This post reviews the best frozen foods to cook in an air fryer. The air fryer makes it so easy to cook frozen food quickly and easily. You'll never want to cook frozen food any other way again!
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Air fryers have become very popular in the last few years, and I am personally a huge fan of mine. I use my air fryer almost every day. Whether it be to make full meals, or to simply make my morning air fryer toast, my air fryer has become one of my favourite kitchen tools. Some of my favourite air fryer recipes include healthy air fryer salmon patties and juicy air fryer scallops! And one of the best things about air fryers is how good they are at cooking food from frozen, so in this post we will review the best frozen foods to cook in an air fryer.
Table of Contents
How air fryers work and the benefits of them:
Air fryers work by using a heating element and a fan that blows hot air through the cooking chamber, and it is this hot air that cooks the food. Air fryers don't actually fry food, but essentially act like a small convection oven.
Air fryers can grill, bake, and fry food, and one really nice thing about them is that you need very little oil to cook food in an air fryer. Air fryers also cook food faster when compared to frying or baking. Another bonus is that they don't heat up your whole kitchen like an oven does, and are a healthier way to cook food compared to deep frying because they use less oil.
Tips for cooking frozen food in an air fryer:
It's so easy to cook frozen foods in your air fryer, and will cut down the time you spend in the kitchen since you don't have to thaw your food ahead of time. Here are a few tips for how to get the best results when cooking foods from frozen in your air fryer:
- Don't overlap the food. Instead place it in single layer so that it cooks evenly. The air needs to be able to circulate around the food to cook it properly.
- Every model of air fryer is different, so you may have to adjust the cooking times slightly depending on the model you are using.
- If you are using a basket style air fryer be sure to give the basket a shake half way through the cook time.
- If you are using a rack style air fryer the food on the lower rack will take a bit longer to cook compared to food on the upper rack.
- Some recipes call for you to pre-heat your air fryer, while others do not. Be sure to read the directions carefully as this will impact the cooking time.
- If food tends to stick to your air fryer you can give the basket or tray a spray with olive oil or avocado oil before placing the food in it.
The best frozen foods to cook in an air fryer
1. Fish Sticks
It could not be easier to cook frozen fish sticks in an air fryer. It takes less than 15 minutes and they turn out perfectly. Nice and crispy on the outside yet soft and tender on the inside. You will never need to order fast food fish fingers again!
2. Egg Rolls
Make perfectly crisp egg rolls by cooking them from frozen in your air fryer. It's so much faster than baking them in the oven and you can eat egg rolls as an appetizer, snack or for a meal.
3. Meatballs
Another delicious food that you can cook in your air fryer is frozen meatballs! The meatballs turn out so juicy and tender, and are ready in under 15 minutes. You can add the cooked meatballs to spaghetti or other pasta dishes, or serve them as an appetizer with a dipping sauce.
4. Chicken Wings
Frozen chicken wings turn out so good when they are cooked in an air fryer. I will never grill or barbecue chicken wings again! They turn out nice and crisp on the outside, yet juicy and tender on the inside. Plus you can make whatever flavour of wings you like including salt and pepper, buffalo, barbecue, teriyaki and more!
5. Hamburgers
Hamburgers are one of my go-to meals. And cooking them from frozen in your air fryer could not be easier - they are ready in under 20 minutes! Plus they turn out so juicy and full of flavour!
6. French Fries
You will never want to get fast food French fries again. You can get the perfect French fries by cooking them from frozen in your air fryer instead. This is one of the things I make most often in my air fryer, they are just that good! If your fries are un-seasoned, season them however you like once they are done cooking. Then serve them with whatever dipping sauces you like.
7. Waffle Fries
Besides regular French fries you can also cook frozen waffle fries in the air fryer. Change up your french fry game and increase the flavour by cooking waffle fries instead of regular fries. Then serve them with your favourite dipping sauce!
8. Shrimp
Forgot to thaw your shrimp? No problem! Cook frozen shrimp in your air fryer in just 10 minutes! They turn out so juicy and tender so you would never know they were cooked from frozen. I love topping them with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to give them even more flavour!
9. Onion Rings
Another simple side dish you can cook in your air fryer are onion rings. They taste just liked deep fried crispy onion rings and are ready in under 10 minutes! They pair perfectly with gluten-free hamburgers, air fried turkey burgers or even easy duck burgers.
10. Hash Browns
Believe it or not but my post on how to cook frozen hash browns in an air fryer is one of the top 3 posts on my entire site. The reason I think it's so popular is because it's so easy to do! And the hash browns turn out perfectly. Nice and crispy on the outside, yet moist and tender on the inside.
11. Steak
Yes you read that right. You can cook juicy, tender steaks, from frozen, in an air fryer! The first time I tried this I was so skeptical but after the first bite I was sold. The steak tasted just as good as any grilled steak. Plus it only takes 15 minutes to cook!
Learn how to cook the perfect steak from frozen in an air fryer.
12. Pizza
Frozen pizzas are one of my favourite foods to cook in my air fryer. The crust turns out so nice and crispy, while the cheese is perfectly melty and gooey. Just be sure you buy a frozen pizza that's small enough to actually fit in your air fryer.
13. Burritos
Burritos are another food that can be easily cooked from frozen in an air fryer. It takes less than 20 minutes so you can have a healthy complete meal on the table in no time at all. You can cook any type of frozen burrito that you like in an air fryer so no matter your taste preferences you have so many options!
14. Chicken tenders
It could not be easier to make a quick meal than cooking frozen chicken tenders in your air fryer. It takes less than 10 minutes and you get the perfect crispy chicken fingers that are just as good as any fast food joint. If you have kids this is the perfect easy dinner.
15. Sweet potato fries
Sweet potato fries are a fun alternative to regular French fries. I personally love the taste of sweet potato fries better than French fries. They pair well with many different dishes including burgers, chicken wings and steak.
Learn how to cook frozen sweet potato fries in an air fryer.
Other frozen foods you can cook in your air fryer include tater tots, mozzarella sticks, dumplings, corn dogs and hot pockets. The possibilities are almost endless!
Frequently asked questions:
There are a few things you shouldn't cook in an air fryer, including bacon and popcorn. Yes it is possible to do it, but the manufacturers recommend that you don't for safety reasons. Bacon is too greasy while popcorn kernels are too small and in both cases there is a risk that your air fryer could catch fire if you try cooking these foods in one.
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