I tried making 3 family dinners in an air fryer. Taco meat was surprisingly easy to make, but I won't put pasta in there again.

Terri PetersJan 12, 2024, 18:56 IST

I made three family dinners in the air fryer, and only one impressed me.Terri Peters

I tried making spaghetti and meatballs, mac and cheese, and tacos for my family in an air fryer.
The tacos and spaghetti with meatballs were good, but I don't think an air fryer is the best method.

Living in Florida, my family uses our air fryer for almost everything since turning the oven on can quickly heat up our house. I'm convinced that my two-basket Ninja Foodi air fryer can do it all.

I decided to test its limits by using it to make three of my family's favorite weeknight dinners.

I found air-fryer recipes for spaghetti and meatballs, tacos and Mexican rice, and mac and cheese with chicken to make for my family. Here's how they turned out.

I've made meatballs in my air fryer before, so I was fairly confident about the recipe.

I was confident that my air fryer was suitable for making meatballs.Terri Peters

First I formed large meatballs and prepared them for the air-fryer basket.

The recipe called for a mixture of ground meats and other ingredients like bread crumbs.Terri Peters

Cooking the meatballs required little effort.

The meatballs turned out perfect.Terri Peters

The biggest challenge of preparing pasta in the air fryer was finding the right baking pan.

I opted for a foil baking pan so it could fit in the air fryer.Terri Peters

I layered cheese in the pan, so the dish had more of a lasagna vibe.

I added layers of ricotta and mozzarella cheese to the spaghetti.Terri Peters

The pasta was off to a good start.

The dish looked like it was melting and browning nicely.Terri Peters

The spaghetti turned out a bit dry and burnt, but I may have been off on my cooking time.

I burnt the top of my spaghetti dish, but that might've been my fault.Terri Peters

I'd make the meatballs in an air fryer again, but not the spaghetti.

Spaghetti is way easier to just make with a pot and boiling water.Terri Peters

Next I made chicken nuggets and mac and cheese.

I prepared my ingredients for the chicken nuggets and mac and cheese.Terri Peters

The chicken was so easy to prepare.

The steps for preparing the chicken were very straightforward.Terri Peters

In about 10 minutes, we had air-fried chicken nuggets.

The cooking process was quick and easy for the chicken nuggets.Terri Peters

The mac and cheese was not as simple.

I listened to the recipe and used uncooked macaroni.Terri Peters

The dish took longer to cook than I expected.

After 15 minutes, the mac and cheese wasn't done.Terri Peters

The mess from the mac and cheese didn't end up being an issue for my air fryer.

Luckily, cleaning my air fryer after this dish wasn't difficult.Terri Peters

I would definitely make this dish again.

The chicken nuggets and mac and cheese were well-loved by my kids.Terri Peters

The last recipe I chose was for air-fried tacos.

I was excited to try the air fryer for this meal since we have it weekly.Terri Peters

I couldn't believe how easy it was to make taco meat in the air fryer.

The taco meat cooked exactly like it would on a stove.Terri Peters

To my surprise, the meat cooked perfectly.

The taco meat looked just like it does when I cook it on my stove.Terri Peters

Like the elbow macaroni, I should've precooked my rice.

I should've cooked the rice before putting it in the air fryer.Terri Peters

Although it took longer than expected, it was some of the best Mexican rice I've made.

The Mexican rice was top-notch.Terri Peters

Taco night still seems a little easier on the stove.

Although the food was good, I'll stick to my regular method.Terri Peters

In the future, I think I'll stick to making rice and pasta on the stovetop.

I'd make meat and mac and cheese in the air fryer again, but probably not rice or spaghetti.Terri Peters

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