Air Fryer Recipes: 3 Fake Dinners That Take Less Than 15 Minutes to Make

AFTER a long week at work or keeping the kids busy during the summer holidays, what could be better than a delicious take-away?

A delicious fakeaway, that’s what – especially when you can prepare it in your air fryer in minutes!

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Thanks to Hayley Dean and her new book, How to Make Anything in the Air Fryer: Easy Dinners! (Ebury, £22), published August 15, we’ve got some brilliant – and easy – recipes for you to try this weekend.

If you loved the Instagram star previous book – which was an instant bestseller – you’ll love this one, which is packed with more brilliant ideas to simplify eating for the whole family.

And not only will you save money on your regular favorite food, you won’t have to spend hours slaving in a hot kitchen, as these recipes take all the stress out of cooking using an air fryer.

So if you’re a fan of peri peri chicken or pizza is more your thing, give these fabulous fakes a try.

Chimichangas

It suits: 4
Setup time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Cals: 562

Ingredients:
*400g of ground beef
*1 tablespoon of tomato puree
*1 teaspoon of garlic paste
*1 teaspoon smoked paprika
*1 teaspoon of ground cumin
*1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
*250ml passata
*400g canned beans, drained and rinsed
*250g Mexican style rice
*4 tortilla wraps
*1 small onion, peeled and cut into fine cubes
*1 red pepper, seeded and diced
*80g grated cheddar cheese
*Non-stick spray oil

Serve:
*Mexican sauces
*Sliced ​​jalapeños
*Sliced ​​spring onions

Method:

1. Place the minced meat in a bowl and break it up with a wooden spoon. Add the tomato puree, garlic paste, paprika, cumin and Cajun seasoning and mix well.
2. Place a liner in the fryer and preheat to 180°C. Place the spicy minced meat in the pan and cook at 180°C for 5 minutes. Pour in the passata and add the beans, stir well and cook at 180°C for another 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, microwave the rice according to package instructions. Place equal amounts of cooked rice in the center of each tortilla.
4. Then mix the chopped onion and red pepper into the spicy meat and bean mixture, divide evenly between the rice-filled wraps and scatter over the grated cheese.
5. Fold each wrap tightly to make the chimichangas, drizzle with olive oil and cook at 180°C for 15 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking time to ensure all sides are browned.
6. Once heated and browned, serve the chimichangas with your selection of sauces and some sliced ​​jalapeños and green onions.

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Pizza fondue with dough balls

It suits: 3
Setup time: 15 minutes, plus 1 hour of testing
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Cals: 440

Ingredients:
For the dough balls
*150g plain flour (plus extra for dusting)
*1 teaspoon easy baking yeast
*1/2 tablespoon of refined sugar
*1/2 teaspoon of salt

For the dough balls
*100g light cream cheese
*125g grated mozzarella or cheddar
*200g basil pasta sauce
*20g pepperoni (optional)
*1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Method:

1. First make balls of dough. Place the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a bowl and add 90ml of warm water. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine. The dough should be slightly damp, but not sticky. If it seems dry, add another 10ml of warm water.
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead a little – just turn the dough a few times to ensure all the ingredients are well combined and the dough starts to become elastic. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let it rise for 30 minutes.
3. Divide the dough into 9 equally sized pieces and roll each into a small ball. Spray a sheet of baking paper (that fits in the fryer) with oil and arrange the dough balls on it. Cover loosely with an oiled sheet of plastic wrap or a spacious tin can. Let the dough balls rise for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the fryer to 180°C. Carefully transfer the sheet of baking paper with the dough balls to the fryer, spray with oil and cook at 180°C for 8 minutes. Once the dough balls are golden brown, carefully remove them from the fryer and keep warm.
5. Meanwhile, make the pizza fondue. Place the cream cheese in the bottom of an 18-20cm ovenproof dish or silicone liner. Cover with half the grated cheese.
6. Pour over the pasta sauce and scatter with the remaining grated cheese. Sprinkle with pepperoni slices, if using, and sprinkle with dried oregano. Place the dish in the airfryer and cook at 180°C for 12 minutes, or until bubbling and golden. Let the pizza fondue rest for 10 minutes to cool slightly.
7. When serving, place the plate in the center of the table with the dough balls next to them so that they can all dip into the sauce.

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Peri Peri Chicken Feast

It suits: 4
Setup time: 10 minutes, plus marinating time
Cooking time: 55 minutes
Cals: 600

Ingredients:
*4 skinless chicken breasts
*125ml peri-peri sauce (I use Nando’s Medium Peri-Peri Sauce)
*650g of frozen snacks with skin
*2 ears of corn cut in half
*2 teaspoons of peri-peri rub (I use Nando’s Peri-Peri Rub Medium)
*Non-stick spray oil

For the coleslaw
*50g peri-peri mayonnaise (I use Nando’s Perinaise Mild), plus extra for serving
*1 lemon juice
*200g chopped Savoy cabbage (or use 100g each of green cabbage and red cabbage)
*3 grated carrots
*2 chopped chives

Method:

1. Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl with two-thirds of the peri-peri sauce. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour if you have time.
2. Preheat the fryer to 200°C. Place the chicken in the airfryer and cook at 200°C for 10 minutes, or until it starts to color, turning the chicken halfway through the cooking time and brushing with any excess marinade left in the bowl.
3. Once the chicken is cooked, transfer it to a plate along with the juices from the bottom of the fryer, cover with aluminum foil to keep warm and set aside.
4. Increase the airfryer temperature to 200°C, add the frozen chips and cook at 200°C for 10 minutes. Shake the air fryer basket and carefully add the corn on the cob. Spray the corn with oil and cook for another 15 minutes or until the chips are crispy. Place the fries in a bowl with the peri-peri mixture.
5. Meanwhile, make the salad. Mix peri-peri mayonnaise, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons water in a large bowl. Add the grated cabbage, grated carrot and chopped chives to the bowl with the mayonnaise, season with a pinch of salt and pepper and mix well.
6. Divide the fries and coleslaw among four serving dishes and top with the corn on the cob and chicken. Add a final drizzle of peri-peri sauce and some peri-peri mayonnaise for dipping the fries.

How to Make Anything in the Air Fryer: Easy Dinners! by Hayley Dean (£22, Ebury Press) will be released on August 15.