Five quick family-friendly recipes to make in your air fryer

• Air fryers: Are they worth all the hype or just a load of hot air?

Geelong home cook George Georgievski made his name online by posting creative recipes and lunchbox ideas for his daughters.

Now he has turned his attention to air fryers, so he can make crisp, crunchy food for his family without the usual oil and mess of deep-frying.

His latest book, Air Fryer Express, includes 60 quick recipes and essential advice on how to make the most of your machine, plus his best hacks and tips on how to make meals, snacks and treats your children will actually eat.

Sticky pork ribs (and fingers)

When I scroll through my Instagram feed and see someone eating pork ribs, I have to make them. These sticky pork ribs are all about contrasting flavours, spice and, most importantly, the experience. I like to serve them with fresh chilli scattered on top because of the extra kick they give. They are guaranteed, finger-licking awesome.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tbsp salt-reduced soy sauce
• 45g (¼ cup) brown sugar
• 90g (¼ cup) maple syrup
• 3 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 750g rack pork ribs
• 3 spring onions, finely sliced
• 2 long red chillies, finely sliced

METHOD

1. In a small bowl, place the soy sauce, brown sugar, maple syrup, worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder and olive oil and stir until really well combined.
2. Line the base of your air fryer with baking paper. You can cut the rack of pork ribs into separate ribs to fit more in your air fryer if you like, or leave the rack whole. Pop the ribs on the baking paper and use a pastry brush to brush over three-quarters of the marinade. Cook on 180C for 5 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 150C and cook for about 30 minutes. At the 15-minute mark, baste the ribs with half the remaining marinade, then baste again with the remaining marinade about 3 minutes before the ribs are ready.
3. Remove the ribs from the air fryer and rest on a wooden serving board for about 10 minutes. Now, cut the ribs along the bone to create individual sticky delights. Sprinkle the spring onion and chilli over the top and dig in.

Serves: 4

Easy sweet potato fritters

Back in 2019, I created a super easy fritter recipe and shared it on my social media accounts. It was a huge hit, but I always felt that it needed something extra to make it truly worthy of this cookbook. So, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you my easy sweet potato fritters made in … drum roll … egg rings! You can swap the sweet potato for regular potato if you like, and if you don't like peas and corn, you can use other finely chopped veg, such as capsicum or broccoli.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large sweet potato, coarsely grated, plus extra if needed
• 80g (½ cup) peas (frozen ones are cool)
• 65g (⅓ cup) corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
• 1 tsp salt flakes
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tbsp grated parmesan
• ½ tsp chopped chives
• 2 eggs, plus an extra egg if needed
• olive oil spray

Yoghurt dip

• 250g (1 cup) natural yoghurt
• 1 tsp finely chopped chives

METHOD

1. Place the sweet potato, peas, corn, salt, pepper, parmesan, chives and eggs in a large bowl. Using a fork, give the ingredients a really good stir – you will notice the mixture getting thicker and everything will become sticky. If the mixture looks a little dry, simply add another egg; if it looks too wet, add a little more grated sweet potato.
2. The secret now is to make them look pretty. Most fritters have rough edges that usually burn during cooking. To fix this problem, I like to use those metal rings that people use to fry perfectly round eggs. Place four egg rings on a piece of baking paper and spray them with some olive oil to grease them. Add half the sweet potato mixture to the rings. How good do they look? Spray a generous amount of olive oil over the top, then lift up the baking paper and pop them in the air fryer. Cook on 170C for 10 minutes or until golden brown on top.
3. While the fritters are cooking, place the yoghurt in a small serving bowl and sprinkle the chives on top.
4. Carefully remove the egg rings and admire your beautiful fritters. Repeat to make a second batch of fritters, then serve them with the yoghurt dip and you're done.

Makes: 8

Lamb kebabs with flatbreads

This recipe is unbelievably good. We make these lamb kebabs weekly at home. We are also going to make our own kid-friendly tzatziki and easy flatbreads, so let's get to it.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 lamb cutlets
• 1 tsp salt flakes
• 2 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked, plus extra sprigs to serve (optional)
• ¼ small lemon
• olive oil spray
• ½ red onion, finely sliced
• 1 tomato, cut into wedges
• 50g (1 cup) shredded lettuce

Tzatziki

• 1 Lebanese cucumber
• 200g natural yoghurt
• ¼ small lemon
• 1 tsp olive oil
• ½ tsp salt flakes
• 1 garlic clove

Easy flatbreads

• 500g (3⅓ cups) plain flour, plus
• extra for dusting
• 300g natural yoghurt
• ½ tsp salt flakes
• olive oil spray

