You’ve just unboxed your air fryer, peeled off the stickers, done the vinegar-and-hot-water first run the manual told you about, and now you’re staring at the empty basket thinking — right, what do I actually cook in this thing? Chicken nuggets from frozen feels like a waste of a £70 appliance. But the recipe books want you to make duck confit on a Tuesday evening when you’ve got thirty minutes and two hungry kids.
These ten recipes sit in the sweet spot. They’re proper meals — not just reheated freezer food — but none of them require you to be Nigella. Every recipe uses ingredients you can grab from Tesco, Sainsbury’s, or Aldi without a special trip, and they’re all tested in standard basket-style air fryers (the Ninja Dual, Cosori Pro, and Tower Xpress are what most people in the UK seem to own).
A couple of things before we start. Air fryers vary — yours might run 10-20°C hotter than mine (we tested recipes across four different models to account for this). The first time you make any of these, check five minutes early. For precise timings by ingredient, our air fryer cooking times guide is a handy reference to keep nearby. And shake the basket or flip things halfway through every single recipe. That’s the one habit that separates “this is amazing” from “one side’s burnt and the other’s raw.”
1. Crispy Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Herbs
Chicken thighs are the best thing you can cook in an air fryer. Better than breast, which dries out too easily. Skin-on, bone-in thighs from the supermarket cost about £3 for a pack of six, and the air fryer makes the skin crackly while keeping the meat juicy.
What you need (serves 4): – 6 chicken thighs, skin-on, bone-in – 1 tablespoon olive oil – Juice of 1 lemon – 1 teaspoon smoked paprika – 1 teaspoon garlic granules – Salt and pepper
Method: Pat the thighs dry with kitchen roll — this matters more than you’d think. Wet skin won’t crisp. Toss them with the oil, lemon juice, paprika, garlic, salt and pepper. Lay them skin-side down in the basket, giving each one some space.
Temperature: 190°C for 25 minutes total. Flip them skin-side up at the 12-minute mark.
Prep tip: Take the chicken out of the fridge 15 minutes before cooking. Cold chicken straight from the fridge cooks unevenly — the outside overcooks before the middle’s done.
Common mistake: Overcrowding the basket. If you stack thighs on top of each other, the bottom ones steam instead of crisping. Cook in two batches if your air fryer’s on the smaller side (under 4 litres).
Serve with a bagged salad and some crusty bread, or throw some baby potatoes in after the chicken rests (they’ll take about 20 minutes at 200°C, halved and tossed in oil).
2. Sausage, Pepper and Onion Tray Bake
This is a “throw it all in” kind of meal. Works on a Wednesday night when nobody can agree on what to have for tea.
What you need (serves 4): – 8 pork sausages (Richmond, Heck, or whatever your lot likes) – 2 bell peppers, deseeded and cut into chunks – 1 large red onion, cut into wedges – 1 tablespoon olive oil – 1 teaspoon mixed herbs – Salt and pepper
Method: Toss the peppers and onion with the oil, herbs, salt and pepper. Lay the sausages on top — don’t prick them (the air fryer crisps the skin better when it’s intact).
Temperature: 180°C for 20 minutes. Shake the basket and turn the sausages at 10 minutes.
Prep tip: Cut your peppers into similar-sized pieces so they cook evenly. Chunks roughly 3cm square work well.
Common mistake: Cutting the onion too thin. Thin slices burn before the sausages are done. Wedges hold up much better.
Serve in wraps, on top of mash, or stuffed into rolls with mustard. Kids tend to prefer it in wraps with a squirt of ketchup.
3. Fish Finger Sandwiches (Homemade, Not Frozen)
Proper fish finger sandwiches. The kind you make from actual fish, not reconstituted cod shapes. Takes about 20 minutes from start to eating, and kids who claim they don’t like fish will demolish these.
What you need (serves 4): – 400g cod or haddock loin, cut into fingers about 2cm wide – 50g plain flour – 1 egg, beaten – 80g panko breadcrumbs – Spray oil (Frylight or similar) – Soft white bread, butter, tartare sauce or ketchup
Method: Set up three shallow bowls — flour in one, egg in the next, breadcrumbs in the third. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Dip each fish finger in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs, pressing them on firmly. Spray the coated fish with oil on both sides.
Temperature: 200°C for 10 minutes. Flip halfway.
Prep tip: Press the breadcrumbs on firmly with your hands. A light coating falls off during cooking and you end up with naked fish.
Common mistake: Using standard breadcrumbs instead of panko. Regular breadcrumbs go soggy in an air fryer. Panko gives you that proper crunch. You can find panko in the world food aisle at most supermarkets for about £1.50.
Butter the bread generously. Add tartare sauce (or ketchup — no judgement). These are better than anything Birds Eye makes, and I say that as someone who ate Birds Eye fish fingers weekly for about twenty years.
