Air Fryer Perfection: From Crispy Fries and Juicy Steaks to Perfect Vegetables, What to Cook & How to Get the Best Results

by America's Test Kitchen (Editor)

Get the best possible results from your air fryer and discover the best ways to use it (not just frying!) with 75 fast, convenient, great-tasting recipes.

Air fryers promise crisp fried food without actual deep frying. Was it too good to be believed? And what can you cook in them besides French fries? In truth, air fryers cook food by blasting it with circulated hot air. The method is fast, convenient, and can be surprisingly good--if you have the right recipe. We cooked more than 70 pounds of potatoes to create the perfect air fryer French fry, with an evenly crisp exterior and creamy center. But what really drew us to this appliance was the variety of what you can make in it, effortlessly and without having to enlist numerous pots and pans.

In addition to crispy fried chicken and fries, you'll turn out evenly cooked steaks, such as Spice-Rubbed Steak with Snap Pea and Cucumber Salad (the spice rub gives them a bold crust), Sweet and Smoky Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Butternut Squash (the pork cooks directly on top of the squash to save time), and Tandoori Chicken Thighs. Many of the recipes yield both a main and a side for a complete meal. Most recipes take only 45 minutes or even less time, and all come with complete nutrition information.

Frozen foods cook up crisp in the air fryer, but the results are so much better when you start with homemade. So we offer freeze-it-yourself Chicken Nuggets, Southwestern Beef Hand Pies, and more that go straight from freezer to air fryer and cook to perfection. And we share plenty of kid-friendly meals and snacks, from Better-Than-Boxed Fish Sticks to Zucchini Fries.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Food, Reference

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 29, 2019

About the author

America's Test Kitchen, based in a brand new state-of-the-art 60,000 sq. ft. facility with over 15,000 sq. ft. of test kitchens and studio space, in Boston's Seaport District, is dedicated to finding the very best recipes for home cooks. Over 50 full-time (admittedly obsessive) test cooks spend their days testing recipes 30, 40, up to 100 times, tweaking every variable until they understand how and why recipes work. They also test cookware and supermarket ingredients so viewers can bypass marketing hype and buy the best quality products. As the home of Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country magazines, and publisher of more than one dozen cookbooks each year, America's Test Kitchen has earned the respect of the publishing industry, the culinary world, and millions of home cooks. America's Test Kitchen the television show launched in 2001, and the company added a second television program, Cook's Country, in 2008.

Discover, learn, and expand your cooking repertoire with Julia Collin Davison, Bridget Lancaster, Jack Bishop, Dan Souza, Lisa McManus, Tucker Shaw, Bryan Roof, and our fabulous team of test cooks!

Learn more at https://www.americastestkitchen.com/.

Reviews

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm giving this three stars because part of the book is dated, testing, and ranking 2019 and older air fryer models. I like this cookbook with straight-to-the-point recipes. I never cook fish in an air fryer so I bookmarked two to try. ROASTED COD WITH LEMON-GARLIC POTATOES and ORANGE-MUSTARD GLAZED SALMON. It's not time-saving in this case, my toaster oven broils them and ready to eat in 10 minutes, and it's very easy to clean one tray. I'm skeptical but I want to compare maybe one has a better texture than the other.

[Sue Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an air fryer novice, this book answered my basic questions, explained the concepts for success and creates some delicious recipes. America's Test Kitchen is always my go-to for recipe success.

[Desiree Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one - great pictures, lots of handy tips (such as Seven Simple Uses for an Air Fryer), explanations of how air fryers work and work best, and recipes for mains often also included a side as well. Husband thought it was too “foodie” overall, but to me there were still lots of down home and simple recipes.


Some I thought looked good:

- Crunchy Air-Fried Cod Fillets
- Air -Fried Brussels Sprouts
- Orange-Cardamom Roasted Carrots

[JZ · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a lot of air fryer cookbooks out there that suggest stupid things like omelets or other things that are better cooked on a range.
This one distinguishes itself by giving recipes that work well in this appliance. They aren't trying to make it the only appliance you need, á la "Can you waffle it?"
I'm excited to try several of these recipes. They've tested a bunch of things to find the right techniques for the food used.
The paragraph at the beginning of each recipe to tell you why it works well in an air fryer is the reason this cookbook works for me.
I bought the Mealthy crisper to add to my pressure cooker. Sometimes, I just want to brown up some vegetables or chicken after quick-cooking them. Now, I have other recipes, too, because I don't like experimenting on my own very expensive food. I can't throw out disappointments. This looks really promising. And, delicious.

[Mburrows · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent recipes as always. Great information on how and why an air fryer works.

