Air fryer proteins

Time

18 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Boneless, skinless chicken breast cooks evenly in the air fryer when set to 380 °F (193 °C) for about 18 minutes total, flipping once halfway through. Pat the breasts dry, season liberally, and leave space between them so the convection air can reach all sides.

Time

22 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Wings are one of the highest-impact things an air fryer can do — at 400 °F (204 °C) for 22 minutes with one flip, the rendered fat crisps the skin to a deep golden brown without the splatter of deep frying. Sauce only after they come out.

Time

20 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Boneless chicken thighs are the most forgiving cut for the air fryer — naturally fatty meat stays juicy at 380 °F (193 °C) for around 20 minutes with a single flip. Aim for an internal temperature of 175 °F (79 °C) rather than the usual 165 °F so the dark meat is properly tender.

Time

10 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Fresh chicken tenders cook in just 10 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with a flip at the 5-minute mark. They are the fastest weeknight protein in the air fryer and take to either dry rubs or a classic breadcrumb-and-egg coating equally well.

Time

9 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Salmon fillets cook beautifully in the air fryer at 400 °F (204 °C) for 9 minutes without flipping. The convection air keeps the surface dry enough to brown lightly while the inside stays moist. Aim for an internal temperature of 145 °F (63 °C) for fully cooked, or 125 °F for medium-rare.

Time

10 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

A 1-inch ribeye cooks to medium-rare in just 10 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with a single flip — pull at 130 °F (54 °C) internal for medium-rare, 135 °F for medium. The convection air builds a crust comparable to a cast-iron sear without the smoke.

Time

6 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Shrimp are the fastest protein in the air fryer — 6 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with a shake at the halfway mark and they are done. The visual tell is the curl: loose C-shape is right, tight O-shape means you went too long.

Time

12 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Bone-in pork chops cook in 12 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C) with a single flip. Pull at 145 °F (63 °C) internal — pork chops are perfectly safe and far juicier when served slightly pink in the centre, contrary to the old well-done dogma.

Time

9 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Andouille sausage cooks in the air fryer in about 9 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C), shaken once at the halfway mark, until the coins are browned and caramelized at the edges. Andouille is a coarse-ground, heavily smoked, Cajun-spiced pork sausage — the backbone of Louisiana cooking — and the supermarket versions are fully cooked, so the air fryer's job is to crisp the casing and brown the cut faces rather than cook raw meat. Slice it into coins, skip the oil (it's fatty enough to render its own), and give the slices room. It's the smoky, spicy workhorse for jambalaya, gumbo, and red beans and rice. Unlike Kielbasa (a milder, fully-cooked Polish smoked sausage that crisps the same way) or fresh raw links like Bratwurst and Italian Sausage (which must be cooked to temperature), andouille is bolder and smokier; and unlike Chorizo (crumbled and chili-cured), andouille holds its shape in firm, sliceable links. 4 ways to use it: crisped coins as-is, in jambalaya or gumbo, in red beans and rice, or with a honey–Creole mustard glaze.

Time

25 min

Temp

350 °F / 177 °C

Baby back ribs cook in 25 minutes at 350 °F (177 °C) with a flip at the 12-minute mark. The collagen breaks down at 195 °F / 91 °C internal — well above food-safe — and that is what produces the tender meat that pulls back from the bone. Remove the silver-skin membrane first, dry-rub 30 minutes ahead, and add BBQ sauce only in the final 5 minutes.

Time

240 min

Temp

180 °F / 82 °C

Homemade beef jerky air-fries low and slow at 180 °F (82 °C) for about 4 hours, shaking the basket and rotating the strips every hour so they dry evenly. Start with a lean cut — eye of round, top round, or sirloin tip — sliced about ¼-inch thick against the grain, then marinate 8–24 hours in soy sauce, Worcestershire, and brown sugar. Pat the strips dry and lay them in a single layer with space between them.

Time

20 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Individual beef Wellingtons air-fry in about 20 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C) with no flipping, until the puff pastry is deep-golden and crisp and the beef inside reads 130 °F (54 °C) for medium-rare. A Wellington is a seared beef fillet coated in a dry mushroom duxelles, wrapped in puff pastry, and baked until the crust shatters and the rare beef rests pink inside — and the whole trick is keeping the pastry crisp while the beef stays rare. Make individual parcels rather than one large log: a single-portion Wellington fits the basket and cooks evenly, where a full log is too big and browns unevenly. Sear the fillet hard and cool it first so it doesn't overcook through the long pastry bake, cook the mushroom duxelles dry (and wrap the beef in prosciutto if you like) so no moisture sogs the base, then egg-wash the parcel and chill it firm so the pastry sets and crisps before the beef climbs past medium-rare. Unlike Sausage Rolls — seasoned sausage meat in puff pastry, cooked all the way through with no doneness window to hit — a Wellington has to thread the needle of crisp pastry over barely-set beef; and unlike a Cornish Pasty, a shortcrust hand-pie with a fully-cooked filling, the Wellington's flaky puff and rare fillet are the whole point. Use the same prime tenderloin cut as Filet Mignon for the centre, and rest the parcel five minutes before slicing so the juices settle. 4 ways to vary it: classic duxelles-and-prosciutto, with a smear of mustard or pâté, a mushroom-only vegetarian version, or mini cocktail Wellingtons.

Time

12 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Boneless wings cook in the air fryer in about 12 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with a flip at 6 — breaded bite-size chunks of boneless chicken that come out crisp and golden on far less oil than deep-frying, then get tossed in sauce. The one rule that makes or breaks them: sauce after cooking, not before, so the breading crisps dry and only meets the Buffalo or BBQ sauce once it's out of the basket. 4 variants: the classic Buffalo benchmark (tossed in butter-cut hot sauce, served with ranch and celery); BBQ tossed and briefly set with a glaze; garlic-parmesan in butter rather than a wet sauce; and store-bought frozen boneless wings straight from the freezer at 400 °F for 10–12 minutes. Spray well before cooking and at the flip, keep the pieces in a single layer, and check 165 °F in the thickest chunk. Distinct from Chicken Wings (bone-in wings with skin that renders its own fat, no breading) and Chicken Tenders (long unsauced strips) — boneless wings are breaded chicken chunks built to be sauce-tossed, despite the name carrying no actual wing.

Time

13 min

Temp

375 °F / 191 °C

Boudin cooks in the air fryer in about 13 minutes at 375 °F (191 °C), turned once at the halfway mark, until the casing is browned and snappy and the filling is steaming hot. Boudin is a Louisiana sausage of cooked pork, rice, onions, and Cajun seasoning stuffed into a casing — and because the filling is almost always pre-cooked before it's stuffed, the air fryer's job is to heat it through and crisp the casing, not to cook raw meat. Whole links go in with no oil; for the wildly popular boudin balls, squeeze the filling out, roll it, bread it in seasoned panko, and spray. Unlike Andouille Sausage and Kielbasa (smoked links with no rice, crisped the same way but eaten as sliced sausage), boudin is soft and rice-bound — you squeeze it out of the casing or roll it into balls. And unlike Arancini (an Italian risotto ball bound with cheese and egg), boudin balls are pork-and-Cajun-rice. 4 ways to make it: crisped links, breaded boudin balls, spicy pepper-jack boudin, or mild boudin blanc.

Time

14 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

A whole branzino cooks in the air fryer in about 14 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C), flipped once at the halfway mark, until the skin is crisp and the flesh flakes from the backbone at 145 °F (63 °C). Branzino — European or Mediterranean sea bass — is a lean, mild, sweet white fish that's almost always cooked whole, and the air fryer's dry convection crisps the skin beautifully while keeping the flesh moist. Scale and gut it (or buy it that way), pat it bone-dry, score the skin, oil it, and stuff the cavity with lemon and herbs. This is the whole-fish counterpart to Sea Bass, which on this site is the thick black or Chilean sea bass fillet — branzino is leaner and milder and served on the bone, where sea-bass fillet is buttery and boneless. It cooks much like Whole Trout (another whole fish, but oilier and earthier) and is leaner than oily frozen salmon. 4 ways to make it: classic lemon-herb, Mediterranean, Asian, or simple salt-and-citrus.

Time

13 min

Temp

375 °F / 191 °C

Fresh bratwurst air-fries at 375 °F (191 °C) for about 13 minutes, turning once halfway, until browned and cooked to 160 °F (71 °C). No need to pierce or pre-boil — the air fryer browns the casing while keeping the inside juicy. Leave space between the links so they crisp on all sides.

Time

60 min

Temp

325 °F / 163 °C

A small brisket portion (1.5–2 lb) air-fries at 325 °F (163 °C) for about 60 minutes, flipping once halfway, then needs to cook until it's fork-tender at roughly 203 °F (95 °C) internal. Rub it with a salt-and-pepper bark blend, and wrap it in foil partway through to push it through the tough collagen stage without drying out.