METHOD

1. Firstly, let's marinate the lamb cutlets so they can chill out in the fridge. Grab a bowl and toss in the lamb cutlets. Add the salt and rosemary leaves, squeeze in the lemon juice and coat the cutlets with olive oil spray. Mix well, then cover with plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge.
2. To make the tzatziki, grate the cucumber onto a few sheets of paper towel, skin and all. Roll up the paper towel and squeeze out the moisture, then place the cucumber in a bowl, along with the yoghurt. Squeeze in the lemon juice and add the olive oil and salt. If you've got one of those Microplanes, grab it now; otherwise, use a box grater to grate the garlic into the bowl and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in the fridge.
3. Line the base of your air fryer with baking paper and put the lamb cutlets in. Cook for 8 minutes on 180C.
4. Meanwhile, make the flatbreads. Grab your blender or food processor, add the flour, yoghurt and salt and blitz for 60 seconds or until a dough forms. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and divide it into six even portions. Working with one portion at a time, flatten the dough using your hands or a rolling pin until it is about 1cm thick. Continue with the remaining dough to make six flatbreads.
5. Remove the lamb cutlets from the air fryer and set aside to rest. Meanwhile, cook the flatbreads, two at a time, in the air fryer on 180C for 4 minutes.
6. Place the onion, tomato and lettuce in small piles on a serving board. Slice the lamb cutlets and add them to the board, along with the tzatziki, flatbreads and extra rosemary for sprinkling over, if you like. Now start assembling the most delicious lamb kebabs ever.

Note: You can substitute the lamb for any other meat or even tofu. You can omit any ingredient you like; for example, the raw garlic in the tzatziki is a little too much for some. You can also make it spicy by adding a drizzle of sriracha chilli sauce.

The burger with the lot

What makes a great burger? What is the perfect combination? This burger is crazy good, and I say crazy good because it is a little crazy. If you are reading this thinking "no way", trust me. If you are going to try just one recipe from my air fryer book, you have to try this one.

INGREDIENTS

• large handful of plain corn chips
• 250g good-quality beef mince
• 250g good-quality pork mince
• 1 egg
• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp salt flakes
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 12 slices of American (or Australian) cheddar
• olive oil spray

To serve

• 6 soft burger buns, cut in half
• mayonnaise
• American smoky mustard
• 6 large lettuce leaves
• 1 tomato, cut into 5mm thick slices
• 6 dill pickles, cut lengthways into 5mm thick slices, plus extra to serve (optional)
• tomato sauce
• Daddy's famous chips (see recipe)

METHOD

1. Place the corn chips in a zip-lock bag, then secure and proceed to let off some steam by smashing up the chips into 5mm–1cm pieces.
2. Place both types of mince, the corn chips, egg, half the onion, the salt, pepper and garlic powder in a large mixing bowl. Using clean hands, mix well to make sure everything is combined. This should take about 5 minutes. Divide the mixture into six even portions and roll them into meatballs. Place the meatballs on a plate and pop them in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
3. Remove the meatballs from the fridge and let them come to room temperature. Preheat your air fryer on 180C for 5 minutes.
4. Working with one meatball at a time, place it between two sheets of baking paper and squash it down until it's about 1cm thick. Repeat with the remaining meatballs. Line the base of your air fryer with baking paper, pop the patties in and spray with olive oil. Cook for 14 minutes, then place two cheese slices on top of each patty and cook for another 60 seconds – we want the cheese to be perfectly melted.
5. Grab your buns. Spread some mayo on the top and bottom half of each bun, followed by some mustard. Sprinkle the remaining onion over the top, add a lettuce leaf, a slice or two of tomato and your cheesy patty. Add some pickle, a squeeze of tomato sauce and the top half of the bun. If you want to impress, use a bamboo skewer to add an extra pickle on top. Serve with my famous chips. You're welcome.

Makes: 6

Note: Feel free to swap out any of the fresh ingredients, but when it comes to the patty I find it's perfect the way it is. The secret ingredient is the corn chips, which add crunch. The 50/50 balance of beef and pork mince ensures there is enough fat in the patty as an all-beef patty can be dry.

Daddy's famous chips

I've been making chips for my girls for 10 years and have perfected the recipe over time, so much so that when my girls ask for chips they ask for "Daddy's famous chips". The best potatoes for making chips are high in starch and low in moisture, so russet spuds, which include yukon gold and king Edward, are my go-to. Although don't stress if you can't get hold of these varieties; at the end of the day, you just need potatoes. There is also one secret ingredient that rocks these chips and gives them a unique flavour, so read on and let's get cracking.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1.5cm thick chips
• olive oil spray
• 2 tsp salt flakes
• 1 tsp vegetable stock powder (I use Vegeta brand)
• tomato sauce and mayonnaise, to serve (optional)

METHOD

1. Bring a large saucepan of generously salted water to the boil and add the chips. Return the water to the boil, then cook the chips for 3 minutes. Drain well and pop the chips on a baking tray that will fit in your air fryer. Leave the chips to cool for 15-20 minutes, then lightly spray with olive oil and sprinkle over the salt.
2. Transfer the tray to your air fryer and cook on 160C for 6 minutes, then crank the heat up to 200C and cook for another 2 minutes. We want the chips to have a soft centre and a crisp outer shell.
3. Pop the chips in a basket or bowl and sprinkle over the vegetable stock powder (it's a little like chicken salt, but with a unique flavour that the kids love). Serve as is or with some tomato sauce and mayo for dipping.

Serves: 2

This is an edited extract from Air Fryer Express by George Georgievski, published by Plum, RRP $26.99. Photography by Nikole Ramsay. Buy now