Most of us lead the kind of lives, where we have time for literally nothing! We are constantly on the move and meal times are probably the only time we get to sit down and enjoy with our loved ones. However, the problem is that most of us don’t have the time to prep the meals either! But if you think a little and plan some, week night dinners need not be too tough to manage. More importantly, if you have an Innoteck air fryer at home, you can get delicious meals ready in no time!
If you are someone who tends to have busy weeknights, there are some tips and tricks that you can follow:
- For starters, you should keep it simple. Don’t go for over complicated recipes that have too many steps or multiple ingredients.
- Doing your prep well in advance is often a big help! Whether it is marinating your meats or chopping your veggies; try to do it when you get the time and store in the fridge for when you need them.
- There is nothing wrong in being prepared – whether it is stocking up on all essentials or it is prepping double the portions, planning is key to quick cooking.
- Involve everyone – there is no reason that only one person should be slogging in the kitchen. Let the kids peel the corn, let your partner take over the chopping and you can load up the air fryer!
Quick healthy air fryer recipes for the vegetarians
Many a times, vegetarians who find themselves busy on a weekday, choose to toss a quick salad or maybe prepare a soup. This is mainly because they are not aware of the vegetarian easy air fryer dinners they can enjoy! With a little bit of creative thinking and some early prep, you can savour deliciously healthy, and super quick vegetarian meals every weeknight.
Here are 3 such ideas:
- Vegetable Stir Fry – This has to be one of the easiest weeknight recipes that you can cook up. In a bowl, add some veggies (you can take whatever is leftover in the fridge or you can even take a bag of frozen vegetables), soya sauce, ginger and garlic powder, a dash of rice wine vinegar and a spoonful of sesame oil. Toss everything really well or use a large spatula to ensure that everything is mixed. Now, pour the vegetables into the air fryer basket as flat as possible and air fry for about 10 minutes at a high setting, shaking the basket once in between. When the veggies are tender and starting to crisp up, you can serve them out with some rice or as a bowl on its own!
- Crispy tofu – If you have some extra firm tofu sitting in your fridge or even a block of Indian cottage cheese, this is a quick and healthy recipe to try out. Press the tofu or cottage cheese to remove all excess water and then use a kitchen towel to pat dry. Cut the block into cubes and then toss with soy sauce, cornstarch, garlic powder and sesame seeds. Lay the cubes out as flat as possible in the air fryer basket and air fry at a high setting for about 15minutes. Pause the appliance about halfway and shake the basket well to ensure the tofu is crispy and golden brown.
- Stuffed peppers – This is another one of those minimum effort, maximum taste kind of recipes – the stuffing is something you can prep in the morning or in advance too. Boil and mash some potatoes and season with a blend of spices, including oregano, paprika, garlic powder and onion powder. At dinner time, simply cut the tops off of peppers and remove the seeds; now mix the potato mix with some leftover rice, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese and Italian seasoning and stuff this mixture into the peppers. Arrange them in the air fryer basket and air fry at around 350*F or 180*C for about 25 minutes – you need the filling cooked and the peppers tender!
Easy air fryer dinners for the meat lovers!
Moving onto those who like the chickens, fish and meats! There are plenty of easy to prep, quick air fryer dinner that you can try out on those busy weeknights. We have picked 3, which we feel you might enjoy:
- Chicken parmesan – Yes, the all-time favourite chicken parm can be made quite easily in your air fryer; all you need is to have some chicken breast defrosted, some marinara sauce in your pantry and plenty of cheese stocked up! Combine breadcrumbs with Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning and then coat the chicken breasts in this mix. Place in the air fryer basket, ideally 2 or 3 at a time, based on the size of your basket. Air fry at medium high for about 15 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through. Once the chicken is cooked through and crispy, add some marinara sauce and cheese and air fry for another 2-3 minutes to let the cheese melt!
- Garlic Parmesan Shrimp – Shrimp has to be the go-to for anyone who wants a quick dinner and this recipe is no different. To a bowl, add cleaned shrimp, melted butter and plenty of minced garlic. Now, coat each shrimp in a mix of breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese. Arrange these in the air fryer basket without crowding the tray, and in about 10 minutes, your crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside garlic shrimp should be ready!
- Salmon fillets – Like shrimp, fish too can be cooked super quickly and this salmon fillet recipe needs very basic ingredients. Prepare a seasoning with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, dill, salt, and pepper. Now brush this flavoured oil over the salmon and place it in the air fryer basket. Set the temperature to 350*F or 180*C and in less than 15 minutes, your flaky fish should be ready and you can serve with some steamed veggies or even a salad.
So, you see, with these quick healthy air fryer recipes, your entire family can enjoy delicious meals, even when you are low on time!
