Mastered the air fryer basics? Here's how to up your game

So, you've mastered the basics with the air fryer and now want to lose that beginner air fryer tag that you feel has been holding you back?

You might have done the usual air fryer basics such as sausages, frozen food, and reheating your fish supper leftovers. But what should you air fry next?

I recommend our two-step plan.

Two air fryer recipes that will teach you the next two skill sets – making an actual meal in the air fryer and learning how to flip air fryer food. Both of these types of skills will open the doors to cooking a lot of different foods in the air fryer. 

In our first air fryer cookbook The Complete Air Fryer Cookbook we started with the basics and then in our second Air Fryer Easy Everyday we did just this, so let me walk you through it, along with the recipes themselves. 

Step 1 – The air fryer meal

Our favourite is the combination of fish fillets with baby potatoes and green beans. Think of it as making a traybake but instead of putting it on an oven tray and having to wait for your oven to preheat, it can all come together in one foil tray in the air fryer. 

The easiest potatoes in the air fryer are baby potatoes and then we chose green beans because they are very quick to cook. But it’s easy to mix and match to suit your mood and budget.

We use smoked haddock fillets in the recipe, but you can use salmon fillets or basa is a fantastic budget-friendly white fish. Or why not try cod fillets? You can also swap green beans for another quick-cooking vegetable, such as asparagus or broccolini. 

Start with the potatoes and prep them into the foil tray (to save on washing up). Once they are seasoned and a little oil has been added, you can mix them with your hands and start to air fry them. 

Potatoes take the longest so put them in the air fryer on their own and, as the potatoes have their kickstart, start prepping the fish and veggies. 

Because the fish is the shortest cooking time the potatoes and green beans will have a little cooking together before the fish is added. 

Then imagine how over the next few weeks you can mix and match the ingredients to make different little trays of deliciousness at home in your air fryer. Below you will find the smoked haddock, with baby potatoes and green beans to follow along at home.  

Step 2 – Flipping your air fryer food

Flipping food halfway through cooking helps achieve an even cook on both sides. It’s especially important for food that sticks, to prevent roasts getting dry and for ingredients like pastries, to avoid a soggy bottom, as the air fryer often cooks more from the top of the food.

We will always flip steaks, some pastries (depending on its cooking time) and even a Spanish omelette. In our Air Fryer Cooking Guide, we share the top 275+ air fryer times and temperatures and when to do the flip. 

Toad in the hole is the perfect example. Without a flip, its just cooked at the bottom, but by flipping it you can then give it the perfect colour and texture on both sides. 

We recommend using a plate and flipping the toad in the hole onto the plate, and then continuing the cooking time on the other side. You can also take a smaller baby step in this process by using a spatula and flipping over a pastry you are air frying. 

Below is our toad in the hole recipe to try at home so you can get used to the air fryer flipping process and take your air frying to the next level. 

Smoked haddock with baby potatoes and green beans

Ingredients

• 285g/10oz baby potatoes, scrubbed
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• 140g/5oz green beans, trimmed
• 1 tbsp dried mixed herbs
• 2 x 110g/3¾oz smoked haddock fillets
• A squeeze of lemon juice
• Salt and black pepper
• Lemon wedges and fresh dill, to serve (optional)

Method

• Quarter the baby potatoes and put them in a 18 x 18cm/7 x 7 inch foil tray/pan (or a size compatible with your air fryer). Season the potatoes with salt and pepper, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the parsley, and mix with your hands until the potatoes are well coated.
• Place the tray into the air fryer basket/drawer, set the temperature to 180ºC/360ºF and cook for 10 minutes.
• When the air fryer beeps, shake the potatoes and add the green beans. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle in the dried herbs. Use a spatula to mix everything together, then air fry at the same temperature for another 5 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.
• Give the potatoes and green beans a shake. Place the haddock fillets on top of the veg and drizzle with lemon juice. Using the same temperature, cook for a further 10 minutes, or until the fish is fully cooked and flakes on touch.
• Transfer the haddock to dinner plates, then shake the tray to mix the potatoes and green beans in the flavoursome oil. Spoon the veg onto the plates, drizzling any oil from the bottom of the tray over the potatoes. We love to serve this with lemon wedges and a sprinkling of fresh dil.

Toad in the hole

Ingredients

• 125g/4½oz/1 cup plain/all-purpose flour 
• 2 large eggs 
• 240ml/8fl oz/1 cup whole/full-fat milk 
• 12 thick pork sausages 
• 200ml/7fl oz/¾ cup beef gravy
• 225g/8oz frozen green beans 
• Salt and black pepper

Method

• Make the Yorkshire pudding batter 15 minutes before you place the sausages in the air fryer, because the batter needs to sit for at least 20 minutes. Put the flour in a mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper.
• Make a well in the centre of the flour and crack the eggs into the well, then mix with a fork until well combined. Gradually add the milk, mixing until bubbles form in your batter and it’s a similar consistency to pancake batter. Put it to one side and let it rest for 15 minutes. 
• Remove the crisper plate from the two air fryer drawers and divide the sausages between the drawers, placing six in each. Cook at 200ºC/400ºF for 8 minutes. When the air fryer beeps, turn the sausages over with tongs, then quickly pour the Yorkshire pudding batter over the sausages. Air fry at the same temperature for a further 8 minutes. 
• When the air fryer beeps, use a plate to flip both the toad in the holes over – this will help the bottoms to crisp up. Air fry at 200ºC/400ºF for another 5 minutes, or until golden to your liking. 
• When the air fryer beeps, remove the toad in the holes from each drawer and add the crisper plates back in. Pour your gravy into a ramekin and put it in one of the drawers, then add the frozen green beans to the other drawer. Match the air fryer drawers and cook at 180ºC/360ºF for 8 minutes or until the green beans and gravy are piping hot. 
• Slice each toad in the hole in half so that there are three sausages in each portion, then serve with green beans and gravy.

Toad in the basket air fryer 

Divide the ingredients between two 20cm/8 inch silicone containers, each 5cm/2 inches deep. Cook them one at a time following the times and temperatures above.