air fryer Archives - The Midnight Baker

Honey Mustard Pork Tenderloin

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 06 Nov 2022 00:00:41 +0000

Honey mustard pork tenderloin makes a great Sunday dinner.

Honey Mustard Pork Tenderloin

The thing I love about this honey mustard pork tenderloin or any pork tenderloin for that matter is how quickly it cooks.

As with most tenderloin recipes, this one has to marinate. I usually marinate overnight but this time I was pressed for time and did the minimum of one hour. I was surprised at how well it was flavored even in that short amount of time.

Heading this off at the pass–because I know there will be emails and comments to that effect, but a bit of pink in pork is totally safe since pork is safe to eat at 140F/70C. I like mine a little more “done” so next time I’ll give it an extra few minutes. Truthfully, done like in the photo, it’s very juicy. However, I understand the reaction to pinkish pork as I have it myself.

Garlic? The More The Merrier

That describes me an many friends, but I do realize that a lot of garlic isn’t everyone’s dish of tea.

The recipe calls for four cloves. If you use small cloves that should not overwhelm the flavor. Of course with larger cloves you can alway cut the amount in half. I used four large cloves and found the flavor to be excellent, but bear in mind I love garlic. So if you don’t, then reduce the amount accordingly.

Air Fryer

Make It in the air fryer too! All you have to do is eliminate the step of browning the tenderloin in a skillet before roasting. I find the air fryer browns rather nicely. You might not want to skip that step since the air fryer cooks more quickly than a conventional oven–usually it will take 1/3 less time. But since air fryers only go up to 400F/200C, this tenderloin will need to cook the same amount of time as the conventional cooking method. To play it safe, always use an instant-read meat thermometer and remember letting the meat stand and it will continue to cook. It will raise the internal temp from 5-10 degrees.

The Recipe

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Honey Mustard Pork Tenderloin

Quick and easy

Prep Time10

Cook Time18

Marinate8

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: honey dijon pork tenderloin, pork tenderloin in the air fryer

Servings: 6

Calories: 280kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 lb pork tenderloins
3 tsp kosher salt divided
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
4 garlic cloves
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp onion powder
pinch red pepper flakes
2 tbs oil

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Season two 1–1½-lb. pork tenderloins all over with 2 tsp kosher salt and 2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper and transfer to a large bowl or resealable bag. Add the thyme leaves and finely grate or crush 4 garlic cloves over the pork.
Mix 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup Dijon mustard, 1/4 cup honey, 1 tsp. onion powder, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl until just combined. Season with remaining ½ tsp. kosher salt. Pour half of honey-mustard sauce over pork and turn to coat. Reserve remaining honey-mustard sauce for serving. Cover or seal bag and let marinate, refrigerated, for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
Preheat oven to 425F/220C.
Heat 2 tbs oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Remove pork from marinade and let excess drip off. Sear pork, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 6–8 minutes.
Transfer skillet to oven and roast, flipping pork halfway through, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 140°F/70C 14–18 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest at least 5 minutes before slicing 1/2-inch thick. Serve drizzled with reserved honey-mustard sauce.
For air fryer--browning in the skillet is optional but it does produce a better color. Air fry at 400F/200C for 18-20 minutes. Test with instant read thermometer.

Nutrition

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Air Fryer Scotch Eggs

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 15 Oct 2022 23:00:19 +0000

Scotch eggs are a breakfast or dinner treat. They’re easy to make in your air fryer.

Air Fryer Scotch Eggs–A Real Treat

What can be better than a grab-and-go breakfast? That’s exactly what these air fryer Scotch eggs are. They’re so good you can serve them for brunch or even dinner.

Traditionally, they are shallow fried. And they’re delicious that way. Since sausage is pretty fatty, you don’t want to add any more fat than you have to. Air frying is the perfect solution. I’m not saying that because they’re air fried that they automatically become totally healthy, they’re still a treat that should be eaten in moderation.

Air frying does not affect the taste. In fact, I prefer them air fried and I’m not very observant about what I eat. They just have a “cleaner” taste to me.

