It’s a pretty obvious thing now that air fryers make everything delicious, be it an appetizer or fried food item, with so much less fat and oil.
But one thing that you might not know is, the air fryer also makes amazing main dishes for dinner with less fat, less oil, and as quick as lightning.
So, today, I am here to tell you some extremely tasty dinner recipes for air fryers that would become everyone’s favorite by the time you make them.
Let’s get started.
What Exactly Is An Air Fryer?
The air fryer is just a more powerful countertop convection oven that does not really fry your food. The compact gadget, patented by Philips Electronics Company, claims to replicate the results of deep-frying using just hot air and little or no oil.
This device has grown in popularity in recent years, with over 40% of U.S. houses owning one by July 2020, according to market research firm NPD Group. You can air-fry anything, from prepackaged chicken wings and handmade french fries to roasted veggies and fresh-baked cookies.
How Does An Air Fryer Work?
The upper portion of an air fryer houses the heating mechanism and fan. When you turn it on, heated air travels down and around the food in a fryer-style basket. This rapid circulation crisps the food in the same way as deep-frying does, but without the oil.
- Place your food in the basket
- Set the time and temperature
- Let the food cook
Air Fryer Cajun Salmon
Air fryer Cajun salmon is full of flavors with a little bit of sweetness, which gets ready to eat in 10 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 skins of the salmon fillet
- 1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon of brown sugar
- Cooking Oil Spray
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer first to 390° F.
- Wash the salmon fillets and pat dry them with a paper towel and spray cooking oil on them.
- Take a plate, put Cajun seasoning and brown sugar, and mix them.
- Then press both sides of the salmon fillets in the seasoning mixture.
- Spray some cooking oil in the air fryer basket and place salmon fillets in it and again spray them with oil.
- Let them cook for 8 minutes at 390 °F. Once done, take them out and let them rest for 2 minutes before serving.
Notes
If you want the salmon to be more cooked, then add extra 2 minutes in cooking, but make sure not to overcook as it will dry the salmon fillet.
Nutritional information
| Calories | 322 |
| Carbs | 19g |
| Fats | 4g |
| Proteins | 34g |
Air Fryer Cheeseburger
The fact to love about making cheeseburgers in the air fryer is that you don’t have to worry about splattered grease all over your stove. In the air fryer, you can make patties from 1/2 pound to 1/4 pound.
Ingredients
- 1 slice of white sandwich bread
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1½ tablespoons of low-fat milk
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 slices of cheddar cheese
- 2 buns, halved
- ¼ teaspoon of black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer first at 350 °F.
- Cut the sandwich bread crust off and tear it into small pieces and mix them with salt, milk, garlic powder, and black pepper.
- Then add ground beef to the mixture and make 2 equal patties from it.
- To avoid patties puffiness, make an indentation in the center with the help of your thumb.
- Now put them in the air fryer and let them cook for 8-10 minutes, flip them over and let them cook again for another 8 minutes.
- Then place the cheese slices on each patty and let the cheese melt in the air fryer, it would just take 30-40 seconds.
- Once the patties and cheese are done, put them on buns and enjoy!
Notes
- There is no specification of cheese, you can use any cheese you want.
- You can use brioche buns instead of regular buns.
Nutritional information
| Calories | 822 |
| Fats | 47g |
| Carbs | 42g |
| Protein | 54g |
Air Fried Crumbed Chicken Tenderloins
Chicken nuggets can be beat any day with this amazing crumbed chicken tenderloin recipe, which is very simple.
Ingredients
- 8 chicken tenderloins
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ cup bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 350° F.
- Beat the egg in a small bowl.
- Take another bowl and mix vegetable oil and bread crumbs until the mixture becomes loose.
- Now, dip the chicken tenderloin in the egg mixture first, then dip it in the crumb mixture and make sure it is fully coated.
- Then place the chicken tenderloins in an air fryer basket and let it cook for 12 minutes until they are no longer pink from the center.
- The tenderloins are done when their internal temperature reaches 165 °F.
Notes
You can use butter oil instead of vegetable for chicken tenderloins.
Nutritional Information
| Calories | 253 |
| Carbs | 10g |
| Fats | 11g |
| Proteins | 26g |
Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Shrimp
Air fryer lemon pepper shrimp are great for cold appetizers and can easily be served with salad, pasta, or rice because they are very easy to cook.
Ingredients
- 1 lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon paprika powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 12 ounces of uncooked, peeled and detained medium shrimp
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
- 1 lemon, sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer first at 400° F.
- Take a bowl, put oil, lemon pepper, garlic powder, and paprika powder, and add shrimp in it to toss them well.
- Place the shrimp in the air fryer basket and let them cook for 6-8 minutes, or until they turn bright pink from the outside.
- Once they are done, take them out and serve them with lemon slices.
Nutritional information
| Calories | 215 |
| Carbs | 13g |
| Fats | 9g |
| Proteins | 25g |
You can also check out the following video to know how to make air-fried lemon pepper shrimp.
Air Fryer Ranch Pork Chops
This recipe is so simple and quick and takes only 10 minutes to cook. I love to have my chops slightly pink to enjoy its juices, but you can always add 1 or 2 minutes more for good doneness of the chops.
Ingredients
- Aluminum foil
- Cooking spray
- 2 tablespoons of ranch seasoning
- 4 boneless, pork chops which are center cut.
Instructions
- Put the pork chops on a plate and sprinkle some cooking oil on it.
- Then sprinkle ranch seasoning on both sides of the pork chops and leave them for 10 minutes at room temperature.
- Preheat the air fryer to 390° F and spray some cooking oil in the air fryer basket.
- Now place the chops in the air fryer in a single layer without overcrowding the basket.
- Let them cook for 5 minutes at 390° F in the air fryer, then flip them over and give them another 5 minutes until they are ready to serve.
Nutritional Information
| Calories | 260 |
| Fats | 9g |
| Carbs | 1g |
| Protein | 41g |
Conclusion
In summary, I’d like to conclude
- An air fryer is as amazing in cooking main dinner dishes as it is in making fried items and snacks.
- Most of the air fryer dinner recipes only take 10-12 minutes only, which is perfect for busy weekdays or even free weekend nights.
- The usage of an instant-read thermometer is recommended to check the internal temperature of your favorite dish for well-cooked food.