How the air fryer cooks multiple Australian classic foods

It seems our national dishes were made for this kitchen appliance. Here’s a selection of Australian classic foods you can cook in the air fryer.

Rosalie Gordon

2 min read

January 26, 2024 - 1:35PM

From pie makers to air fryers to ice-cream machines, we’re a nation obsessed with kitchen appliances.

But if there’s one thing we’re even more obsessed with, it’s sharing how creative we can be with said devices, and this couldn’t be any more true than for the air fryer.

The air fryer: an Aussie love affair

Created as a healthier alternative to deep-frying, the recipes popping up on taste.com.au and in dedicated Facebook groups prove it can do so much more than that. And if there’s one thing we all seem to love cooking in the air fryer, it’s iconic Aussie treats. From crazy desserts to classic sausage rolls, here are 10 of our favourite quintessential Aussie recipes you can cook in an air fryer:

Sausage rolls.

1 Sausage rolls

Wrap some puff pastry around some mince filling, chuck it in the air fryer and you’re laughing.

Freddo Frogs.

2 Freddo Frogs

We wish we were the geniuses who invented this puff pastry dessert! Posted in the Facebook group Share Kmart Air Fryer Recipes Australia, it was invented by Joanne Palmer and we’ll be forever grateful.

Lemonade scones.

3 Lemonade scones

What’s the secret to making good scones? Add lemonade and cook them in the air fryer – you’ll thank us later!

Pizza pockets.

4 Pizza pockets

Remember these from the school canteen? Throwback to your childhood with this healthier version made with wraps, vegies and one clever air fryer.

Mozzarella chips.

5 Mozzarella chips

These cheesy sticks are coated in cornflakes and panko breadcrumbs, then served with a creamy homemade avocado dipping sauce.

Traditional pavlova.

6 Pavlova

This creation comes from Aussie mum Kirsti McGrath who shared her recipe in the Share Kmart Air Fryer Recipes Australia Facebook group. Using just four ingredients, she whipped up a fluffy but perfectly crunchy number that had everyone losing their minds – including us!

Fritters.

7 Fritters

Even Australia’s #1 dinner, zucchini fritters, can be cooked in this appliance. They’re crispy, cheesy and puffy, just the way the family likes them.

Fish and chips.

8 Fish and chips

Nothing beats a fish and chips at the local on a Friday night… except when you can cook it home in your PJs and eat it in front of the TV.

Fish and sweet potato chips

Baked potatoes.

9 Baked potatoes

Yes, the Brits may claim spuds in a Sunday roast as their national dish, but they didn’t think of serving ‘em with sour cream and sweet chilli sauce.

Fried rice.

10 Fried rice

Okay, okay, we know fried rice didn’t originate here, but if there’s one country that has embraced fried rice as if it was its own, it’s Australia. By cooking it in the air fryer, you can expect the crispiest fried rice of your life.