Skinnytaste Air Fryer Dinners

Introduction


Clearly I’m obsessed with my air fryer since I am now back with a second cookbook solely dedicated to the appliance! When I wrote my first air fryer cookbook in 2019, I was new to the air fryer and had a blast exploring all the possibilities (and making it through failed recipes along the way). Now, it’s one of my most-used appliances (along with my coffee pot), and I’ve learned so much about how to perfect the recipes I make in it. My first air fryer cookbook showcased everything from muffins to appetizers, main dishes, and desserts. This time around, I’ve honed in on my favorite way to use the air fryer: for outrageously delicious and healthy dinners. This dinner-only air fryer cookbook is packed with flavorful meals that your family is sure to love.

But what is an air fryer anyway? Basically, an air fryer is a countertop convection oven, deep fryer, and microwave all rolled into one. It has a heated coil (usually at the top), a mesh or metal basket to put food in, and a fan that circulates heat around the food in the basket. In an oven, food creates steam that can make things soggy rather than crisp. When deep-frying, items are flash-cooked in hot oil that creates the crunchy exterior we love. An air fryer is the best of both worlds, creating intense heat that surrounds food to cook it more efficiently and evenly than either baking or traditional frying. The result is food with crisp, browned exteriors and juicy, tender interiors. Since you don’t have to deal with a big pot of piping hot oil, it’s much safer and cleaner than deep-frying (I don’t have to worry about watching my eleven-year-old daughter when she uses it)—not to mention healthier. Mimicking fried foods isn’t its only strength, though: The air fryer can roast vegetables and fish, bake muffins and quiche, reheat leftovers, and heat up frozen foods all without warming up your kitchen or requiring preheating (especially helpful in the summer months). It really is a miracle appliance!

I love using my air fryer to make healthier versions of my kids’ favorite foods. In this book, I tackled some otherwise high-cal foods like chicken fried steak, samosas, and fried fish sandwiches, just to name a few. I also discovered you can use an air fryer to make stir-fry dishes like Beef and Broccoli (page 106) or Honey Sriracha Chicken and Vegetables (page 77), but without all the splatter. You can also create one-pan dishes similar to sheet pan meals, like One-Pot Balsamic Chicken, Asparagus, and Burst Tomatoes (page 78) or Kielbasa, Veggie, and Pierogi Dinner (page 66) that you simply dump in the basket and cook all together. Of course, the air fryer can also cook up protein like salmon, a whole chicken, juicy pork chops, and steaks in minutes! It’s a total game changer for weeknight cooking.

Each recipe in this book includes nutrition information as well as a recipe key labeling recipes that take less than 30 minutes or are gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, or freezerfriendly. I hope this book and the air fryer itself will inspire your weeknight dinners. Have fun with it and be prepared to fall in love. I guarantee you’ll find ways to come back to your air fryer time and time again!