The humble air fryer has Brits in a chokehold - but are we slowly getting sick of the mini oven mania?
It's easy to see the appeal: the 'throw it in' style of cooking is great for singletons cooking for one - or bigger families who need to rustle something up quickly - plus the appliance has been touted as a money saver as it can cost less to run than a normal oven. But the cooking world is saturated with endless TikTok recipes, air fryer hacks and TV shows decidated to the mini gadget - and it's safe to say people have got a bit air fryer bonkers.
Renowned for his one-pot meals, quick 15 minute dishes and cheap eats, Jamie Oliver is a household name in the UK. Now he's raving about air fryers in his latest Channel 4 series - aptly named Jamie's Air Fryer Meals - and it's been met with some scrutiny. Some viewers aren't happy, taking to X (formerly Twitter) to moan Jamie is simply 'jumping on the trend bangwagon'.
His new two-part series - in partnership with appliance brand Tefal - launched on Monday night [April 15] and has since been described as "cringeworthy" by viewers who are quite simply fatigued by air fryer culture. One person wrote online: "What next James Martin Microwaves? Rick Stein slow cooks? This programme is a joke." Another said: "What's next, Jamie Does Lettuce Wraps?"
As an avid air fryer user, I decided to put Jamie's new recipes through their paces, to see if unhappy viewers were right to feel uninspired - or too quick to judge the TV chef's family-friendly recipes. I once cooked an entire turkey in my air fryer as well as a whole Christmas dinner, so I'm no stranger to a challenge. With all the backlash in mind, I picked out three meals from Jamie Oliver's air fryer collection to see if they are worth bookmarking for the future.
I used my trusty Tower air fryer, which was a total bargain in Amazon's Black Friday sale, costing me just £36.99 down from £69.99. I prepared barbecue chicken thighs in breadcrumbs, as well as cheese and chive scones and oat cookies. Having never used an air fryer to bake before, I was intrigued to see how the treats would turn out.
Barbecue chicken thighs
As lunchtime was approaching I decided to start with the chicken thighs. I also thought this would be an easy recipe to prepare - simply involving seasoning and spreading breadcrumbs on the chicken before placing them in the air fryer. I purchased a bag of chicken thighs from Asda for £3.14, Nandos peri-peri seasoning for £1, and plain breadcrumbs for £1.
I dusted four chicken thighs with Nandos BBQ seasoning before spreading breadcrumbs all over them and pushing the crumbs so they stuck. Then I turned my air fryer on at 180 degrees and set the time for 20 minutes. Halfway through cooking, I checked the chicken and was concerned when I saw the underneath was still looking pink. But following Jamie's recipe, I turned the thighs over for 10 minutes and out came a crispy, golden treat.
They smelt amazing and looked super appetising. I squeezed a lime wedge over the top. The chicken fell off the bone beautifully and the thighs were succulent and crispy. Were they groundbreaking? No - I don't think the dish felt like a recipe that has come from a world-renowned, successful chef. However, it is quick and easy to prepare and is definitely a crowd-pleaser - perfect for a social gathering.
Annoyingly, my air fryer is now covered in breadcrumbs and chicken grease. It needs a good wash before my next recipe. With all the mess in my air fryer and the worry of trying to clean it without breaking the appliance, I do think it would have been less hassle to cook the thighs in a tray, in the oven.
Total cost of ingredients: £8.95
Rating: 7/10
Cheddar cheese scones
I was so excited when I saw Jamie had created a cheese scone recipe; my mum always used to make them when I was little and would serve them alongside soup. There's no denying that they are not the most aesthetically pleasing food - they look like little golden boulders - but of course it's the taste that counts. While a fan of the cheesy delights, I am no baker so I dreaded the thought of trying to create dough.
To make the dish I purchased self-raising flour, baking powder, unsalted butter, mature cheddar cheese, a tub of light cream cheese, and a lemon from Asda. Thankfully I already had cayenne pepper and milk for the recipe. To start I put 200g of self-raising flour, one teaspoon of baking powder, a dust of cayenne pepper and pinch of salt into a bowl. Things then got messy as I used my fingers to rub 75 grams of butter into the flour mix before make a well and adding in 70ml of milk.
Once the dough is created, Jamie says to then 'slice' it into six wedges - but I have always known cheese scones to be dome-shaped so I just made it into six small balls. Once brushed with milk and topped with more cheese and cayenne pepper, I popped the cheese balls in the air fryer for 12 minutes.
I didn't really understand why the next 12 steps of the recipe had nothing to do with the scones - making a side salad. I wasn't bothered about this but I did enjoy the 'lemony cream cheese' sauce - a mix of black pepper, extra virgin olive oil, and cream cheese. Yum!
As I pulled the cheese scones apart to have a bite I gasped at the oozing middle. They tasted incredible. My only regret is that I didn't dip it into a hot bowl of soup. Without a doubt I will make these scones again.
Total cost of ingredients: £8.95
Rating: 9/10
Oat cookies
Now for the best part - the sweet stuff. When the recipe said it included golden syrup I was so excited. To start I melted 85 grams of unsalted butter and golden syrup in a pan over low heat in the microwave, before adding lemon zest, flour, porridge oats, one teaspoon of ground cinnamon and caster sugar into a bowl.
Once the dough mixture was formed I formed five balls - they were supposed to be 'even-sized' but mine looked like they had been made my a five-year-old. Again, forgive me as I am no baker but I wanted to give it a go.
As displayed in the picture, I didn't make them look the most appetising but they tasted very nice. They were sweet with a soft centre and are the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea. However, if I made them again I would swap out the sultanas for chocolate chips - Jamie missed a trick there. Eating sultanas makes me feel about 80 years old.
Although the cookies cooked perfectly fine in the air fryer I am not totally convinced baking is better than in the oven. If I had used grease-proof paper and a baking tray with cupcake moulds, it would have helped the cookies form a much better shape and stopped the bottom of the sweet treats getting stuck to the bottom of the appliance.
Total cost of ingredients: £10.39
Rating: 5/10
The verdict
There's no denying I enjoyed the food and would consider cooking some of it again in the future - the cheese scones for definite. I would give the dishes an overall score of 6/10. While tasty they are quite basic and I would have liked to see some more versatile ingredients used. Nonetheless, they do all work and aren't too difficult to cook up, plus the preparation process was a lot of fun.
However, I don't think these recipes scream 'celebrity chef approved'. Anyone who has a brain, a few ingredients, and an air fryer, could have easily produced these recipes. For someone whose brand is focused on easy and cheap meals, I can see the direction he was heading in, but Jamie needs to come up with far more exciting air fryer recipes to cut through the crowded market.
It does feels like he is desperately trying to hop on the bandwagon - and while you can't blame him in a way, if you're going to promote yourself as an 'air fryer cooking expert' then in my opinion, the recipes should be more unique and exciting.
What's more, I am not totally convinced these recipes are suitable for the mini oven - they create a lot of mess which is difficult to clean off the small appliance. Plus the cheese scones and cookies came out unusual shapes due to the lack of oven tray and the dough balls got stuck together. The chicken worked well in the air fryer, as does other meat and main dishes, but as for baking I cannot be persuaded.
Jamie's Air Fryer Meals continues on Monday 22 April. You can catch up on the first episode on Channel 4. For the full recipes tried above, visit Jamie Oliver's website.
Have you tried any of the recipes? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
