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Louise Thomas
Editor
The great British weather is the enemy of every summer BBQ.
What’s more, BBQs can be challenging even for the most experienced cook – knowing how to handle the heat and ensure your timings are on point can be incredibly tricky, especially if you’re hosting at the same time.
Cooking BBQ classics in an air fryer is a simple hack that will save you a lot of stress as we enter the warmer months, while sparing friends and family the horror of soggy sausages.
To help home cooks get that BBQ feel, here are my top five recipes to create some smoky classics indoors.
Air fryer BBQ baby back ribs recipe
Serves:4
Prep time: 15 mins | Cooking time: 40 mins
Accessory needed: Grilling accessory
Ingredients:
1.2kg baby back ribs
1 tsp salt
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika powder
100g BBQ sauce
Method:
1. Remove the silver skin from the baby back ribs and cut them into several three-rib pieces. Rub them generously with salt, black pepper, garlic powder and paprika powder
2. Place the grill accessory in the air fryer basket and preheat the device at 200C for 5 minutes.
3. Once the air fryer is preheated, place the marinated ribs on the grill accessory. Slide the basket into the air fryer and start the device at 160C for 30 minutes.
4. Open the basket and generously brush the ribs with the BBQ sauce on all sides. slide the basket into the air fryer and start the device at 190C for 5 minutes.
5. Once grilled, serve the BBQ baby ribs hot with your sides of choice.
Air fryer roasted sweet corn with garlic herb butter recipe
Serves: 2
Prep time: 4 mins | Cooking time: 12 mins
Ingredients:
1 corn cob
½ tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves
5g parsley, curly-leaf
5g chives
20g butter
1 pinch black pepper, freshly ground
2 pinches sea salt, flakes
Method:
1. Cut the corn into 4 or 5 pieces. Brush with olive oil.
2. Place the pieces of corn with the garlic in the skin into the basket of the air fryer and fry them at 200C for 12 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, finely chop the parsley and chives.
4. Put the fried corn into a bowl. Press the garlic out of the skin with a fork and add to the bowl with the butter and chopped herbs. Stir well to let the butter melt and coat the corn with butter, garlic and herbs. Serve with freshly ground black pepper and sea salt.
Air fryer Korean BBQ halloumi skewers recipe
Serves:2
Prep time: 5 mins | Passive time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 10 mins
Ingredients:
225g halloumi
320g bell peppers
400g zucchini
130ml soy sauce
100g brown sugar
2tbsp garlic, chopped
1 tbsp rice vinegar
15g garlic chilli sauce
1 tbsp ginger, grated
1 tbsp sesame oil
1½ tbsp black pepper, freshly ground
1 tbsp of water
1 tbsp cornflour
Method:
1. Cut the halloumi, peppers and courgette roughly 6cm by 6cm and place onto the skewers.
2. Stir the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, rice wine vinegar, chilli-garlic sauce, ginger, sesame oil and black pepper together in a saucepan; bring to a boil.
3. Whisk cornstarch and water together in a small bowl until the corn starch dissolves. Then add to the soy sauce marinade. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
4. Place the skewers in the basket and slide the basket into the air fryer. Start the device at 200C for 10 minutes.
5. Once cooked, cover your skewers with the Korean BBQ sauce and serve.
Air fryer garlic prawns recipe
Serves:2
Prep time: 10 mins | Passive time: 5 mins | Cooking time: 15 mins
Ingredients:
40g farmhouse bread
20g melted butter
2 garlic cloves
200g prawns, medium size, peeled
1½ tsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 pinch salt
1 branch parsley
Method:
1. Blend the bread into breadcrumbs in a food processor. Transfer the breadcrumbs to a bowl and mix in the melted butter.
2. Peel and mince the garlic cloves. Add the prawns, minced garlic, lemon juice and salt to a bowl and mix well. Set aside for a few minutes to marinate. Transfer the prawns together with the remaining marinade to the air fryer basket. Add the buttered breadcrumbs and mix.
3. Place the basket into the air fryer and start the device at 200C for 15 minutes. (Shake the basket once whilst cooking)
4. Wash and finely chop the parsley. Once the air frying is done, serve the garlic prawns with finely chopped parsley.
Air fryer ham and cheese stuffed potatoes recipe
Serves:2
Prep time: 20 mins | Cooking time: 45 mins
Ingredients:
2 potatoes, large size
100g cooked smoked ham
60g Gouda cheese
7g dill
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper
½ tsp hot chilli sauce
2 tbsp mayonnaise
Method:
1. Thoroughly scrub the potatoes clean using a brush. Put them into the basket and slide into the air fryer. Start the device at 180C for 40 minutes.
2. Once ready, remove the potatoes from the device and carefully cut them in half lengthways. Using a tsp, scoop out the middle of each potato half to make hollows. Save the scooped-out flesh for the filling.
3. Dice the smoked ham. Grate the Gouda cheese. Wash and finely chop the fresh dill. Transfer it to a bowl, add the scooped potato, salt, black pepper, hot chilli sauce and mayonnaise and mix until well combined. Stuff the potatoes evenly with the prepared filling.
4. Place the stuffed potatoes into the basket and slide it into the air fryer. Start the device at 180C for 5 minutes.
5. Once done, remove the stuffed potatoes from the device and serve.