Time

10 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Quarter-pound beef burgers cook in 10 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C) with a single flip at the 5-minute mark. The convection air builds a hard sear on both faces without the smoke or splatter of stovetop frying. Aim for 160 °F internal temperature for USDA food safety — ground beef cannot be served pink the way a steak can.

Time

8 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Fresh breaded calamari rings — ½-inch rounds cut from cleaned squid tubes, dredged through seasoned flour → egg → panko, generously oil-misted and arranged single-layer — cook in 8 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with a single flip at 4. The air fryer hits the narrow doneness window better than deep frying for most home cooks because the temperature is rock-steady (no oil temperature drop on each load) and the airflow crisps the panko evenly across each ring rather than only the submerged faces. The trade-off is fat: 1 teaspoon of oil spray total versus 2–3 cups of frying oil, with breading that is identical-to-marginally-better in crunch. The 8-minute ceiling is the single most important number on this page — calamari is the seafood with the narrowest doneness window and the sharpest fall-off into rubbery texture. Pair with lemon wedges and marinara for the classic Italian-American antipasto, or with a garlic-lemon aioli for a Spanish tapas-style plate.

Time

10 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Carne asada is thin, citrus-and-garlic-marinated skirt or flank steak that air-fries in about 10 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with a flip at the halfway mark. Toss the steak in a lime-orange-garlic-cilantro marinade, shake off the excess, lay it flat in a single layer, and cook to a deeply browned, lightly charred 145 °F (63 °C) — or pull at 130–135 °F for medium. Then the two rules that make or break it: rest 5 minutes, and slice thin against the grain. Unlike Skirt Steak and Flank Steak — the same cuts cooked plain and served as a steak — carne asada is defined by the bright Mexican marinade and gets sliced thin for tacos, burritos, and bowls. It's a whole flat steak rather than the cubes of Steak Bites, and it's beef rather than the chicken of Chicken Fajita Strips. Slice it up and it becomes the filling for Tacos. 4 ways to season: classic citrus marinade, chili-lime, soy-citrus Tijuana style, and a dry chili rub.

Time

12 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Catfish fillets air-fry at 380 °F (193 °C) for about 12 minutes, flipping once halfway, until the cornmeal coating is crisp and the fish flakes at 145 °F (63 °C). Dredge the fillets in seasoned cornmeal, mist with oil, and lay them in a single layer for a Southern-style crust without the deep fryer.

Time

20 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Char siu air-fries in about 20 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C), flipped and basted at the halfway point, until the edges are charred and the honey-soy glaze turns sticky and lacquered. Char siu is Cantonese barbecue pork — strips of fatty shoulder or belly steeped in a sweet-savoury marinade of hoisin, honey, soy, Shaoxing wine, and five-spice, then roasted until the outside caramelises into that glossy red-edged crust you see hanging in Chinatown windows. The air fryer's concentrated heat chars the edges fast, so the key is moderate-thickness strips and a baste of reserved marinade at the flip to build the lacquer. Unlike plain Pork Belly, char siu is all about that sweet, five-spice glaze rather than crisp crackling; and unlike Bacon — thin, salt-cured, and crisped flat — char siu stays thick and juicy with a sticky exterior. Use shoulder or belly (the fat keeps it moist at 160 °F), reserve marinade for basting before it touches raw pork, and watch the sugary glaze in the final minutes so it caramelises without burning. Slice it thin across the grain. 4 ways to use it: over rice with greens, in bao buns, chopped into fried rice, or tossed through noodles.

Time

15 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Chicharrones cook in the air fryer in about 15 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with a shake at the halfway mark, until the pork skin puffs, blisters, and turns shatter-crisp with the fat fully rendered. Chicharrones — pork rinds or cracklins — are pieces of pork skin (sometimes with a thin layer of fat or meat) rendered until they puff into a deep-golden, airy crunch. Score and cut the skin into squares, pat it bone-dry, and cook with no added oil; the skin renders its own fat. Store-bought pork rinds just need 2–3 minutes to re-crisp and warm. Unlike Pork Belly (a meaty, fatty slab or cube where you want tender meat under crackling skin), chicharrones are mostly the skin itself, rendered to a hollow crisp; and unlike Bacon (cured, sliced strips) and Spam (a pre-cooked canned loaf), there's no cure and almost no meat — it's a near-zero-carb, high-protein keto snack. 4 ways to make them: classic salted cracklins, chile-lime (Tajín), salt-and-vinegar dusted rinds, or skin-on pork-belly cracklins.

Time

8 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Breaded chicken cutlets — thin pounded breasts in seasoned breadcrumbs — air-fry at 380 °F (193 °C) for about 8 minutes, flipping once halfway, until golden and cooked to 165 °F (74 °C). Pound the breast to an even ¼–½ inch, dredge it in flour, egg, then breadcrumbs, and mist with oil so the crust browns like it was pan-fried.

Time

22 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Bone-in chicken drumsticks cook in 22 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with a single flip at 12 minutes. Pull at 185 °F (85 °C) internal — dark meat is unpleasantly tough at the 165 °F breast-meat safe minimum; the extra heat renders the connective tissue and makes the meat fall off the bone. Pat dry, season, leave space in the basket.

Time

10 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Chicken fajita strips air-fry at 400 °F (204 °C) for about 10 minutes, shaking the basket once halfway, until cooked to 165 °F (74 °C) with lightly charred edges. Toss sliced chicken and peppers and onions with fajita seasoning and a little oil, then spread them out so they char instead of steaming.

Time

16 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Chicken gizzards cook in the air fryer in about 16 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C), flipped once at the halfway mark, until the breading is deep golden and the meat is tender and cooked to 165 °F (74 °C). The secret to good gizzards is what happens before the air fryer: gizzards are a tough, hard-working muscle, so simmer or pressure-cook them to fork-tender first, then soak in buttermilk, dredge in seasoned flour, and air-fry to crisp them up — skip the pre-cook and they come out rubbery no matter how long you fry. They're a Southern soul-food classic, and the air fryer gives them that crunchy fried shell with a fraction of the oil. Unlike Chicken Livers (a soft, rich organ that fries straight from a buttermilk soak with no pre-simmer), gizzards need that tenderizing step; and unlike Fried Chicken (muscle meat off the bird), gizzards are a chewy, beefy-tasting organ. 4 ways to make them: Southern peppered, Cajun, hot-honey, or lemon-pepper garlic.

Time

12 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Chicken katsu cooks in the air fryer in about 12 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C), flipped once at the halfway mark, until the panko crust is deep golden and crunchy and the chicken reads 165 °F (74 °C) inside. Katsu is a Japanese breaded cutlet: a pounded chicken breast dredged in flour, dipped in egg, and pressed into coarse panko, then sliced into strips and served with tonkatsu sauce. The air fryer crisps the panko with just a spray of oil instead of a pan of it. Unlike Karaage (bite-size pieces of marinated thigh in a light potato-starch coating), katsu is a single flat cutlet in a thick panko crust; and unlike Fried Chicken (bone-in, seasoned-flour crust), Chicken Tenders (strips), and frozen popcorn chicken (small nuggets), katsu is pounded thin, panko-coated, and sliced after cooking. 4 ways to serve it: classic with tonkatsu sauce, katsu curry, katsu sando, or spicy.

Time

12 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Chicken kebabs cook in 12 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C) with one flip at 6. Uniform 1-inch cubes hit 165 °F / 74 °C internal faster than a whole breast, so an instant-read probe at minute 10 catches the doneness window before the small cubes dry out. Use boneless thigh for forgiveness on timing, breast for the leaner macro.

Time

35 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Chicken leg quarters air-fry in about 35 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with a flip at 18, pulled at 185 °F (85 °C) at the bone. A leg quarter is the whole thigh-plus-drumstick in one piece — all dark meat — so like Chicken Drumsticks it wants the higher dark-meat target, not the 165 °F breast minimum, to render tender and crisp the skin. Pat the skin bone-dry, season under and over it, rub with a little oil, and don't crowd the basket (one or two fit). 4 variants: a crispy-skin dry-brine benchmark; a late-glazed BBQ; a wet Jamaican jerk; and a lemon-herb garlic rub. Distinct from Chicken Drumsticks (just the lower leg), Chicken Thighs (just the thigh) and Whole Chicken (the entire bird) — this is the budget-friendly bone-in leg-and-thigh cut.

Time

11 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Chicken livers air-fry in about 11 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C), flipped once at the halfway mark, until the coating is golden and crisp and the centre reaches 165 °F (74 °C). Soaked in buttermilk to mellow their iron-y edge, then dredged in seasoned flour or cornmeal, they come out Southern-fried-style without the deep-fryer of oil — crisp outside, tender and just-set inside. The one thing to get right is timing: livers must be cooked fully through because they're organ meat, but they turn chalky and rubbery if you push them past done, so verify 165 °F and pull them immediately. Pat them dry after the soak so the coating sticks, spray the dredge well, and keep them in a single layer. Unlike Fried Chicken (bone-in or boneless pieces of the bird) or Chicken Tenders (strips of breast), these are the livers — a nutrient-dense Southern delicacy with a soft, distinctive texture. 4 ways to make them: peppered Southern dredge, Cajun, hot-honey, and garlic-herb.