4. Halloumi and Vegetable Kebabs
Halloumi is basically designed for air fryers. It gets that golden crust on the outside while staying squeaky in the middle, and it takes about eight minutes.
What you need (serves 4): – 2 blocks halloumi (about 225g each), cut into 2cm cubes – 1 courgette, cut into thick half-moons – 1 red pepper, cut into chunks – Cherry tomatoes, whole – 1 tablespoon olive oil – 1 teaspoon dried oregano – Squeeze of lemon juice
Method: Thread the halloumi and veg onto wooden skewers (soak them in water for 10 minutes first so they don’t burn) or just toss everything loose in the basket. Drizzle with oil and scatter over the oregano.
Temperature: 190°C for 10 minutes. Flip or shake at 5 minutes.
Prep tip: Don’t cut the halloumi too small. Smaller pieces dry out and go rubbery. 2cm cubes are the sweet spot.
Common mistake: Forgetting to pat the halloumi dry before cooking. It comes packed in brine, and that moisture prevents browning. Give each piece a quick press with kitchen roll.
Serve with pitta bread, hummus, and a green salad. This one goes down well as a lighter summer tea, or as a weekend lunch.
5. Chicken Fajitas
Faster than doing them in a pan, and the chicken gets a better char on the edges. This is a crowd-pleaser — lay everything out and let people build their own.
What you need (serves 4): – 4 chicken breasts, sliced into strips – 2 peppers (any colour), sliced – 1 large onion, sliced – 2 tablespoons fajita seasoning (Old El Paso, or make your own) – 1 tablespoon olive oil – Wraps, salsa, sour cream, grated cheese to serve
Method: Toss the chicken, peppers, and onion together with the seasoning and oil. Spread in the basket in as close to a single layer as you can manage.
Temperature: 200°C for 15 minutes. Shake the basket every 5 minutes.
Prep tip: Slice the chicken against the grain and keep the strips roughly the same thickness (about 1cm). Uneven pieces mean some bits are dry while others are underdone.
Common mistake: Piling everything too deep. This is the recipe where overcrowding hurts most — the veg releases water and everything steams. If you’ve got a small air fryer, do the chicken first, set it aside, then do the veg.
Warm the wraps in the microwave for 15 seconds under a damp piece of kitchen roll. Cold wraps crack and tear.
6. Jacket Potatoes
Yes, you can do jackets in an air fryer, and they’re better than microwave ones (crispier skin) and faster than oven ones (45 minutes instead of 90). The texture is somewhere between the two — properly fluffy inside with a skin that has actual crunch.
What you need (serves 4): – 4 medium baking potatoes (Maris Piper or King Edward work best) – Olive oil – Flaky sea salt – Fillings of your choice
Method: Wash the potatoes, prick them a few times with a fork, rub with oil and sprinkle generously with salt.
Temperature: 200°C for 40-45 minutes. Flip at 20 minutes. They’re done when a knife slides through the centre with no resistance.
Prep tip: Choose potatoes that are roughly the same size. A 200g potato and a 350g potato need very different cooking times.
Common mistake: Skipping the oil and salt. Without oil, the skin dries out and goes papery instead of crispy. The salt draws out moisture from the skin’s surface, which is what creates that crunch.
The air fryer won’t fit four large potatoes in most models. Two at a time is realistic for a standard basket. A dual-basket Ninja handles four no problem.
7. Salmon with Teriyaki Glaze
Salmon in the air fryer is almost foolproof. It stays moist because the hot air seals the outside quickly, and a teriyaki glaze gives it a sticky, caramelised finish that even fussy eaters like.
What you need (serves 4): – 4 salmon fillets (skin-on) – 3 tablespoons soy sauce – 1 tablespoon honey – 1 teaspoon sesame oil – 1 clove garlic, grated – 1cm piece ginger, grated (or ½ teaspoon ground ginger)
Method: Mix the soy, honey, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Brush over the salmon fillets. Let them sit in the marinade for 10 minutes if you have time (not essential).
Temperature: 180°C for 8-10 minutes. No need to flip — cook skin-side down the whole time.
Prep tip: Bring the salmon to room temperature for 10 minutes before cooking. Cold fish from the fridge seizes up and cooks unevenly.
Common mistake: Cooking at too high a temperature. Salmon dries out fast above 180°C. Lower and slower keeps it silky inside. If the glaze isn’t caramelised enough, blast it at 200°C for the last 90 seconds.
Serve with rice (microwave pouches are fine — nobody’s judging) and steamed tenderstem broccoli.
8. Crispy Chickpea Bowl
A proper vegetarian main, not a side dish pretending to be dinner. Roasted chickpeas from the air fryer are crunchy on the outside and creamy inside — nothing like the sad, chewy ones you get from a conventional oven.
