how to cook frozen meatballs in air fryer below.

Then move on to veggies like cauliflower steak air fryer style. Low calorie healthy snack or side dish. Ready to make some flavor bursting recipes including our air fryer baked potatoes?

Make it a fun air fryer dinner recipe and create a potato bar with all the toppings you’d want to stuff inside like:

1. Our 5 ingredient chili is a great potato stuffer
2. Shredded cheese
3. Sour cream and chives
4. Add salsa for a low fat meal
5. Stuff it with chopped leftover ham or steak

You could make a frozen hamburgers in air fryer bar too with air fryer onions + all the fresh ingredients you want too.

Now this can be fun! Especially when it is cold outside and you aren’t about to barbecue burgers, using your air fryer can be a great alternative.

Don’t want to grill on the barbecue? NO problem, just make an air fryer chuck roast inside instead.

• Our kids really love making their own personal air fryer pizzas at home.
  • I just use a simple dough you mix with water for the crust. This makes it easy for my girls to make it themselves for dinner or as an after school snack.
  • You can also make air fryer hot pockets with frozen dough, or air fryer frozen pizza is really easy.

You can even make air fryer desserts in this thing though too like our air fryer apple crisp or air fryer pumpkin pie. We share air fryer banana bread and how to make a pizookie in your machine here too.

Looking for more easy air fryer recipes? Try frozen steak in air fryer with these green bean fries with some marinated chicken in air fryer tonight.

I also love using our dry rub for air fryer filet mignon. So tender and juicy made this way. Air fryer scallops are to die for too.

For an after school snack, give taquitos in an air fryer or sweet potato chips air fryer style a whirl.