Time

14 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Chicken parmesan air-fries at 380 °F (193 °C) for about 14 minutes, flipping once halfway, until the breaded chicken reaches 165 °F (74 °C). Bread a pounded chicken breast, air-fry it until crisp, then top with marinara and mozzarella in the last few minutes so the cheese melts without making the crust soggy.

Time

12 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

A chicken sandwich (the crispy breaded chicken-breast fillet sandwich — the Chick-fil-A / Popeyes / Nashville-hot style that set off the 'chicken sandwich wars') cooks fresh in 12 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C) with a flip at 6 minutes. The technique-flag: brine a pounded ¾-inch breast in buttermilk and pickle juice, dredge firmly in seasoned flour, mist both faces with oil, air-fry 380 °F / 12 min / flip at 6 to a safe 165 °F, toast the buttered bun separately, then build with pickles and sauce. The air fryer reproduces the deep-fried fast-food crunch with a fraction of the oil — no pot of frying oil, no greasy splatter — and the crust shatters the way the drive-thru version does. 4 variants: the classic buttermilk-brined benchmark (the Chick-fil-A copycat, savoury-sweet and pickle-forward); Nashville-hot (cayenne-brown-sugar paste brushed on hot); spicy Cajun (the Popeyes-style copycat on brioche with spicy mayo); and a grilled un-breaded version (the lighter, lower-carb pick). 5 non-negotiable warnings (380 °F NOT 400 °F+ — the crust scorches before the thick breast reaches 165 °F; pound the breast to even ¾-inch thickness — wedge-shaped breasts cook unevenly; press the dredge on firmly and mist with oil — loose dry flour stays chalky and raw-tasting; 165 °F internal is mandatory, probe the thickest part — crust colour lies on a thick fillet; sauce, toppings and the bun go on after the cook — wet toppings steam the crust soggy). Complements the chicken cluster — sister to Chicken Breast, Chicken Tenders, Chicken Cutlet and Chicken Parmesan. Distinct from Chicken Tenders (small strips, not a single sandwich fillet), Chicken Cutlet (a thin breaded cutlet, often served without a bun), and Grilled Cheese Sandwich (a cheese sandwich, no meat). High-SERP capture for the air-fryer-chicken-sandwich query — overwhelmingly the Chick-fil-A / Popeyes / Nashville-hot copycat query, the crispy-chicken-sandwich and spicy-chicken-sandwich queries, with steady year-round volume.

Time

15 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Marinated chicken shawarma air-fries at 400 °F (204 °C) for about 15 minutes, flipping once halfway, until charred at the edges and cooked to 165 °F (74 °C). Marinate sliced chicken thigh in yogurt, lemon, garlic, and warm spices for a few hours, then spread it in a single layer so the edges crisp like they would on a vertical spit.

Time

14 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Chicken tikka cooks in the air fryer in about 14 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C), shaken or turned at the halfway mark, until the edges char like they would in a tandoor and the meat reads 165 °F (74 °C) inside. Tikka is boneless chicken — usually breast or thigh — cut into bite-size cubes and marinated in spiced yogurt (ginger-garlic, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, coriander, Kashmiri chili, and lemon), then threaded on skewers or scattered loose and cooked until the marinade dries onto the surface and blackens at the edges. There's no breading: the yogurt itself bakes into the signature crust, so spray lightly and rely on the air fryer's high, dry heat for the char. Unlike Tandoori Chicken (bone-in drumsticks and thighs marinated the same way but cooked far longer on the bone) tikka is quick-cooking boneless cubes; unlike a Chicken Kebab on skewers (often a plainer marinade) the deep-spiced yogurt defines it; and unlike crisp-coated Chicken Tenders there's no flour or panko at all. The cooked cubes are the base for chicken tikka masala. 4 ways to make it: classic tikka, simmered into tikka masala, green (hariyali), or creamy malai.

Time

12 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Chicken-fried steak — known as country-fried steak across much of the South (the same dish; country-fried is sometimes served with brown gravy instead of white) — is a tenderized cube steak given a flour-and-egg breading and air-fried crisp in about 12 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with a flip at the halfway mark. The trick that makes or breaks it in an air fryer is oil: spray the dry breading generously on both sides, or it stays pale and floury instead of frying up golden. Cook to 145 °F (63 °C) and serve straight away under cream gravy before the crust softens. It's beef, which sets it apart from the chicken of Chicken Cutlet (a similar breaded, pan-fried cutlet) and Chicken Parmesan (breaded chicken under sauce and cheese) — chicken-fried steak just borrows the fried-chicken breading technique. 4 ways to season: classic peppered dredge, buttermilk-soak, Cajun-spiced, and a ranch-seasoned crust.

Time

10 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Fresh Mexican chorizo air-fries in about 10 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C), stirred once at the halfway mark, until it's broken into deeply browned crumbles that reach 160 °F (71 °C). Crumbled out of its casing, it renders its brick-red fat and crisps into the loose, spicy meat you want for tacos, chorizo con huevo, or queso fundido — without splattering a stovetop pan. The key is cookware: chorizo throws off a lot of grease, so cook it in a solid pan or foil sling rather than a slotted basket, and stir to break it up so it browns evenly instead of clumping. Note the two kinds: fresh **Mexican** chorizo is raw (pork or beef) and must be cooked to 160 °F, while cured **Spanish** chorizo is already cooked and only needs slicing and crisping. Unlike the link sausages on this site — Italian Sausage, Bratwurst, Kielbasa, Breakfast Sausage — chorizo is built around its bold chili-and-spice cure and is almost always crumbled rather than cooked whole. 4 ways to use it: tacos, breakfast, queso fundido, and plant-based soyrizo.

Time

8 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Fresh clams pop open in the air fryer in about 8 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) — no flip, just pull them the instant the shells gape and toss them in garlic butter. Littleneck or cherrystone clams steam open in their own briny liquor under the circulating heat, and the open shell is the whole doneness cue: as each one yawns wide the plump meat inside is ready. Scrub and purge them in salted water first so no grit ends up in the butter, cook them in a single layer, and discard any that refuse to open. Unlike shucked, topped, and baked Fried Oysters, clams cook in the shell and tell you exactly when they are done; and alongside Mussels — done the same way but softer and sweeter — clams are firmer and brinier. Serve them with melted garlic butter, a squeeze of lemon, and crusty bread, or fold the meat into pasta. They share the quick, watch-it-closely timing of Shrimp and Scallops, where seconds separate tender from rubbery. 4 ways to finish them: garlic butter and parsley, white wine and shallot, spicy fra diavolo, or piled over linguine.

Time

9 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Cod fillets cook in 9 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C) without flipping. The lean white flesh stays tender at this lower temperature; salmon's 400 °F would dry cod out. Pull as soon as it flakes — cod goes from perfect to dry in 60 seconds.

Time

25 min

Temp

370 °F / 188 °C

A Cornish hen air-fries at 370 °F (188 °C) for about 25 minutes, flipping once halfway, until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 °F (74 °C). Pat it dry, rub with oil and seasoning, and start it breast-side down so the breast finishes juicy. Its small size makes it ideal for the basket.

Time

10 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Crab cakes air-fry at 380 °F (193 °C) for about 10 minutes, flipping once halfway, until golden and heated through to 145 °F (63 °C). Chill the formed cakes first so they hold together, mist them with oil, and flip gently — they're delicate and can break apart in the basket.

Time

8 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Crab legs sold in stores are already steamed and frozen, so you're just reheating them: air-fry snow or king crab legs at 380 °F (193 °C) for about 8 minutes, no flipping, until the meat is steaming hot at 145 °F (63 °C) and the shell is crisp. Brush with garlic butter before and after.

Time

8 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Crawfish crisp and heat through in the air fryer in about 8 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C), shaken once, until the shells are bright red and the tails curl tight. Since crawfish are almost always sold already boiled (often still spicy from a Louisiana crawfish boil), the air fryer mostly reheats them while crisping the seasoned shells and concentrating the Cajun butter — a fast way to revive a bag of boil leftovers or finish peeled tails. Toss them with butter and Old Bay or crawfish-boil seasoning, spread them so the pile is not too deep, and shake halfway through. Unlike larger Shrimp, crawfish are tiny and tail-only once peeled, so they heat fast and overcook even faster; and unlike a rich Lobster Tail — a single big sweet portion — crawfish are a hands-on, peel-and-eat pile. They share the quick, do-not-overcook timing of Scallops. Pile them up for a snack with extra seasoning and hot sauce, or save the peeled tails for étouffée or crawfish cakes. 4 ways to season them: classic Cajun butter, lemon-pepper, garlic-butter with hot sauce, or a fresh dusting of boil seasoning straight out of the basket.

