I’m an air fryer expert – my easy recipes for burger bowls and chocolate pudding

There is no denying it: Airfryers are here to stay. Research shows that almost half of all households now have one.

They are cheaper and cleaner than a conventional oven – and they also use less energy oil and are safer for older children.

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Hayley Dean’s new book How To Make Anything In An Air Fryer shatters the stereotype that they’re only good for reheating chips – with 100 simple, family-friendly recipes to try.

Hayley said: “Because they work efficiently, air fryers require less current to heat and cook food faster. Surveys report that they use about 60 percent less energy than conventional ovens.”

In an exclusive segment, we highlight five recipes from the book that you can prepare in about 30 minutes.

• Extracted by Natasha Harding from: How To Make Anything In An Air Fryer: Easy Dinners! (Ebury, £22) published 15 August. Photography: Hannah Hughes

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Chicken and shrimp noodle bowls

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ONE of my all-time favorite noodle dishes. This delicious bowl is inspired by Thailand’s most famous dish: Pad Thai.

I love eating it with chicken alone, but you can also add some shrimp.

I added a few peanuts to the calorie count, but if you’re not keeping track, feel free to add more for extra crunch.

Cooking time: 19 minutes

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Calories: 600 calories per serving

(For 2 persons)

YOU NEED:

For the chicken and noodles:

• 2 skinless chicken fillets (about 300 g)
• 3 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 165 g raw large shrimp (optional)
• 300 g flat rice noodles to prepare directly in the wok
• 100 g bean sprouts
• 1 egg, beaten
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Non-stick spray oil
• For the sauce:
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 teaspoons tamarind paste
• Juice of ½ lime
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon sriracha chili sauce, plus extra for serving

To serve:

• 10 g salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Method:

1. Preheat the airfryer to 180C. Cut the chicken fillets into thin strips. Mix the chicken and the white parts of the spring onions (saving some of the green parts for garnish) with the sesame oil.

2. Add the chicken and spring onion and cook for eight minutes.

3. Add the shrimp (if using) and cook for another three minutes.

4. Meanwhile, mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and add the noodles and bean sprouts.

5. Once the chicken and shrimp are cooked, add the noodles and bean sprouts to the air fryer.

6. Mix everything well with the chicken and let it cook for another four minutes. Then put the mixture back in the bowl.

7. Place a pizza pan or 20cm cake tin in the airfryer and spray with oil.

8. Season the beaten egg, put it in the pan or tin and cook at 180C for three minutes, using a silicone spatula to stir the beaten egg regularly to ensure it cooks evenly. Cook for another minute.

9. Divide the noodles between two plates and garnish with the scrambled eggs, chopped peanuts, the green part of the spring onion and lime wedges to squeeze over.

10. Serve with some extra sriracha sauce if you like it spicy.

Large hamburger bowls

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AFTER seeing a few different burgers to come online, I just had to try it.
This bowl has everything you’d expect on a burger, but without the bun.

I like to serve them with potato wedges rather than fries and with a little more salad than a hamburger, for a more balanced meal.

Cooking time: 18 minutes

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Calories: 480 calories per serving

(For 2 persons)

YOU NEED:

For the potato wedges:

• 300 g potatoes (I use King Edward)
• Salty
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Non-stick spray oil

For the beef:

• 250 g ground beef (10 percent fat)
• 2 slices of burger cheese

For the big burger sauce:

• 1 tablespoon “light” mayonnaise
• ½ tablespoon yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp pickle juice (from the jar)

To serve:

• ½ iceberg lettuce
• 6 cherry tomatoes
• ¼ onion
• 3 tablespoons sliced ​​pickles (or more or less, if you like pickles!)
• 1 tsp roasted sesame seeds

METHOD:

1. Preheat the air fryer to 200°C and cut the potatoes into equal pieces.

2. Place the wedges in the air fryer basket, brush with oil and sprinkle with plenty of salt and pepper.

3. Cook for ten minutes at 200°C, shaking the basket halfway through the cooking time.

4. Season the minced meat.

5. Slide the potato wedges into one half of the airfryer basket and place the minced meat into the other half of the basket. Loosen the minced meat with a wooden spoon.

6. Brush the minced meat with oil and bake it for seven to eight minutes at 200°C.

7. While the mince and wedges are cooking, prepare the sauce for the big burger by mixing all the ingredients in a bowl.

8. Cut the lettuce into strips, cut the cherry tomatoes into pieces and finely chop the onion.

9. Remove the basket from the air fryer and place the cheese slices on the fried minced meat.

10. Let the cheese melt outside the air fryer.

11. Divide the chopped lettuce and potato wedges between two wide, shallow bowls.

12. Top the lettuce with the cheeseburger mince, cherry tomatoes, sliced ​​onion and pickles.

13. Sprinkle with the sauce for the large burger and finally sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Beef and broccoli stir fry

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I make this simple stir fry dish regularly in my deep fryer because it only takes a few minutes to make.