[Debby · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to rate a cookbook accurately, unless you've made every recipe. Air frying is really new to me. I own an Instant Pot, and when I saw that Mealthy had developed a "crisp lid" that fits right on top ($60 with shipping) I decided to buy one-- after all, it would take up less space than buying a separate air fryer. I love and trust America's Test Kitchen recipes, so I downloaded the kindle book. I skipped past the yadda, yadda, yadda chapters about air frying FAQ's and which ones they recommended. After all, I owned a product that is very new and it would not be included in the cookbook. I digress. My maiden voyage was the Nut-Crusted Chicken breasts. I keep a variety of nuts in my freezer and panko crumbs are a staple. It was brilliant how the coating is "browned" in the microwave. The chicken was delicious! I could taste thyme and subtle spices. The chicken was crispy and moist. Yay! I'm looking forward to trying out more of the recipes. There are five sections, "Chicken and Turkey", "Beef, Pork and Lamb", "Seafood", "Vegetables". There's a photo with each recipe. As always ATK explains "what makes this recipe work" and the instructions are clear.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought the tips for use and the conversion and calorie tables were good but I wasn’t blown away with the recipes

[Lora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Best part was the tips and tricks. Recipes, um, okay I guess.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

ATK

did it again. I love the science behind their recipes. Definitely a trusted source for all things food related. Will be trying some of these recipes soon.

[Laurla2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

-4 stars. a picture for every recipe, the way a cookbook should be.

i wanted to read their reviews of the different air fryers, see what their complaints about the bad ones were and why they liked the good ones. what features were useful. they recommend the Philips Turbostar Airfryer Avance Digital at 14" tall, and the best buy is Gowise USA 3.7 quart 7 in 1 Air Fryer at 16" tall. they liked the smaller footprint units that don't hog all your counter space. pullout cooking drawer. concealed heating element to minimize risk of burning yourself. surface and handle that stay cool to the touch even at high temps. digital controls. automatically stops cooking when timer ends. nonstick surface, and dishwasher safe basket

--recipes that sounded interesting: chicken parmesan, chicken nuggets, nut-crusted chicken breasts, roasted bone-in chicken breasts, barbecued bone-in chicken breasts, air-fried chicken, teriyaki chicken, shredded chicken tacos, spice rubbed steak, top sirloin steak, flank steak, roasted boneless short ribs, ginger-soy beef, big italian meatballs, juicy well-done cheeseburgers, steak tacos, beef handpies, crispy breaded boneless pork chops, roasted bone in pork chop, lemon oregano roasted pork chops, sweet smoky pork tenderloin, fennel rubbed pork tenderloin, polynesian pork kebabas, better than boxed fish sticks, crunchy air fried cod fillets, roasted cod with lemon garlic, bacon wrapped scallions, roasted asparagus, air fried brussels sprouts, orange cardamom roasted carrots, roasted green beans, baked potatoes, crispy smashed potatoes, cheesy potatoes, french fries, zucchini fries.

[Meagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a giant air fryer for Christmas (which was a surprise, as it was not on my list!) and I admit that I've only used it a handful of times (and with inconsistent results). I have no idea what I'm doing!!

When the library recommended this title, I jumped on it. I need all of the help I can get in the kitchen! From this book, I learned a few new tips which I'm hoping will smooth things out for me. Some of the recipes were a little more gourmet than I'd hoped for, but there were also basic ones that seem less intimidating like homemade fish sticks and spicy chicken sandwiches. (Yum!)

Unfortunately for me, I have a unit with a swinging door and they advise in the book to stick to drawer fryers. This was a little discouraging, as was the fact that in spite of the size of my machine it will probably not handle cooking for more than 2-3 people at a time. (I have 5 people to feed.) In any case, I'm stuck with my air fryer and at least this book has given me more ideas to experiment with.

[Rochelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great book with a variety of recipes to help you get started and advance in your air frying skills. I loved that the book shows how we can do away with several store bought processed items such as
- Fish Sticks
- Chicken Nuggets
- Beef Hand Pies and more

I also love several of the recipes to make things like toasted nuts, croutons, crispy shallots and roast garlic, just to name a few.

The reason I gave this book 3 stars instead of 5 stars is because - I felt it could have been more concise with directions, used more white space and a more friendly font.

Also the book has no dessert or breakfast ideas.

[Camie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enticing cookbook. Clear explanations and practical recipes. A picture for every recipe which I always appreciate. Also liked the recipes were a meal (included a yummy side dish). Appealing!