Time

14 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Duck breast air-fries at 380 °F (193 °C) for about 14 minutes, flipping once halfway, to a medium 135 °F (57 °C) center. Score the fat cap in a crosshatch and start it skin-side down so the fat renders and crisps. Duck is best served a little pink, so pull it before it goes past medium.

Time

35 min

Temp

375 °F / 191 °C

Duck legs air-fry in about 35 minutes at 375 °F (191 °C), flipped once at the halfway mark, until the skin is deep golden and crackling-crisp and the meat reaches 175 °F (79 °C) at the bone. Leg quarters are scored, pricked all over, and salted (overnight in the fridge for the crispest skin), then cooked skin-side down to start so the fat renders and the skin crisps in its own rendering — no added oil at all. The air fryer's circulating heat renders duck fat beautifully and gives you something close to confit-tender meat under shatter-crisp skin without a pot of fat. The key is temperature: this is dark, collagen-rich meat, so take it well past the 165 °F poultry minimum to 175 °F, where it turns silky and pulls off the bone. Unlike Duck Breast (a lean fillet cooked quickly to a rosy medium-rare at 135–145 °F) duck legs are slow, fatty dark meat cooked to falling-tender; unlike Chicken Leg Quarters they're far richer and fattier; and unlike Turkey Legs they're smaller and skin-led. Drain and save the rendered fat for roast potatoes. 4 ways to make them: classic salt-and-pepper (confit-style), Chinese five-spice, herbes de Provence, or orange-glazed.

Time

14 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Falafel cooks in 14 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C) with one flip at 7. The air fryer beats deep-frying on the macro profile — 1 tsp of oil mist per batch vs 2 cups of frying oil — for a near-identical crust on patties formed from soaked (not canned) chickpeas. Chill formed patties before they hit the basket so they hold shape.

Time

10 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Filet mignon air-fries at 400 °F (204 °C) for about 10 minutes, flipping once halfway, to a medium-rare 130 °F (54 °C) center. Pat the steaks dry, season simply, and let them rest after cooking. This tender cut is lean, so a hot, quick cook and an accurate thermometer keep it from drying out.

Time

12 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Fish and chips — the British pub and seaside-chippy classic of beer-battered cod with thick-cut chips — cooks fresh in the air fryer in about 12 minutes for the fish at 400 °F (204 °C) with a flip at 6 minutes, with the chips cooked separately for 18-20 minutes. The technique-flag is batter adhesion: pat the cod bone-dry, dredge it in seasoned flour, coat it in a thick chilled beer batter (or egg-and-panko for a more reliable crust), lay it on a sprayed perforated parchment liner so it can't drip through, mist well with oil, and air-fry to a crisp golden shell at a safe 145 °F. The air fryer reproduces the deep-fried chippy crunch with a fraction of the oil — no vat of frying oil, no greasy splatter — while the fish steams to large, clean flakes inside its coating. 4 variants: the beer-battered cod benchmark (the classic chippy version with mushy peas, tartar and malt vinegar); haddock (the other traditional chippy fish, sweeter and finer-flaked); panko-crusted (the most reliable air-fryer crust when a wet batter keeps dripping); and a gluten-free rice-flour version (shatter-light, certified-GF chips alongside). 5 non-negotiable warnings (a thin wet beer batter drips through the basket and won't set — flour-dredge first, keep the batter thick and cold, use a parchment liner, or switch to panko; cook the fish and chips separately — they're two different cook times; pull the fish at 145 °F and no more — lean white fish overcooks to rubber fast; soak and dry the hand-cut chips — surface starch and water steam them soggy; single-layer everything and cook in batches — crowding steams the batter and chips soft). Distinct from Cod Fillet (a plain seasoned cod fillet, no batter) and the breaded frozen fish-stick entry. High-SERP capture for the air-fryer-fish-and-chips query — a top-of-funnel British-and-Commonwealth cooking search with strong year-round and Friday/Lent volume.

Time

12 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Flank steak air-fries hot at 400 °F (204 °C) for about 12 minutes, flipping once halfway, to a medium-rare 130 °F (54 °C) center. It's a lean, fibrous cut, so marinate it for flavor and tenderness, cook it no further than medium-rare, and always slice thinly against the grain.

Time

25 min

Temp

360 °F / 182 °C

Fried chicken air-fries in about 25 minutes at 360 °F (182 °C), flipped once at the halfway mark, until the crust is deep golden and crunchy and the meat reaches 165 °F (74 °C) at the bone. Bone-in pieces are soaked in seasoned buttermilk (an hour, or overnight for the juiciest result), dredged in seasoned flour, sprayed well, and air-fried to a Southern-style crackle with a fraction of the oil a deep-fryer needs. The two things to get right in an air fryer are oil and temperature: spray the dry flour generously so it fries instead of staying chalky, and check the bone with a thermometer, since the crust colours before a thick thigh is cooked through. Unlike Chicken Drumsticks (plain, un-breaded drumsticks that are simply seasoned and roasted), fried chicken has the seasoned-flour crust; unlike Chicken Tenders (boneless breast strips) and Chicken Wings (small bone-in joints) it's full bone-in pieces; and unlike Karaage (Japanese potato-starch-coated thigh bites) or Chicken Katsu (a panko-breaded flat cutlet) it uses a classic Southern buttermilk-and-flour dredge. 4 ways to make it: classic Southern, Nashville hot, spicy buttermilk, or lemon-pepper.

Time

8 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Fried oysters air-fry in about 8 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C), flipped once at the halfway mark, until the cornmeal or breadcrumb coat is golden and crisp and the oysters are plump and hot through. Shuck (or drain jarred) oysters, pat them dry, dredge in seasoned cornmeal-and-flour or press into breadcrumbs, then spray well and air-fry — the circulating heat crisps the coating with a fraction of the oil of a deep fryer, and there's no internal temperature to chase: the crust colour and a quick firming of the oyster tell you it's done. Speed is everything, because oysters turn rubbery the moment they overcook. Unlike Fried Shrimp (firmer, sweeter shellfish that holds up to a slightly longer cook) oysters are soft and briny and cook in a flash, and unlike Calamari (chewy squid rings that need either a quick blast or a long braise to stay tender) oysters just need the crust set and the flesh warmed. Pile them into a po'boy or serve with rémoulade. 4 ways to do them: classic Southern cornmeal, in a po'boy, panko-crusted, or with cocktail sauce and lemon.

Time

8 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Fresh-breaded butterfly shrimp — 21/25-count peeled deveined shrimp, butterflied along the back curve, dredged through seasoned flour → egg-with-milk → seasoned panko, oil-misted on both faces, arranged single-layer — cook in 8 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with a single flip at 4 and a second oil mist at the flip moment. The convection chamber delivers the same deep-golden panko shatter as the Popeye's-style deep-fryer with about ⅛ the oil and none of the kitchen-coating fryer-grease smell, while the shrimp inside stays snap-tender against the crisp breading — the textural contrast that defines a restaurant-grade fried shrimp. The 8-minute ceiling is the doneness checkpoint; shrimp drifts from snap-tender into rubbery in about 60 seconds past done, so probe the thickest piece at the 7-minute mark and pull at 145 °F. Pair with cocktail sauce (the classic American dip), Cajun remoulade for New-Orleans style, or in soft tortillas with slaw and chipotle crema for a shrimp taco. This recipe is distinct from `Shrimp` (bare seasoned shrimp, no breading) and `frozen breaded shrimp` (cook straight from freezer, brand-pack instructions).

Time

12 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Frog legs air-fry in about 12 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C), flipped once at the halfway mark, until the buttermilk-and-flour dredge is golden and crisp and the lean meat is opaque and pulls from the bone (145 °F / 63 °C). The classic treatment is a buttermilk soak followed by a seasoned-flour dredge — exactly like Southern fried chicken in miniature — then a generous spray of oil and a quick cook in the air fryer's high, dry heat. Frog legs are delicate white meat famously said to taste like a cross between chicken and fish; they cook fast and dry out if you push them, so the golden crust and opaque flesh are your cues. Unlike meaty Chicken Wings (fattier dark meat that crisps over a longer cook) frog legs are leaner and quicker, with far less meat clinging to slender bones — think of them as a quick, crisp, delicate alternative rather than a wing substitute. Serve them Provençal-style in garlic butter or Southern-style with hot sauce. 4 ways to make them: Southern fried, garlic-butter Provençal, Cajun-spiced, or lemon-herb.

Time

10 min

Temp

370 °F / 188 °C

Ground beef cooks in the air fryer at 370 °F (188 °C) for about 10 minutes, stirring and breaking it up once halfway, until browned and cooked to 160 °F (71 °C). Crumble it into a foil pan or perforated tray so the rendered fat drains, then stir at the midpoint so it browns evenly instead of clumping.