The beef and broccoli get slightly crispy, but not overcooked. The nutty sesame seeds add an extra crunch.

This is a very good dish to serve alongside other Chinese dishes if you are feeding a large group.

Cooking time: 14 minutes

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Calories: 286 calories per serving

(For 2 persons)

YOU NEED:

• 225 g entrecote, cleaned
• 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 broccoli, cut into 2cm pieces
• 2 tsp roasted sesame seeds
• Non-stick spray oil

METHOD:

1. Cut the steak into finger-width slices and place in a bowl with the ginger-garlic paste, sesame oil and 1½ tablespoons of soy sauce and leave to marinate. In a separate bowl, mix the hoisin sauce with the remaining 1½ tablespoons of soy sauce, the cornflour and 100ml of water.

2. Preheat the air fryer to 200°C.

3. Place the steak in the air fryer basket with the marinade and cook for four minutes at 200°C.

4. Place the steak on a plate and set aside.

5. Place the broccoli in the airfryer, sprinkle with oil and bake at 200°C for four minutes.

6. Shake the air fryer basket, pour the hoisin sauce mixture over the broccoli and cook for another four minutes.

7. Place the steak back in the air fryer, mix everything well and cook the steak for another two minutes.

8. Before serving, divide the beef and broccoli between two plates and sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds.

Salmon, asparagus and potatoes from the oven

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IDEAL if you are looking for a light and healthy meal that is ready quickly. You can have this dish on the table in less than 30 minutes.

And because everything is prepared in one bowl, there is hardly any washing up to do!

The honey, mustard and dill mayonnaise goes perfectly with the delicious salmon.

Cooking time: 22 minutes

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Calories: 419 calories per serving

(For 2 persons)

YOU NEED:

• 300 g baby potatoes, halved (or quartered if large)
• Non-stick spray oil
• 2 salmon fillets (total about 240 g – and long if possible)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 100 g asparagus tips

For the dressing:

• 1½ tbsp “light” mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ½ tablespoon chopped dill, plus extra for serving
• 1 tsp honey

METHOD:

1. Preheat the air fryer to 180°C.

2. Place the potatoes in the basket, sprinkle with oil, season with salt and pepper and bake for 15 minutes at 180°C.

3. Place the potatoes on a plate and place a baking sheet in the basket.

4. Return the potatoes to the air fryer basket. Season the salmon and nesting it between the potatoes. Boil the potatoes and salmon at 180C for four minutes, then add the asparagus tips and boil for a further three minutes.

5. While everything is cooking, make the dressing. Mix the mayonnaise, mustard, dill and honey in a bowl, then add a tablespoon of water and stir until well combined.

6. Before serving, divide the salmon, potatoes and asparagus over two plates.

7. Drizzle with the dressing and sprinkle with some extra dill.

Chocolate puddings that melt in the middle

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A fixed part of a DINNER party, because they never failure to impress guests, especially when they discover the hidden surprise.

Before baking, I put a few caramel chocolate balls in each pudding mold so that you get an explosion of liquid caramel when you scoop the melted chocolate pudding into it.

Cooking time: 8 minutes

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Calories: 529 cal per pudding (without cream)

(For 4 persons)

YOU NEED:

• 4 dariole molds or a muffin tin that fits in your airfryer.
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder, plus 2 extra teaspoons for dusting
• 100g salted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 150 g caster sugar
• 80 g self-raising flour
• 12 caramel chocolate buttons
• Casting cream, for serving (optional)

METHOD:

1. Grease four dariole moulds well with butter, then sprinkle with the two teaspoons of cocoa – making sure you coat each mould thoroughly with cocoa. Place a disc of baking paper in the base of each mould.

2Preheat the air fryer to 180°C.

3. Add the cocoa to the melted butter in a bowl, mix until combined. Set aside.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until slightly frothy. Pour in the cocoa mixture, sift in the flour and fold until combined.

5. Spoon the chocolate mixture into the prepared dariole molds, then press three chocolate buttons into each pudding until just submerged.

6. Bake the puddings for eight minutes at 180°C and then let them stand for one minute.

7. Loosen the puddings with a small palette knife or dessert knife before turning them out onto plates.

8. Eat it immediately, with a little cream on top if desired.