To Try:
p. 42 Teriyaki chicken with snow peas
p. 76 Beef Satay with red curry noodles
p. 91 Lemon-oregano roasted pork chops with tomato-feta salad
p. 99 Vietnamese-style rice noodle salad with pork
p. 117 Crunch Air-Fried Cod Fillets
p. 121 Moroccan Spiced Halibut with chickpea salad
p. 145 Air-fried brussels sprouts
p. 149 Curried Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad
p. 153 Roasted Bell Pepper Salad with Mozzarella and Basil
p. 170 Zucchini Fries

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm still not sure what all the air-fryer hype is all about. I now have an oven that can air-fry, and a toaster over than can air-fry... and nothing that I can't otherwise cook via baking, broiling, toasting, or roasting. Perhaps if I had a stand-alone fryer I might feel differently, but meats are too greasy & make a mess in my ovens. Veggies end up undercooked or burnt. Many of the recipes in this book - especially the "cook at 350 for 25 minutes" ones - feel like they'd be just as easy & tasty on a sheet pan in a regular oven.
Maybe if I ate things like chicken nuggets, onion rings, mozzarella sticks, and tater tots I'd appreciate air frying. Since I don't... meh.

[Aasinathena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well what's more another great book about Air Frying !! I have used a air fryer while my time in Sri Lanka. My father gifted a one to mom as a birthday present. I borrowed it from my mom and it was fantastic. Then I came to the USA and never thought of buying a one. But seeing and hearing good reviews and also good sir fried food from my friends wants me to own a one. So before I waste money over a product,I read this. And I'm so happy I read this !

Thank you ATK !

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been examining a plethora of air fryer cookbooks to learn what I can do with the appliance that was a Christmas gift. If I had to buy just one, I'd have to say this is the cookbook I'd choose. As with most of ATK books, there are clear directions, tips, and explanations of why certain techniques work or don't work, which makes you an overall better cook using the appliance. The recipes are appealing and cover many types of foods, and appear to be good for average American families.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good explanations with each recipe state exactly what to do for the best results. I appreciated that the measurements didn't leave anything to chance (for instance, zucchini can come in many sizes, but we're told what size to buy). Measurements plus the desired weights often appears in the recipes, which was helpful. Photos were very good. I found this to be one of the better Air Fryer cookbooks that I've read.

[Cris · Rating 3 out of 5]

After going through the recipes I have picked 10-15 we might be willing to try. I have to admit I’m hoping some of the other books have better recipes with more options (baking, rotisserie, dehydrating, etc). I have to mention that there wasn’t one dessert recipe in the entire book! Major let down!

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've made 4 recipes from this cookbook thus far, and 3 turned out well. I like that the recipes include an explanation of why they work, but I do wish there was an option to size down (living alone, when I make something that feeds a family of 4+, it means I'll have leftovers past when I'm sick of them).

Overall, if you have an air fryer or Ninja Foodi, I recommend it!

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Air fryers are for so much more than just heating precooked foods or reheating leftover slices of pizza lol😅 This cookbook has so many fabulous recipes that are easy and quick to prepare, healthy and delicious! The recipes are easy to read, easy to follow, and there are beautiful pictures. I can't wait to make more of these😋

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciated the thoroughness of the different aspects of air frying. I was disappointed, though, that the one recipe most identified with an air fryer, chicken wings, was modified into chicken thighs. Their reasoning that wings would require to be made in batches didn't with other ATK recipe books, such as their cast iron cookbook that require items to be made... in batches!

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've always love America's test kitchen recipes, but as I have a family these 2 person recipes are not very plausible. Plus they aren't very interesting; I feel like I can just find just as good/better recipes online for free.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, it was very informative on different types of air fryers, explained the terms used in the book. I really liked the sections on each recipe as to why the recipe worked. Found some recipes my family liked.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice little cookbook and no dessert section, love that. I get that it is an air fryer cookbook so it is very meat-centric. There is a vegetable chapter and only 6 out of the 15 vegetable recipes are potatoes.

[Jan Tisdale · Rating 4 out of 5]

“ Book has a shinny glossy photo of each dish. Most of the recipes are for the typical deep air fryer, where as I have the flip which is not deep.
It’s a interesting book to leaf through. I personally didn’t make anything.”

[Marnie Z · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess the point of this book is to show you can make pretty much anything in the air fryer, that being said, I'm not sure I want to, in some cases it seemed almost more complicated than other methods and many of the recipes just didn't appeal to me

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thinking about getting one of these and wanted to know more

[Karrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one has complete dinners with “fancy” foods.

[Starr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great recipies.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Nice photos but no recipes that I am rushing out to try. Frankly, I expected more from ATK!