Time

12 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Ground chicken air-fries in about 12 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C), stirred once at the halfway mark, until it's broken into evenly browned crumbles that reach 165 °F (74 °C). It's a fast, hands-off way to cook a pound of taco filling, pasta-sauce base, or stir-fry meat without babysitting a skillet — the air fryer browns the crumbles and renders the little fat there is while you prep the rest of the meal. The two things to get right are the cookware and the timing: use a solid pan or foil sling so the fine crumbles don't drop through a slotted basket, and pull the meat the moment it hits 165 °F, because lean ground chicken dries out quickly once it's overdone. Break it up well and stir at the halfway point for loose, separate crumbles. Unlike Ground Beef (richer, cooked to 160 °F) or Ground Turkey (the other lean poultry grind, also 165 °F but a touch firmer and drier), ground chicken is the leanest and wettest of the three, so it needs the gentlest touch on time. 4 ways to season it: taco, Italian, teriyaki stir-fry, and plain.

Time

12 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Ground turkey cooks in the air fryer at 400 °F (204 °C) for about 12 minutes, stirring to break it up once at 6, until browned and fully cooked to 165 °F (74 °C). Crumble it into a foil pan (loose meat falls through the basket) and, because turkey renders almost no fat, toss lean grades with a little oil so they brown instead of drying out pale. 4 variants: a taco-seasoned benchmark for bowls and tacos; a plain meal-prep base; an Italian bolognese blend; and a sage-maple breakfast crumble. Distinct from Turkey Burger (a formed patty), Turkey Meatballs (formed balls) and Ground Beef (beef, which renders its own fat and is safe at 160 °F) — this is loose turkey browned for fillings and meal prep.

Time

8 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

A halibut fillet air-fries at 400 °F (204 °C) for about 8 minutes, flipping once halfway, until it flakes and reaches 145 °F (63 °C). It's a lean, delicate white fish, so brush it with oil and lemon and pull it right at temperature — overcooked halibut dries out and falls apart.

Time

8 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Halloumi slices cook in 8 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with one flip. The cheese gets a deep golden crust while staying intact (halloumi has a high melting point) — squeaky, salty, slightly charred slabs that go straight on top of a salad or pita.

Time

6 min

Temp

350 °F / 177 °C

A ham steak air-fries at 350 °F (177 °C) for about 6 minutes, flipping once halfway, until heated through and lightly caramelized. Most ham steaks are pre-cooked, so you're warming it to 145 °F (63 °C) and browning the surface — brush with a little maple or brown sugar glaze in the last minute for color.

Time

5 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Hot dogs cook in 5 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C) with a roll or shake at the 2-minute mark. Already precooked, the air fryer's job is texture — the convection air blisters and lightly splits the natural casing in a way no microwave or boiling pot can match. Score the dogs lengthwise for char and finish in the bun.

Time

12 min

Temp

375 °F / 191 °C

Italian sausage links air-fry at 375 °F (191 °C) for about 12 minutes, turning once halfway, until browned and cooked to 160 °F (71 °C). No piercing or pre-boiling needed — the air fryer browns the casing while keeping the inside juicy. Leave space between the links so they crisp on all sides.

Time

18 min

Temp

375 °F / 191 °C

Young green jackfruit cooks in the air fryer in about 18 minutes at 375 °F (191 °C), tossed once at the halfway mark, until the shreds are dried, browned, and crisp-edged like pulled pork. The trick is the prep: use canned young (green) jackfruit in water or brine — never the sweet ripe fruit in syrup — then drain, rinse, pat dry, and pull the chunks into shreds before tossing them with oil and seasoning. The air fryer's dry heat caramelizes the strands far better than a simmer, giving you the crisp 'burnt ends' texture that makes jackfruit such a convincing vegan pulled-'pork' or shredded-'chicken'. Toss in sauce near the end so it doesn't scorch. Unlike soy- and gluten-based plant proteins — Seitan (chewy wheat gluten), Tofu (pressed soybean curd), and Tempeh (fermented soybean cake) — jackfruit is a fruit, so it brings the shredded texture but very little protein; treat it as a meaty base rather than the protein itself. 4 ways to make it: BBQ pulled, carnitas/taco, buffalo, and Korean or teriyaki glazed.

Time

12 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Karaage cooks in the air fryer in about 12 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C), shaken once at the halfway mark, until the potato-starch coating is golden and crisp and the chicken reads 165 °F (74 °C) inside. Karaage is Japanese fried chicken: bite-size pieces of boneless thigh marinated in soy, sake, ginger, and garlic, then dredged in potato starch for a light, shatter-crisp shell. The air fryer gives it that crackle with just a spray of oil. Unlike Chicken Katsu (a single pounded breast in a thick panko crust, sliced after cooking), karaage is loose chunks of juicy thigh in a thin starch coating; and unlike frozen popcorn chicken (small American breaded nuggets), Fried Chicken (bone-in, seasoned flour), and frozen chicken nuggets (processed), karaage is marinated whole-muscle thigh with a potato-starch shell. 4 ways to make it: classic shoyu, spicy, garlic-heavy, or with Kewpie and lemon.

Time

8 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Kielbasa cooks in the air fryer in about 8 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with one shake — most Polish kielbasa is sold fully cooked and smoked, so you're browning the cut edges and heating it through rather than cooking from raw. Slice the ring into ½-inch coins, spread them in a single layer, and shake the basket at the halfway mark so every edge browns and curls. Four ways to take it: classic browned coins (nothing added, served with mustard or in a bun); kielbasa and peppers (bell peppers and onion tossed in for the last 6–7 minutes); glazed party bites (a brown-sugar-mustard or BBQ glaze brushed on at the end); and whole 3–4 inch segments cooked 10–12 minutes for a juicier plated main. Distinct from Italian Sausage, Bratwurst and Sausage Links, which are raw sausages cooked from scratch to 160 °F rather than reheated-and-browned.

Time

13 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Kofta air-fries in about 13 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C), turned once or twice, until browned and charred at the edges with a 160 °F (71 °C) centre. Kofta (kefta) are Middle-Eastern and South-Asian spiced ground-meat kebabs — usually lamb or beef kneaded with grated onion, garlic, parsley, and warm spices like cumin, coriander, and cinnamon, then shaped into finger-length logs on skewers and grilled. The air fryer chars the outside and cooks them through with almost no added oil, since the meat renders its own fat. The trick is kneading the mix until it's tacky so the logs hold together and don't crumble off the skewer. Unlike round, Italian-leaning Meatballs (often bound with breadcrumbs and egg and simmered in sauce), kofta are elongated, skewer-shaped, and built on a distinctly different spice profile; and unlike a loaf-shaped Meatloaf, they're small, fast-cooking, and meant to char. Grate the onion and squeeze it dry, knead well, leave room between each kebab, and serve in warm flatbread with garlic-yogurt sauce. 4 ways to serve them: in pita with tzatziki, over rice with salad, with hummus and flatbread, or crumbled into a grain bowl.

Time

10 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Lamb burgers cook in 10 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C) with a single flip at 5 minutes. Pull at 160 °F (71 °C) internal — the USDA safe minimum for any ground meat. The high heat builds a deep crust against the fatty lamb grind, and the convection air carries away the rendered fat so the patty crisps rather than steams.

Time

10 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Lamb loin or rib chops cook to a perfect medium-rare in 10 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with a single flip. Pull at 145 °F (63 °C) internal — lamb is at its best a notch pinker than beef, and going past medium leaves it dry and gamey.

Time

50 min

Temp

350 °F / 177 °C

Lamb shanks roast in 50 minutes at 350 °F (177 °C) with a flip at the 25-minute mark. The air fryer cannot fully braise — for fall-apart shanks an oven and stock are still required — but it produces a crackling-bark exterior and a tender (not melt-off-bone) interior at 195 °F / 91 °C internal. Rest 10 minutes before carving.

Time

6 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Butterflied lobster tails cook in just 6 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C) without flipping. The convection air sets the meat without poaching it — a tighter, sweeter bite than boiling. Brush with garlic butter before and during cooking.

Time

8 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

A mahi-mahi fillet air-fries at 380 °F (193 °C) for about 8 minutes, flipping once halfway, until it flakes and reaches 145 °F (63 °C). It's a lean, firm fish, so brush it with oil and lemon and pull it right at temperature to keep it moist.

Time

10 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Meatballs cook in 10 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C) with one shake. The convection air browns all sides simultaneously, including the underside, so there are no flat pale spots like with a sheet pan in the oven.

Time

25 min

Temp

375 °F / 191 °C

Meatloaf cooks at 375 °F (191 °C) for 25 minutes in mini-loaf form or 35–40 minutes as a full 1-lb loaf. The lower-than-burger temperature lets the centre reach 160 °F / 71 °C internal without scorching the surface or the brown-sugar glaze. Use a parchment sling so rendered fat doesn't smoke against the heating element.

