Eesha Kulkarni

Air fryers have exploded in popularity over the last few years and have gained a cult following thanks to their recipe hacks perfect for home cooks wanting restaurant-style gourmet dishes in a fraction of the time. Once the handy appliance was given a shoutout by Oprah in 2016, there was no looking back. Every millennial with hopes and dreams added the air fryer to their wishlist instantly—and now, it’s safe to say that the versatile fryer is a staple in almost every kitchen across the world.

Air fryers come with their fair share of cooking hacks and quick recipes on the internet and we can’t help but try some of these recipes out for ourselves. From ribs, taquitos, fries and other delicious concoctions, it seems like there’s nothing that the humble air fryer can’t do. Let’s take a look at some viral air fryer recipes we’re dying to attempt!

Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos

The air fryer circulates extremely hot air very fast, which is why you can cook, roast or fry anything in it without needing oil. To make this simple recipe for chicken taquitos, mix together three cooked and shredded chicken breasts, a cup of cheese of your choice, some diced green chillies or canned pickles, salsa verde and half a cup of cream cheese in a bowl. Dump this delicious mixture in mini tortilla wraps, roll them up tightly like a cigar and that’s it! Toss them in the air fryer for 20 minutes while flipping them halfway and you’ll have the most drool-worthy and easy to prepare air fryer snack to satisfy your mid-day cravings.

Corn Ribs

A fun and delicious way of pretending to eat ribs for vegans, corn ribs are making waves on the internet for their unique style of chopping and cooking. To make these ribs, grab a corn on the cob with juicy knobs (iykyk) and start slicing it down the middle like a psychopath. Once you have rib-adjacent strips of the corn, season them with a mix of olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika powder, lemon pepper, black pepper, red chilli powder and salt. Generously coat the corn ribs with this concoction and throw them in the air fryer for 20 minutes. Prepare a dip like chipotle mayo or any sauce of your choice and enjoy the glazed corny goodness!

Air Fryer Apple

This is a great, quick recipe to whip up when you’re craving something sweet, but don’t feel like going all out or putting in too much effort. Cue, the air fryer apple—reminiscent of a classic apple pie, cold weather and reruns of Gilmore Girls—albeit a quasi-healthier version of it. Grab an apple and remove the pit and seeds, before coating both halves with copious amounts of honey, caramel syrup or any other sweetening agent of choice. Sprinkle some cinnamon over it and air fry it for 15 to 20 minutes. You can even use a peach instead of an apple for the same results. Enjoy this gooey delectable creation with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, chopped nuts and even more caramel syrup to amp up the dessert. Simple, right?

Zucchini Tots

Tater tots or anything made from potatoes is what all our collective childhoods were made of. And we’re here to introduce you to an adult version of tater tots—the zucchini tots. Before you write it off as too “green” or too meh, give it a shot, we swear you’ll be impressed. To make this snack, grate or shred two zucchinis and use a kitchen towel to squeeze out as much liquid from it as possible. You should have 2 packed cups of shredded zucchini afterwards. Add zucchini to a large bowl along with 1 cup panko breadcrumbs, 1 cup shredded cheese, 2 eggs, some Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes for some zing. Stir in the ingredients together and create little flat balls out of the “dough”. Place onto a parchment lined air fryer tray, spray a bit of cooking spray and air fry for 15-18 minutes or until golden.

Smashed Potatoes

Smashed potatoes aka lazy French fries are here to get you hooked. To make this restaurant-style, heavenly appetiser, simply chop some potatoes into fairly equal blocks and boil them in heavily salted water. Once they’re cooked, place them on a tray and smash each piece with a glass to flatten them completely. Season the potatoes with salt, pepper, garlic powder and chilli powder and drop them in the air fryer for 20 minutes and voila! Enjoy the lazy fries with ketchup, mayonnaise or any other dipping sauce of your choice. Brb, running off to make this recipe, now!