What you need (serves 2-3): – 2 tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed – 1 tablespoon olive oil – 1 teaspoon ground cumin – 1 teaspoon smoked paprika – ½ teaspoon garlic granules – Salt and pepper – Cooked rice or couscous, avocado, cherry tomatoes, hummus to serve
Method: Dry the chickpeas thoroughly — tip them onto a clean tea towel and rub gently. Toss with oil and spices.
Temperature: 190°C for 15 minutes. Shake the basket every 5 minutes.
Prep tip: Drying the chickpeas is the most important step. Wet chickpeas won’t crisp up. Spend two minutes on this and the result is transformed.
Common mistake: Giving up too early. At 10 minutes they’ll look done but they’ll be soft inside. The last 5 minutes is where the crunch happens. They should rattle slightly when you shake the basket.
Build your bowl — rice on the bottom, chickpeas on top, avocado, tomatoes, a dollop of hummus, and a squeeze of lemon. Filling, cheap (under £2 per portion), and ready in 20 minutes.
9. Pork Chops with Apple
A midweek roast dinner feeling without any of the effort. Pork and apple is a classic for a reason, and the air fryer does both components brilliantly.
What you need (serves 4): – 4 bone-in pork chops (about 2cm thick) – 2 eating apples (Braeburn or Gala), cored and cut into wedges – 1 tablespoon olive oil – 1 teaspoon dried sage – 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard – Salt and pepper
Method: Rub the chops with oil, mustard, sage, salt and pepper. Place in the basket. Toss the apple wedges with a tiny bit of oil and tuck them around the chops.
Temperature: 190°C for 18-20 minutes. Flip the chops at 10 minutes.
Prep tip: Score the fat on the edge of the chop — two or three cuts through the fat cap. This stops the chop curling up during cooking, which means more even browning.
Common mistake: Choosing thin chops. Anything under 1.5cm thick will be dry and tough. Ask the butcher for thick-cut, or pick the meatiest ones from the supermarket shelf. Bone-in stays juicier than boneless.
Serve with mash and some green beans. The apple wedges go soft and sweet and work like a built-in sauce.
10. Loaded Nachos
This is a Friday night favourite. The air fryer melts the cheese and crisps the tortilla chips at the same time, so you get that bubbling-hot-from-the-oven effect in about 5 minutes.
What you need (serves 4 as a sharing plate): – 200g tortilla chips (Doritos work fine, or any own-brand) – 1 tin black beans, drained and rinsed – 150g cheddar, grated – Jarred jalapeños, sliced – Salsa, sour cream, guacamole to serve
Method: Layer the chips in the air fryer basket — a single layer is ideal but a bit of overlap is fine. Scatter over the beans, then the cheese, then the jalapeños.
Temperature: 180°C for 4-5 minutes. Watch them — cheese goes from perfectly melted to burnt in about 60 seconds.
Prep tip: Use a round piece of baking parchment in the basket to stop melted cheese dripping through the holes. Cut it to fit, or buy pre-cut air fryer liners (about £5 for 100 from Amazon UK).
Common mistake: Putting too many toppings on. The chips at the bottom go soggy if there’s too much moisture. Keep the layers thin and the toppings fairly sparse — you can always do a second batch.
This isn’t health food, but it’s a crowd-pleaser and it gets the whole family round the table on a Friday.
A Few General Tips for Air Fryer Beginners
Don’t skip preheating. Most air fryers take 3-5 minutes to get up to temperature. Some models have a preheat button; for those that don’t, just run it empty for 3 minutes. It makes a noticeable difference to how things brown.
Invest in air fryer liners. Baking parchment with holes punched in it, or the silicone reusable liners you can get for about £8 on Amazon UK. They save you scrubbing the basket and make sticky marinades much less stressful.
Use a meat thermometer. They cost about £10 and they remove all the guesswork. Chicken needs to hit 74°C internally (as recommended by the Food Standards Agency). Pork should be 63°C minimum. Salmon is done at 52°C for medium. No more cutting things open to check.
Clean the basket after every use. Sounds obvious, but built-up grease smokes. Hot soapy water and a non-scratch sponge is all you need. Most baskets are dishwasher-safe too — check your manual.
Don’t be afraid to experiment. Once you’ve nailed these ten recipes, start adapting. Anything that works in an oven generally works in an air fryer at 20°C lower and in about two-thirds of the time. That’s a rough rule of thumb, not gospel — but it’s a decent starting point.
The air fryer isn’t a miracle machine. It won’t replace your oven for a Sunday roast or a big lasagna. But for weeknight meals where you want something hot, tasty, and on the table in under 30 minutes, it’s hard to beat. If you’re still deciding which model to buy, our best air fryers 2026 guide covers every price range. These ten recipes will keep you going for a couple of weeks, and by then you’ll have the confidence to make it up as you go.