Time

7 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Mussels steam open in the air fryer in about 7 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) — no flip, just pull them as the shells gape and finish in white-wine-garlic butter. Like Clams, mussels cook in the shell and signal doneness by opening, but they are quicker, softer, and sweeter, so check them a minute or two earlier. Scrub and debeard them first — pull out the wiry byssus tuft — and tap any open raw one; if it will not close, it is dead and goes in the bin. Cook in a single layer, discard any that stay shut after cooking, and tip the opened mussels into a garlicky white-wine butter. Unlike briny shucked Fried Oysters served on the half shell, mussels are eaten by the bowlful with their liquor and bread; and they share the fast, pull-them-the-moment-they-are-ready rhythm of Shrimp. Serve moules-frites style with fries, or in a tomato-chilli or coconut-curry broth. 4 ways to finish them: classic white-wine-and-parsley, tomato fra diavolo, Thai coconut-lime, or simply garlic butter with crusty bread.

Time

10 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Octopus crisps up in the air fryer in about 10 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C), flipped once — but only after it has been simmered tender first, which is the real secret to non-rubbery octopus. Raw octopus is tough; an hour in gently simmering water breaks it down, and then the air fryer does the job a grill would, blistering and charring the edges in dry high heat while the inside stays silky. Pat the pre-cooked tentacles dry, toss them in olive oil, paprika, and garlic, and spread them in a single layer so the edges colour instead of steaming. Unlike battered, breaded Calamari — squid rings fried from raw — octopus is a two-stage dish where the simmer does the cooking and the basket does the char. It eats like a charred-edge cousin of seared Scallops, and like Shrimp it goes from perfect to overdone quickly once it hits the heat. Finish with lemon and parsley, or serve cold over a salad. 4 ways to season it: Mediterranean paprika-and-garlic, simple salt-and-lemon, chilli-garlic oil, or Greek-style with red-wine vinegar.

Time

10 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Paneer cubes cook in 10 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C) with one shake. The convection air builds a deep golden crust on every face — the textural foundation of paneer tikka, paneer manchurian, or a simple yogurt-marinated snack.

Time

18 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Crispy pork belly bites cook in 18 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with a shake at the 9-minute mark. The high heat is essential — it renders the fat into the basket while crackling the surface in a way no oven can match at home scale. Cube the belly into 1½–2 inch pieces, toss with five-spice and sugar, and expect to clean the drip tray afterwards.

Time

40 min

Temp

360 °F / 182 °C

A pork loin roast (1.5–2 lb) air-fries at 360 °F (182 °C) for about 40 minutes, flipping once halfway, until the center reaches 145 °F (63 °C). Pat it dry, rub with oil and seasoning, and let it rest after cooking — a little pink at 145 °F is safe and keeps the lean roast juicy.

Time

75 min

Temp

325 °F / 163 °C

A 2–2½ lb piece of pork shoulder cooks in roughly 75 minutes at 325 °F (163 °C) with one flip at 40 minutes — pulling at 195–200 °F (91–93 °C) internal for shred-easy texture. This is a weeknight shortcut for carnitas-style pulled pork, not a substitute for 12-hour smoked BBQ — but the air fryer's convection builds a respectable bark and the rendered fat keeps the meat juicy in a fraction of the time.

Time

22 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

A whole pork tenderloin (1–1¼ lb) cooks in 22 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with a single flip at 11 minutes. Pull at 145 °F (63 °C) internal — modern pork is safe and juicy at this temperature, and the high convection heat builds a crust that rivals a cast-iron sear. Rest 5 minutes, slice into ½-inch medallions.

Time

60 min

Temp

350 °F / 177 °C

A small prime rib roast (2–3 lb) cooks in the air fryer at 350 °F (177 °C) for about 60 minutes, rotating once halfway, until the center reaches 120 °F (49 °C) for medium-rare after resting. Bring the roast to room temperature first, rub it with salt, pepper, and garlic, and set it fat-side up so the rendering fat bastes the meat.

Time

14 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Quail air-fry in about 14 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C), flipped once at the halfway mark, until the skin is golden and crisp and the thigh reads 165 °F (74 °C). Quail are tiny game birds — only a few ounces each — so they cook quickly and reward a light hand: spatchcock them (snip out the backbone and press flat) for the most even cooking and crispest skin, brush with oil, season well, and watch them closely because lean little birds dry out in a flash. The air fryer's compact, high heat suits them perfectly, browning the skin without overcooking the breast. Unlike a Cornish Hen (a young chicken of about 1–2 lb that needs roughly twice the time) quail are far smaller and faster, and unlike a Whole Chicken they're a one-or-two-birds-per-person delicacy rather than a shared roast. Treat them more like a rich, quick-cooking protein than a Sunday bird. 4 ways to cook them: simple buttery roast, honey-soy glazed, garlic-herb, or spiced tandoori-style.

Time

18 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

A frenched rack of lamb air-fries at 400 °F (204 °C) for about 18 minutes, turning once halfway, to a medium-rare 130 °F (54 °C) center. Season it generously with a Dijon-and-herb crust and wrap the exposed bone tips in a little foil so they don't scorch.

Time

10 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Red snapper fillets air-fry in about 10 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C), flipped once, until the skin is crisp and the flesh flakes at 145 °F (63 °C). Snapper is a firm, slightly sweet white fish with sturdy flesh that handles the basket well — it holds together for a flip where a flakier fish would fall apart. Pat the skin completely dry, oil both sides, and cook skin-side last so it finishes crisp. Unlike the milder, softer tilapia or delicate Sea Bass, snapper is meatier and more forgiving; and unlike whole-roasted Branzino it is usually cooked as a skin-on fillet. It cooks to the same 145 °F (63 °C) flake point as Salmon Bites and other fish, but stays leaner, so pull it the moment it turns opaque. Serve it simply with lemon, blackened Cajun-style, or with a Caribbean lime-and-allspice rub, and flake any leftovers into tacos. 4 ways to season it: simple lemon-and-herb, Cajun blackened, garlic-herb butter, or Caribbean jerk-lime.

Time

12 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Salisbury steak cooks in the air fryer in about 12 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C), flipped once at the halfway mark, until the patties are browned, firm, and cooked to 160 °F (71 °C). Salisbury steak is a diner classic — seasoned ground beef (usually with Worcestershire, onion, and a little binder) shaped into oval patties and served under a rich mushroom-onion brown gravy. The air fryer browns the patties beautifully and renders excess fat; just make the gravy separately on the stove and spoon it over at the end. Unlike Meatloaf (one large glazed loaf you slice), Salisbury steak is portioned into individual patties; unlike Burgers (cooked for a bun, served plain or with cheese), it's sauced with gravy and plated with potatoes or noodles; and unlike Chicken-Fried Steak (a breaded, deep-fried cube steak), Salisbury steak is a free-form unbreaded ground-beef patty. 4 ways to make it: classic mushroom-onion gravy, Worcestershire & garlic, an onion-soup-mix shortcut, or brown gravy over mashed potatoes.

Time

8 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Salmon bites are bite-sized cubes of fresh salmon — the quick, glaze-able air-fryer trend that cooks in about 8 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with a shake at the halfway mark. Cut a skinless fillet into roughly 1-inch cubes, toss them in oil and seasoning, spread them in a single layer, and air-fry until they're opaque, flaky, and caramelised at the edges, reading 145 °F (63 °C) in the centre. The two things that make or break them: keep them dry, oiled, and uncrowded so the cubes brown instead of steaming, and add any sticky honey-garlic or teriyaki glaze only in the last couple of minutes so it caramelises rather than scorches. Distinct from Salmon Fillet (a whole portion that cooks longer and is plated as one piece) and Salmon Patties (canned-salmon croquettes) — salmon bites are fast, snackable, and built for tossing in a glaze. 4 ways to season: honey-garlic glaze, teriyaki, Cajun-blackened, and lemon-pepper-dill.

Time

10 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Salmon patties cook in the air fryer in about 10 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C) with a flip at 5 — canned-salmon croquettes bound with egg and crushed crackers that come out golden and crisp on far less oil than pan-frying. Two flags make them work: chill the formed patties first so they hold together in the basket airflow, and spray both sides plus the liner, since the low-fat mix needs the oil to crisp and won't release from bare metal. 4 variants: the classic canned-salmon benchmark with onion, lemon and dill; a meatier fresh-salmon version (cooked to 145 °F since it starts raw); a panko-crusted extra-crisp take; and Cajun or soy-ginger styles. Distinct from Salmon Fillet (a whole fresh fillet cooked as-is, no binder) and Crab Cakes (crab, not salmon) — this is the pantry-staple canned-salmon cake.

Time

6 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Large sea scallops cook in 6 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with a single flip. The trick is dry scallops, completely patted, well-spaced in the basket — anything less and they steam rather than sear.

