9 Surprising Recipes You Can Make in an Air Fryer

It’s no secret that we’ll jump at any opportunity to crack out the air fryer! Breakfast, lunch or dinner, you’d be surprised at how versatile an air fryer can be – it’s not always all about crispy chicken nuggets or perfect chips! 

If you’ve already got a copy of Pinch of Nom: Air Fryer at home, you’ll already know it’s bursting at the seams with unexpected recipes. From easy pasta bakes to moist cakes, you really can cook almost anything in your favourite gadget. 

Don’t believe us? Scroll down to discover 9 surprising recipes you can make in an air fryer…

Air Fryer Full English

Breakfast seems like a good place to start, and it doesn’t get better than a full English all cooked in an air fryer. We’re talking the whole shebang…bacon, sausages, mushrooms, tomatoes, beans, and even scrambled eggs!

Our Air Fryer Full English is surprisingly easy, because everything gets cooked together, with the help of some tin foil to parcel up the veggies, and a couple of oven-safe ramekins for the eggs and beans. 

It’s loads quicker than frying-up everything individually, plus there’s less washing-up to worry about afterwards!

Air Fryer Chicken Tikka Masala

The next time you’re planning a curry night, you might be surprised to hear that you can rustle one up in your air fryer! Flick to page 90 in your copy of Pinch of Nom: Air Fryer and you’ll find everything you need for our gorgeous Air Fryer Chicken Tikka Masala. 

You’ll still need to turn on the hob to simmer the fragrant tikka sauce, but baking the chicken pieces in the air fryer will give them a lovely chargrilled finish that rivals your favourite takeaway. 

Once the sauce is blended until smooth and creamy, you’ll add in yoghurt and coriander, before stirring in the tender chicken. You’d never know each serving comes to just 248 calories! 

Air Fryer Orange and Lemon Cake

Have you tried baking a cake in your air fryer yet? You need just 5 ingredients to make our scrumptious Air Fryer Orange and Lemon Cake, so it’s the perfect recipe to start with! 

The zesty soft sponge comes together in a flash, thanks to the fast-cooking magic of your air fryer. Once all the ingredients are whisked together, your cake needs just 25 minutes to bake, including giving it a quick glaze of citrus juice and sweetener. 

Divide it up into 10 portions that work out at a surprisingly slimming-friendly 88 calories each, pop the kettle on, put your feet up and enjoy a slice with a cuppa. 

You’ll find the full recipe on pages 186-187 of our air fryer cookbook. 

Air Fryer BBQ Pulled Chicken

When you think of ‘pulled’ pork or chicken, you’d be more likely to reach for your slow cooker than your air fryer. The Air Fryer BBQ Pulled Chicken on page 58 will change your mind, especially when you see that it’s ready in just 40 minutes, start to finish. 

There’s sweetness, smokiness and tanginess in the BBQ-inspired sauce, and it works wonders to keep the chicken breasts nice and tender as they air-fry. Once they’re cooked all the way through, it’s time to shred them using 2 forks. Give the chicken a good stir to soak up as much of the gorgeous sauce as possible, then it’s up to you how you serve it! 

We love it in sandwiches, salads and even on a jacket spud.

Air Fryer Chicken Kyiv Pasta Bake

Don’t be nervous about cooking pasta in your air fryer! You’ll cook the chicken and creamy sauce for our Air Fryer Chicken Kyiv Pasta Bake in your air fryer drawer (using a silicone liner or cake tin, depending on which model you have) before mixing in pasta that you’ve boiled on the hob. 

The beauty of making this one in the air fryer is that it’s guaranteed to turn that crispy breadcrumb topping gloriously crisp and golden. It’s all the best bits of a garlicky, rich chicken Kyiv – with pasta included!

You’ll find this one on pages 114-115 of Pinch of Nom: Air Fryer. 

Air Fryer Peach Melba Baked Oats

We’re back to breakfast with this next surprising recipe you can make in an air fryer. Our Air Fryer Peach Melba Baked Oats are on pages 50-51 of the cookbook, and they’re just as quick and easy as you’d hope! 

Batch-cookable and budget-friendly, there are loads of reasons to start your day with this dish. The creamy oats, juicy peaches and tart raspberries bake into a hearty treat that you can portion out and take on-the-go, for just 173 calories per serving. 

Air Fryer Cheesy Roasted Vegetable Soup

Yes, you really can make soup in your air fryer! This Air Fryer Cheesy Roasted Vegetable Soup does need to be finished off in the blender, but all the hard work is done before that. 

Instead of taking ages to roast in the oven, air-frying the veggies for this cosy, comforting soup will give all the same flavour, in far less time. 

Exactly what you need on a chilly, grey day, you’ll find the full recipe and method on page 160 of Air Fryer. You’ll want a crusty bread roll nearby to mop up every last drop (or bake yourself one of our Air Fryer Cheese and Chives Scones from page 164). 

Air Fryer Bacon and Cheese Frittata 

For a quick brekkie or a speedy lunch, you can’t go wrong with our Air Fryer Bacon and Cheese Frittata recipe. Air-fried eggs might sound a little unusual, but trust the process!

Mixed up with cheese and your choice of fillings (we’ve gone for bacon and onion), you’ll have yourself a hearty, filling frittata in just over half an hour. 

Don’t worry if you can’t finish it all in one sitting – the leftovers for lunch are always a good idea! It’s just as delicious hot or cold, so it’s up to you how you enjoy it. 

Skip to pages 42-43 of Air Fryer for all the details!

Air Fryer Pavlovas

Is meringue the most surprising thing to come out of an air fryer? We’re obsessed with our Air Fryer Pavlovas and we need everyone to know how easy-peasy they are. 

Each chewy-in-the-middle meringue can be baked to perfection right there in your air fryer drawer, until crispy on the outside and ready to load with the creamy filling. Each sweetly satisfying nest is only 116 calories, so you can always squeeze one in at the end of your meal if you don’t want to miss out on dessert. 

You can flick right to the end of your copy of Pinch of Nom: Air Fryer to find this recipe – it’s on pages 182-185. 

In need of more air fryer inspiration? There’s loads where this came from! Browse our other air fryer articles to discover similar recipes, tips, buyer guides and so much more. 

• What to Cook First From Pinch of Nom: Air Fryer
• What to Make in Your Air Fryer if You’re a Beginner
• Easy Air Fryer Chicken Recipes
• Pinch of Nom’s Favourite Air Fryer Accessories
• Fakeaway Air Fryer Recipe Ideas
• How to Clean Your Air Fryer in 5 Easy Steps
• The Best Air Fryers to Buy

Which surprising recipe will you try first?

We’d love to hear if you plan on giving any of these unexpected air fryer recipes a try. Don’t forget to share photos in our Facebook group the next time you make an air-fried feast. We have almost 1 million lovely community members waiting to support you on your slimming journey.

You can always take a quick look in our Gallery if you’re on the hunt for even more inspiration. You’ll want to sign up to a free website account to upload and share your photos (we’ve got a step-by-step guide you can follow that makes it even easier).

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