Air fryers are a piece of cooking equipment sent from above, for a good reason. This tool cooks your food magically by circulating rapid hot air to produce the perfect crisp, texture, and flavor you desire. Furthermore, an air fryer can save cooking time and use little to no oil.
You can cook almost anything with this appliance, including 23 of our easy and delicious air fryer recipes; the sky’s the limit with this one, my friend! Meat is no exception to this rule. With this in mind, which of the numerous types of meat available to make a Michelin-starred air fryer dish is the best?
Here at DadongNY, we will explore all of the best meats you can cook in an air fryer and provide you with mouthwatering recipes that you can try in your air fryer microwave oven combo.
Steak
Cooking the perfect steak is not as simple as it appears on television. After all, it takes a few minutes to overcook or undercook that exquisite meat. However, with the help of an air fryer, you can perfectly cook steak, whether it is thin cuts like sirloin or bigger cuts like the New York strip.
To cook steak in an air fryer, preheat it to high heat, season your steak with salt and pepper to taste, and then put it in the air fryer toaster oven combo for 8-14 minutes to achieve the wonderful texture that will make Gordon Ramsay proud.
You can also try air-fried steak wrapped asparagus recipe here:
Ingredients
- 1 pound asparagus trimmed
- 2 cups grape tomatoes halved
- 1 ½ pound skirt steak or flank steak thinly sliced
- 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1 tsp salt
- Olive oil cooking spray
Instructions
- Lightly coat the air fryer basket with olive oil spray.
- Cut the steak into 6 pieces, as evenly as possible.
- Combine the vinegar, oil, garlic, and salt in a small bowl. Just mix it lightly.
- Place around 3 asparagus spears with 1 piece of steak, roll it up, and place it in the air fryer basket.
- Continue with the rest of the steak. For this recipe, the basket will fit 3 at a time.
- Add half of the tomatoes once there are three in the basket.
- Brush the steaks and vegetables with the oil and vinegar mixture using a brush.
- Cook for 10 minutes at 390 °F using the air crisp feature.
- Remove the steaks with care and repeat the process with the remaining three steaks.
- Serve the asparagus wrapped in steak with tomatoes.
Ground Beef
In the mood for a burger? Not a problem! Fans of burgers and french fries will enjoy air frying ground beef in the air fryer. The air fryer can help you cook these meaty favorites correctly, whether you’re making delicious burgers or crispy french fries.
To cook ground beef in an air fryer, preheat your Ninja Foodi air fryer to high heat, shape your ground beef to your design, and then add them to the air fryer basket to cook for 10-12 minutes. Halfway through the cooking process, flip them until they are browned and cooked perfectly.
You can also try the gluten-free air-fried meatballs recipe here:
Ingredients
Meatball
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 egg beaten
- ¾ cup old fashioned oats or gluten-free oats
- ¼ cup evaporated milk
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
Sauce
- ¾ cup ketchup
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp liquid smoked
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Mix the meatball ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Use olive oil cooking spray to coat the air fryer basket.
- Add roughly a tablespoon’s worth of meatballs to the air fryer.
- Coat them all with olive oil spray once they’re all in the basket.
- Cook for 12 minutes at 390 °F in an air fryer.
- While this is heating, combine the sauce ingredients in a small mixing glass or basin.
- Heat this in the microwave for about 30 seconds, or until the sugar melts.
- After 12 minutes, carefully remove the lid and use a meat thermometer to check the meatballs. If they are not at least 165 °F, continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes.
- When they reach 165 °F, use a brush to coat them with sauce.
- After coating, cook for another 2 minutes in the air fryer.
- Remove with care and serve.
Pork Chops
Pork chops are another fantastic item to cook in your air fryer. Whether you’re looking for a simple and delectable pork chop recipe for dinner, the air fryer can help you cook it the way you like it.
To cook pork chops in the air fryer, season the meat with salt and pepper to taste, set it in the basket, and cook for 10-15 minutes. Serve them with your favorite veggie for a restaurant-style meal.
You can also try the gluten-free air-fried ranch breaded pork chop recipe here:
Ingredients
- 4 boneless thin pork chops
- 2 beaten eggs
- 1 package ranch seasoning mix
- ¼ cup bread crumbs or gluten-free bread crumbs
Instructions
- In one bowl, mix the beaten eggs.
- Combine the spice mix and bread crumbs in a separate bowl.
- Dip the pork chops in the eggs and shake off the excess.
- Dip the chicken in the spice mixture before placing it in the sprayed air fryer basket. Spray the basket or line it with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cook for 4 minutes at 360°F.
- Cook for an additional 4 minutes after carefully turning the pork chops. If you wish, lightly spritz them with cooking oil, such as olive oil, at this point. Pork chops should be fully cooked at 145 °F before serving.
Chicken
Chicken is a must-have food to cook in your air fryer. You can prepare it in almost any manner you like; from crispy chicken breasts to chicken drumsticks or garlic butter chicken wings, there are countless flavor combinations to try with your air-fried chicken. You can even cook a complete roast in your air fryer; simply spray the chicken with oil to get that crispy surface.
To cook chicken in the air fryer, simply season your meat with salt and pepper to taste, and place it in the air fryer for 15-20 minutes.