Time

12 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Schnitzel cooks in the air fryer in about 12 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C), flipped once at the halfway mark, until the fine-breadcrumb coat is uniformly golden and crisp and the cutlet is cooked through (145 °F / 63 °C for pork or veal). A schnitzel is a thin cutlet — pork (Schweineschnitzel) for the everyday version, veal for a classic Wiener Schnitzel — pounded to about ¼ inch, dredged in flour, dipped in egg, and pressed into fine dry breadcrumbs, then sprayed and air-fried instead of pan-fried in a slick of oil. The defining traits are the thinness and the fine, sandy crumb that fries into a crackly, almost-floating coat. Unlike Chicken Katsu (a chicken cutlet in coarse panko, sliced into strips and served with tonkatsu sauce) schnitzel uses fine breadcrumbs and stays whole, and unlike Chicken-Fried Steak (a tenderised beef cutlet smothered in cream gravy) it's served dry with just a lemon wedge. Compare it to a breaded Pork Chops as well: a schnitzel is pounded far thinner and cooks in a fraction of the time. 4 ways to serve it: classic Wiener-style with lemon, Jägerschnitzel with mushroom gravy, in a sandwich, or with paprika in the crumbs.

Time

10 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Sea bass cooks in the air fryer in about 10 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with no flipping, until the flesh is opaque and flakes at the thickest part — pull it at 145 °F (63 °C) internal. Whether it's a regular black sea bass fillet or rich, buttery Chilean sea bass, this is a forgiving fish in the air fryer: the convection heat sets the flesh and crisps the skin without the fillet drying out the way leaner fish can, and because it's cooked skin-side down and not flipped, it lifts out in one clean piece. Pat the fillets dry, oil and season both sides, and give them room in a single layer. Unlike Salmon Fillet (oilier, pink, a touch more forgiving still), Halibut (firmer, leaner, and quicker to dry out so watch it closely), or Mahi Mahi (lean and meaty), sea bass sits in the buttery middle — higher in fat than cod or tilapia, so it stays moist and takes well to bold glazes. 4 ways to cook it: lemon-butter-garlic, Mediterranean, miso-glazed, and Cajun-blackened.

Time

14 min

Temp

375 °F / 191 °C

Seitan cooks in the air fryer in about 14 minutes at 375 °F (191 °C), shaken once at the halfway mark, until the cubes or strips are browned, firm, and crisp-edged. Seitan — 'wheat meat' made from vital wheat gluten — is dense, chewy, and very high in protein, and because store-bought (or from-scratch, pre-steamed) seitan is already cooked, the air fryer's job is to crisp and heat it rather than cook it through. Toss the pieces with a little oil, optionally a splash of soy or sauce, and give them room so every side browns. Unlike Tofu (mild pressed soybean curd) and Tempeh (fermented whole-soybean cake), seitan gets its meaty, chewy bite from wheat gluten itself — and crucially, that makes it the only one of the three that is NOT gluten-free, so it's off the table for anyone with celiac disease. 4 ways to make it: BBQ, teriyaki or soy-ginger, buffalo, and Cajun blackened.

Time

9 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Short ribs air-fry best as thin Korean-cut flanken — about 9 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with one flip — caramelizing the marinade into charred, lacquered edges while the meat between the bones cooks through tender. This page covers the thin cross-cut (galbi-style) that suits the air fryer's fast dry heat; thick English-cut bone-in short ribs are a different job that needs a long braise to tenderize before any crisping. Distinct from Spare Ribs and Baby Back Ribs (pork rib racks cooked low to 195 °F) and Flank Steak (a lean steak sliced against the grain) — these are rich, marbled beef short ribs built around a sweet-savory marinade.

Time

12 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

A 1¼-inch sirloin cooks in 12 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with one flip — pull at 135 °F (57 °C) internal for medium-rare. Sirloin is leaner than ribeye, so the temperature window is narrower; an instant-read thermometer is the difference between a perfect steak and a chewy one.

Time

8 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Skirt steak air-fries hot and fast at 400 °F (204 °C) for about 8 minutes, flipping once halfway, to a medium-rare 130 °F (54 °C) center. It's a thin, fibrous cut, so a quick cook and a sharp slice against the grain are what keep it tender. Pat it dry and season simply before cooking.

Time

10 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Soft-shell crab cooks in the air fryer in about 10 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C), flipped once at the halfway mark, until the shell is deep orange-red and crisp. A soft-shell crab is a blue crab caught just after it molts, while its new shell is still soft — which means the entire crab is edible, legs, shell, and all. The air fryer crisps the delicate shell with far less oil than the classic pan-fry. The one essential step is cleaning it: snip the face, pull the feathery gills from under each side of the shell, and remove the apron — or ask the fishmonger to do it. Pat it bone-dry, oil it (dredge in seasoned flour if you want a crust), and give each crab room. Unlike Crab Cakes (lump crabmeat bound into patties) or Crab Legs (pre-cooked king or snow legs you just reheat), soft-shell crab is a whole fresh crab eaten in one crisp piece; and unlike Crab Rangoon (a cream-cheese wonton), there's no wrapper — the crab is the whole dish. It's seasonal, peaking in spring and early summer. 4 ways to make it: classic dredged, Cajun-blackened, lemon-garlic butter, or Asian salt-and-pepper.

Time

8 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Spam air-fries in about 8 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C), flipped once at the halfway mark, until the slices are browned and crisp at the edges. Because Spam is fully cooked in the can, the air fryer's only job is to crisp and caramelize it — there's no internal temperature to hit, you just brown it to taste. Sliced about ¼–½ inch thick and crisped, it's the base for Hawaiian Spam musubi (brush on a soy-brown-sugar or teriyaki glaze, press onto rice, wrap in nori), a quick breakfast slice alongside eggs, or a crispy add-in for fried rice and sandwiches. Keep the slices in a single layer so they brown rather than steam, and add any sweet glaze near the end so the sugar doesn't scorch. Unlike Bacon (raw pork strips that render and crisp from raw), Ham Steak (a thicker cured slice you heat through), or Breakfast Sausage (raw ground pork cooked to temperature), Spam is shelf-stable, pre-cooked luncheon meat that you simply slice and crisp. 4 ways to make it: plain crisped, teriyaki-glazed for musubi, soy-brown-sugar, and peppered-maple.

Time

35 min

Temp

350 °F / 177 °C

Pork spare ribs air-fry at 350 °F (177 °C) for about 35 minutes, flipping once halfway, until tender and pulling back from the bone at roughly 200 °F (93 °C). Cut the rack into 2–3 rib sections to fit, peel the membrane off the back, and rub with a dry spice blend; brush with barbecue sauce only in the last few minutes so it doesn't burn.

Time

8 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Steak bites air-fry at 400 °F (204 °C) for about 8 minutes, shaking the basket once halfway, to a medium-rare 130 °F (54 °C). Cut a tender cut like sirloin or ribeye into 1-inch cubes, toss with oil and seasoning, and spread them in a single layer so they sear instead of steaming.

Time

18 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

A stuffed chicken breast air-fries at 380 °F (193 °C) for about 18 minutes, flipping once halfway, until the meat reaches 165 °F (74 °C). Butterfly the breast, fill it with cheese, spinach, or similar, and secure it with toothpicks; cook the filling through to the same safe temperature as the chicken.

Time

18 min

Temp

360 °F / 182 °C

Stuffed bell peppers air-fry at 360 °F (182 °C) for about 18 minutes — no flipping — until the peppers are tender and the filling is hot at 165 °F (74 °C). Stand halved or whole peppers upright, fill with a cooked mix of meat, rice, and cheese, and top with more cheese in the last few minutes so it melts without burning.

Time

10 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

A swordfish steak air-fries at 380 °F (193 °C) for about 10 minutes, flipping once halfway, until it flakes and reaches 145 °F (63 °C). It's a firm, meaty fish, so it holds up well to the basket — brush with oil and lemon and don't overcook, or it turns dry.

Time

12 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

A T-bone steak air-fries at 400 °F (204 °C) for about 12 minutes, flipping once at the halfway mark, to a medium-rare 130 °F (54 °C) center. Pat it dry and season simply with salt and pepper. The bone makes the strip and tenderloin sides cook at slightly different rates, so probe the thicker strip side.

Time

25 min

Temp

375 °F / 191 °C

Tandoori chicken air-fries in about 25 minutes at 375 °F (191 °C), flipped once at the halfway mark, until the yogurt marinade chars into a deep red-orange crust and the meat reaches 175 °F (79 °C) at the bone. Bone-in drumsticks and thighs are slashed to the bone and marinated — an hour at minimum, overnight for the best result — in spiced yogurt of ginger-garlic, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, coriander, Kashmiri chili, and lemon, then sprayed with a little oil and air-fried until the edges blacken the way they would in a clay tandoor. The air fryer's high, dry heat mimics the tandoor's char without a grill. There's no breading: the yogurt itself bakes into the signature crust, so spray lightly and cook bone-in dark meat past the 165 °F safe minimum to 175 °F, where it turns tender and pulls off the bone. Unlike Fried Chicken (a buttermilk-and-seasoned-flour crust) this is a crustless, yogurt-marinated char; unlike plain Chicken Drumsticks (simply seasoned and roasted) the deep-spiced marinade and the slashing define it; and unlike a whole bird like Whole Chicken it's quick-cooking individual pieces. Chicken tikka is the very same marinade on boneless cubes. 4 ways to make it: classic tandoori, extra-spicy, chicken tikka, or served with mint-yogurt chutney.

