The return to school always brings with it a new routine – packed lunches to think about, dinners to throw together after work and the creeping dread of spending half your evening at the stove.
That’s where the air fryer comes in. Once a lockdown novelty, it’s now the secret weapon of weeknight cooking, turning out golden spuds, juicy chicken wings or even a banh mi stuffed with sesame-crusted meatballs in a fraction of the time (and with less washing up).
This month’s Budget Bites in collaboration with Sorted Food is built around three recipes that prove just how versatile it can be – from salmon roasted on jammy tomatoes and capers, to sticky-sweet wings with a punchy gnocchi salad, and a beefy spin on the classic Vietnamese sandwich.
Each dish is quick, affordable and packed with flavour, the kind you’d never guess came from an appliance that sits quietly on your countertop.
To make life easier, we’ve pulled together a one-stop shopping list so you can blitz the weekly food shop in one go.
Whether you’re feeding the family after school, rustling up something satisfying after a late commute, or just trying to keep your food budget in check, these recipes are proof you don’t need to compromise on flavour or fun.
Shopping list
Salmon with roasted cherry tomato, capers and new potatoes
Flaky salmon cooked on jammy tomatoes, garlic, capers, and potatoes, all in the air fryer. This dish is quick, zesty, and effortlessly delicious.
Ingredients:
250g new potatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
200g cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp capers
1 clove garlic
2 salmon fillets, skin on
1 lemon
30g fresh parsley
Method:
1. Preheat the air fryer to 190C. Quarter or half 250g of new potatoes, place in the air fryer basket and drizzle over 1 tbsp of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.
2. Cook the potatoes in the air fryer for 10-12 minutes until they are just golden on the edges and almost cooked through.
3. Pop 200g of cherry tomatoes and 2 tbsp of capers in with the potatoes. Peel and slice 1 clove of garlic and chuck it in as well. Give it a toss, then air-fry for about 6-8 minutes. The tomatoes should start to break down and become a little jammy.
4. Pat 2 fillets of salmon dry with a paper towel. Finely grate over the zest from 1 lemon and season both with salt and pepper. Drizzle over 1 tbsp of olive oil and give them a rub. Place the salmon skin-side down onto the potatoes and tomatoes. Wash your hands after handling raw fish.
5. Pop the basket back into the air fryer and cook for 6-8 minutes, until the salmon is opaque, light pink orange throughout.
6. Finely chop 30g of parsley.
7. Remove the salmon. Stir half of the parsley through the potatoes and tomatoes.
8. Divide the potatoes and tomatoes onto plates and top each with a fillet of salmon. Squeeze over the juice from 1 lemon and scatter over the remaining parsley.
Honey-lime ginger wings with gnocchi salad
Sticky-sweet chicken wings air-fried to perfection. Served alongside a punchy gnocchi salad for a fiery, fresh twist on your usual summer spread.
Ingredients:
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp light soy sauce
1 lime
15g fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic
500g chicken wings
500g pre-cooked gnocchi
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp gochujang
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp cider vinegar
10g fresh coriander
Method:
1. Preheat the air fryer to 200. In a large mixing bowl, mix together 2 tbsp of honey, 2 tsp of soy sauce. Finely grate in the zest and juice from 1 lime. Peel and grate 15g of ginger and 1 clove of garlic. Season with a big pinch of salt and pepper.
2. Add 500g of chickens wings to the marinade and toss to coat. Remember to wash your hands after handling raw meat.
3. Chuck the wings into the air fryer basket and cook for 25 minutes, flipping halfway. Half fill a kettle and put it on to boil for the gnocchi.
4. Tip the gnocchi into a large mixing bowl and cover with water from the kettle. Set aside for 5 minutes to cook while you make the dressing. Once cooked, drain through a colander.
5. In a large mixing bowl, add 2 tbsp of mayonnaise, peel and finely grate 1 clove of garlic, add 1 tbsp of gochujang, 1 tsp of caster sugar, 1 tsp of cider vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper. Give it a whisk.
6. When the gnocchi are cool, shake off any excess water and transfer them to the mixing bowl with the dressing and toss.
7. Finely chop 10g of coriander and mix half through the salad, reserving the rest for later.
8. Divide the wings and the salad on plates. Scatter over the remaining coriander. Grab some napkins and enjoy!
Sesame-crusted beef metabll banh mi
A banh mi is a Vietnamese sandwich known for bold flavour and crunch. This twist has beef meatballs, pickles and sriracha mayo in a crusty baguette.
Ingredients:
1 fennel bulb
1 medium carrot
1 tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp cider vinegar
250g beef mince
2 cloves garlic
15g fresh ginger
1 tsp fish sauce
30g dried panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp sesame seeds
3 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp sriracha
1 tsp honey
1 baguette
20g fresh coriander
Method:
1. Cut 1 fennel bulb in half lengthwise, then slice as thinly as possible crosswise. Chuck the slices into a medium mixing bowl. Peel 1 carrot and discard the skin, then continue to peel the carrot into ribbons into the same mixing bowl as the fennel. Add 1 tbsp of caster sugar, 2 tbsp of cider vinegar, 1 tbsp of water and a good pinch of salt to the veg. Give it a toss to combine, then set aside to pickle.
2. Preheat the air fryer to 200. Add 250g of beef mince to a large mixing bowl. Peel and finely grate in 2 cloves of garlic and 15g of ginger. Add 1 tsp of fish sauce, 30g of dried panko breadcrumbs and a pinch of salt and pepper. Give a good mix to combine.
3. Roll the meatball mixture into 8 even balls. Add 2 tbsp of sesame seeds to a plate and roll each meatball in the seeds to coat. Remember to wash your hands after handling raw meat!
4. Add the sesame-crusted meatballs to the air fryer in a single layer and cook for 10–12 minutes until golden and cooked through. Get on with the rest of the prep while you wait.
5. Mix 3 tbsp of mayonnaise, 1 tbsp of sriracha and 1 tsp of honey in a small bowl until combined.
6. Slice 1 baguette in half lengthwise. Spread the mayonnaise on both halves, then add the meatballs. Grab a handful of your pickles and hold them over the bowl to drain the excess liquid, then fill the sandwich.
7. Tear over 20g of coriander, close the sandwich, cut in half and serve with extra pickled veg on the side.
In response to the rising cost of living, we have teamed up with Sorted Food to bring you easy, affordable, quick and (most importantly) tasty recipes once a month. Find out more about Sorted and their nifty meal-planning app Sidekick, designed to help cancel boring dinners, at sortedfood.com/sidekick.