You can also try the air-fried chicken steak recipe here:
Ingredients
- 4 ⅓ pounds of cubed steaks
- ½ cup gluten-free or regular flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tbsp steak seasoning
- 1 cup milk
- 2 eggs beaten
- cooking oil spray of choice
- cooked gravy
Instructions
- Start by ensuring that the steak is about ¼ inch thick, neither too thick nor too thin.
- In a small bowl, combine the flour and spices.
- Whisk together the eggs and milk in a separate bowl.
- Coat the air fryer basket with your preferred cooking oil, then preheat to 390 °F for roughly 5 minutes.
- Prepare the steak while the oven is heating.
- Shake off the excess flour after dipping each steak in it.
- Coat with the egg-milk mixture.
- Again, dip in the flour mixture.
- Place the steak in the air fryer basket that has been oiled.
- Cook at 390 °F for 6-8 minutes, or until done to your liking, then serve with cooked gravy.
Roast Beef
Nothing beats a succulent and delicious roast beef, as you’d find at a nice restaurant, and one of the best ways to roast beef is with an air fryer. The air fryer can help you get the right and tender texture every time, whether you’re cooking a traditional-style roast beef or something more complex like the London broil.
To cook roast beef in an air fryer, season it with salt and pepper to taste, set it in the basket, and cook for 10-15 minutes.
You can also try air-fried roast beef recipe here:
Ingredients
- 3 lb beef chuck roast
- 1 tsp steak seasoning
- 1 package gluten-free or regular brown gravy mix
- ½ cup water
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- Parsley or rosemary to garnish
Instructions
- Start by preheating the air fryer for about 5 minutes at 390 °F.
- While this is heated, evenly season the roast with steak seasoning.
- Set aside the gravy and ½ cup of water.
- When the preheating time is up, carefully spray the air fryer with your preferred cooking oil spray, such as grapeseed oil.
- Place the roast in the air fryer and cook for 15 minutes at 390 °F. This will scorch the outside.
- Prepare a sheet of foil to place the roast on after the cooking time is up.
- Remove the roast from the air fryer with care and set it on the foil.
- Wrap the roast in foil and place it back in the air fryer.
- Make sure the foil is raised around the sides of the roast at this point so that air may flow.
- Pour the brown gravy mixture evenly over the roast.
- Place the roast on top of the butter.
- Cook for 30-40 minutes at 325 °F, or until the internal temperature reaches 145 °F.
- Allow it to rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
- The drippings from the roast can be used to make a gravy.
Fish
If you’re bored eating pork and beef, air-fried fish is a wonderful option for a quick evening meal. This lean protein offers a great and healthy supper alternative, plus it cooks quickly and easily in your air fryer!
To cook fish in an air fryer, season it to taste with salt and pepper, set it in the basket, and cook for 8-12 minutes. With a side of vegetables or Worcestershire sauce, you’ll have a great, nutritious meal ready in no time!
You can also try the gluten-free air-fried fish recipe here:
Ingredients
- 8 1-2 lb fish fillets (cod, tilapia, polock, or other white fish)
- cooking oil spray
- 2 eggs beaten
- ½ cup gluten-free or regular all-purpose flour
- 2 cups gluten-free or regular panko breadcrumbs
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp old bay seasoning
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Lemon wedges and tartar sauce
Instructions
- Set aside the breadcrumbs and seasonings in a small bowl.
- Whisk the egg in a separate bowl.
- Add the flour to a third bowl.
- Using a paper towel, pat the fish dry.
- Dip each filet in flour, then in egg, shaking off excess.
- Coat with breadcrumbs.
- Spray the fish and the air fryer basket with your preferred cooking oil spray.
- Distribute the fish equally in the basket. This might have to be done in batches.
- Cook for 8-12 minutes in the Air Fryer at 390 °F, turning halfway and coating with extra spray.
- Serve with lemon wedges or tartar sauce right away.
Bacon
It’s surprisingly simple to make crispy bacon in the air fryer. Cooking time will vary according to how crispy you like your bacon, but we recommend 8-12 minutes at 350 °F.
To cook bacon in an air fryer, lay the bacon strips in the basket and cook. For an even more delectable flavor, you may also season the bacon with your preferred seasonings, such as brown sugar or cayenne pepper.
You can also try air-fried crispy bacon recipe here:
Ingredients
- 1 pound of bacon
Instructions
- Distribute the bacon evenly in the air fryer basket. Depending on the size of the bacon, this may require two batches.
- Cook for 8 minutes at 350° F.
- Cook for another 58 minutes, or until bacon is crisp to your liking. You may need to add another 2-3 minutes, depending on the thickness of the bacon.
- Remove the bacon with tongs and place it on a dish lined with paper towels.
- Allow to cool before serving.
Bottomline
Air frying is the way to go whether you are in the mood for a delicious steak or some fried chicken with a crispy crust. If this is your first time cooking in an air fryer, we hope this list and recipes will assist you in mastering your kitchen appliance and making a range of air fryer foods that you can enjoy alone or with someone. Air frying is a great idea for various reasons, so get an air fryer and start cooking!
To explore more about air fryers, follow the link to find out everything you need to know about this posh kitchen appliance.