Time

14 min

Temp

375 °F / 191 °C

Tempeh crisps in the air fryer in about 14 minutes at 375 °F (191 °C) with a shake at 7 — a dense, nutty fermented soybean cake that browns into firm, golden, crisp-edged cubes for bowls, wraps and salads. Unlike tofu it needs no pressing (it's already firm), but two flags matter: steam the block about 10 minutes first to mellow its natural bitterness and open it up to marinade, and always toss it in oil or an oil-based marinade, since the porous surface turns hard and chalky air-fried dry. 4 variants: the classic soy-maple-garlic-paprika benchmark; thin-sliced tempeh bacon with liquid smoke; plain oil-and-salt crispy cubes to sauce after; and BBQ or buffalo tempeh glazed near the end. Distinct from Tofu — tempeh is whole fermented soybeans (denser, nuttier, holds its shape) where tofu is pressed bean curd that needs draining and cornstarch to crisp.

Time

8 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Tilapia fillets cook in just 8 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C) without flipping — one of the fastest proteins on the site. The mild flavour takes well to lemon-pepper, blackening seasoning, or simple olive oil and garlic.

Time

14 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Pressed extra-firm tofu cubes crisp in 14 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with a shake. The combination of a 30-minute press and a cornstarch toss is what separates restaurant-style crisp tofu from the spongy oven-baked kind.

Time

14 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Tonkatsu air-fries in about 14 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C), flipped once, until the panko crust is deep golden and crunchy and the pork hits 145 °F (63 °C). Tonkatsu is the Japanese breaded pork cutlet — a pounded loin or rib chop dredged in flour, egg, and coarse panko, then traditionally deep-fried until shatteringly crisp and served sliced over shredded cabbage with sweet-savoury tonkatsu sauce. The air fryer reproduces that crunch with far less oil, as long as you spray the panko well so it fries golden instead of baking chalky. Unlike Chicken Katsu, which uses the same panko technique on chicken, tonkatsu is pork and a little richer; and unlike a Schnitzel — pressed thin and coated in fine dry breadcrumbs for a smooth, lacy crust — tonkatsu's coarse panko gives big, craggy crunch and the cutlet stays thicker. It's also less plain than breaded Pork Chops: tonkatsu is built around that panko-and-sauce identity. Pound it even, press the crumbs on firmly, and slice it across the grain to serve. 4 ways to serve it: classic with tonkatsu sauce and cabbage, as katsudon over rice with egg, as katsu curry, or in a katsu sando.

Time

22 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

A tri-tip roast (1.5–2 lb) air-fries at 380 °F (193 °C) for about 22 minutes, flipping once halfway, to a medium-rare 130 °F (54 °C) center. Season it with a Santa Maria-style salt-pepper-garlic rub, cook it fat-side up, and rest it before slicing — the grain changes direction in this cut, so slice each section separately against its grain.

Time

6 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

A tuna steak air-fries at 400 °F (204 °C) for about 6 minutes, flipping once halfway, for a seared edge and a rare-to-medium-rare center around 130 °F (54 °C). Like a good steak, ahi tuna is best left pink inside — cook it briefly so the outside browns while the middle stays ruby and tender.

Time

38 min

Temp

360 °F / 182 °C

A 3-lb bone-in turkey breast cooks in about 38 minutes at 360 °F (182 °C) with a flip at the halfway mark. Lower than the chicken temperature because the larger mass needs time to heat through without scorching the skin. Confirm 165 °F (74 °C) at the thickest point near the bone.

Time

11 min

Temp

365 °F / 185 °C

Turkey burgers cook in 11 minutes at 365 °F (185 °C) with a single flip at 6 minutes. The slightly lower temperature than beef burgers gives the centre time to reach a safe 165 °F (74 °C) internal without scorching the exterior, while the convection air builds a far better crust than a stovetop skillet for the same lean meat.

Time

40 min

Temp

350 °F / 177 °C

Turkey legs air-fry at 350 °F (177 °C) for about 40 minutes with a flip at the midpoint, until the skin is bronzed and crisp and the meat reads 175 °F (79 °C) at the thickest part — the big-fair-drumstick that the air fryer handles far better than a crowded oven. Pat them dry, season under the skin, and always probe at the bone since these dense dark cuts finish there last. 4 variants: a smoky fair/Disney-style BBQ rub, a classic poultry roast, Cajun, and jerk. Distinct from Turkey Wings (smaller dark-meat wing sections, ~32 minutes), Chicken Drumsticks (much smaller, taken to 185 °F in ~22 minutes) and Turkey Breast (lean white meat to 165 °F) — turkey legs are large dark-meat drumsticks cooked to 175 °F.

Time

12 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Turkey meatballs air-fry at 380 °F (193 °C) for about 12 minutes, flipping once halfway, until browned and cooked to 165 °F (74 °C). Roll them an even size, mist with oil, and don't overcook — lean turkey dries out faster than beef, so pull them right at temperature.

Time

22 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

A turkey breast tenderloin air-fries at 380 °F (193 °C) for about 22 minutes, flipping once halfway, until the center reaches 165 °F (74 °C). Rub it with oil and seasoning and cook it whole; the lean meat dries out quickly, so pull it as soon as it hits temperature.

Time

32 min

Temp

380 °F / 193 °C

Turkey wings air-fry at 380 °F (193 °C) for about 32 minutes with a flip at the midpoint, until the skin is crisp and the meat reads 175 °F (79 °C) at the bone and pulls away easily. Pat them dry, season under the skin, and always confirm the temperature at the thickest joint — these are big, dark cuts and the skin can look done before the inside is. 4 variants: smothered soul-food style, a crispy dry-rub, lemon-pepper, and jerk. Distinct from Chicken Wings (much smaller, cooked to 165 °F in about 22 minutes) and Turkey Breast (lean white meat to 165 °F) — turkey wings are large dark-meat pieces taken to 175 °F.

Time

10 min

Temp

375 °F / 191 °C

Veggie burgers cook in the air fryer in about 10 minutes at 375 °F (191 °C), flipping once at the halfway mark — the hot air gives plant-based patties a browned, crisp exterior without sticking to a pan. Most store-bought patties (Beyond, Impossible, black-bean, and grain styles) go straight in with little or no oil, and they should be cooked to an internal 165 °F (74 °C) — the same target the Beyond and Impossible packaging calls for, because the patties are raw rather than pre-cooked. Add cheese in the last minute and toast the buns separately. This is the plant-based patty — unlike Burgers (beef), Turkey Burger, and Lamb Burger, which are all ground-meat patties. 4 ways to make it: plain, smoky-paprika, everything-bagel, and buffalo.

Time

10 min

Temp

400 °F / 204 °C

Venison steak air-fries in about 10 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C), flipped once at the halfway mark, to a medium-rare 130–135 °F (54–57 °C) — and that's where it should stop. Venison is wild-tasting, deep-red game meat that's exceptionally lean, with almost none of the marbling that keeps beef forgiving, so the cardinal rule is don't overcook it: past medium it goes dry, livery, and tough. Rub it with oil and salt (venison has no fat of its own to brown with), get a good crust in the air fryer's high heat, pull it a few degrees early, and rest it five minutes. Unlike a well-marbled Ribeye Steak (fatty enough to stay juicy even at medium) venison needs babysitting and a lower finish temperature, and unlike leaner-but-still-beefy cuts like Flank Steak it's leaner still and more prone to drying — treat it like the lean game it is. A red-wine marinade or a buttery finish adds back the richness the meat lacks. 4 ways to cook it: classic salt-pepper-and-butter, juniper-and-rosemary, red-wine marinated, or with a peppercorn pan sauce.

Time

55 min

Temp

360 °F / 182 °C

A whole spatchcocked chicken cooks in 55 minutes at 360 °F (182 °C) with a flip at the 30-minute mark — breast-side down first, then breast-side up for the final 25 minutes to crisp the skin. The lower temperature and longer time render fat slowly without burning the skin. Internal temperature at the thigh must hit 165 °F / 74 °C; rest 10 minutes before carving.

Time

12 min

Temp

370 °F / 188 °C

A whole trout air-fries at 370 °F (188 °C) for about 12 minutes, flipping once halfway, until the flesh flakes and reaches 145 °F (63 °C). Score the skin, season the cavity with lemon and herbs, and brush the outside with oil so the skin crisps. A 10–12 inch fish fits most baskets whole.