The Sausage

Here’s where you can make the flavor as interesting as you like.

There are many varieties of sausage ranging from plain to spicy. If your family is into heat, then try these Scotch eggs with a hot-flavored sausage. Like maple? There’s maple flavored sausage too. And of course, the traditional breakfast variety. I choose a mild flavor because I like the taste.

There’s also plenty of store-made specialty sausage so they’re worth a try too. You just need a pound of sausage and bulk is the one to use. However, if there’s a flavor you like that only comes in links, then by all means remove the meat from the casings.

Egg Size

I prefer to use medium eggs for this. That way you are assured you’ll have enough sausage to wrap around them. That’s just a personal preference, but I wouldn’t use anything bigger than USDA large.

Mostly these are made with hard-boiled eggs, but I’ve seen them done with “jammy” eggs too. If you want to have a go with jammy eggs, these will have to be served immediately. With hard-boiled anything left over can be stored in the fridge to be reheated as necessary.

The Recipe

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Air Fryer Scotch Eggs

Great for breakfast, lunch or dinner

Prep Time10

Cook Time12

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: scotch eggs in the air fryer, scotch eggs with jammy eggs

Servings: 6

Calories: 372kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

6 hard-cooked eggs shells removed and patted dry
1 lb bulk sausage meat
1/4 cup flour
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Divide sausage meat into 6 equal portions. Flatten the sausage in a circle about 1/4-inch thick.
Wrap each piece of sausage around each egg, making sure the egg is completely sealed in the sausage meat.
Roll each egg in the flour, then dip in the beaten egg and roll in the breadcrumbs
Place the eggs in the air fryer and air fry at 390F/200C for 12 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking time.

Nutrition

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Air Fryer Cajun Fries

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 17 Sep 2022 23:00:31 +0000

These air fryer Cajun fries can be a meal in itself.

Air Fryer Cajun Fries

In a word, these air fryer Cajun fries are awesome!

Even though they do require an extra cooking step, it’s pretty easy. Since they’re made from real raw potatoes and are cut a bit on the thick side, the extra step here is blanching them for a few minutes. If you’ve ever made french fries/chips from scratch you know you have to soak the cut potatoes for about 30 minutes in ice water. This leeches out some of the starch. I consider the blanching for a few minutes to be speedier but with the same result.

The Seasoning Mix

You have some choices with this Cajun seasoning mix. Any long-time readers will know I lost a lot of my taste for salt when my late husband had to follow a lower-sodium diet. Therefore I always go easy on salt; I did that here. My advice is to make the seasoning mix with my amount of salt. You can always add more to your taste on the finished product.

Another thing is the heat. This mix has cayenne pepper in it. You may notice that I have a pretty wide range of the amount. If you’re not into any heat, then use the lower amount. It won’t add much if any heat but you’ll still have the flavor. On the other hand if you like stuff with a good zing, use the larger amount–or more if you are so inclined.

Type Of Air Fryer

I made these in a basket-style air fryer. I prefer that configuration for several reasons. But I do see many folks have the oven style models. I believe the oven style–with the rotisserie–have a cylindrical basket that rotates on the rotisserie. You’d use that for making these fries. That would eliminate turning them using the racks and it will promote even cooking and browning.

The Recipe

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Air Fryer Cajun Fries

Make them as spicy as you like

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: air fryer cajun fries, french fries in the air fryer, spicy seasoned fries

Servings: 4

Calories: 318kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 large russet potatoes Maris piper in UK
1 tbs oil
1 tbs Cajun seasoning from recipe below

Cajun Seasoning:

1 tsp salt
1/8-1 tsp cayenne pepper depending on taste
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp pepper

Dipping Sauce:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tbs Cajun seasoning
1 tsp Dijon mustard

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Peel potatoes and cut into wedges. Blanch the potatoes in the boiling salted water for 4 minutes; drain and rinse in cold water. Dry potatoes with paper towels.
Toss the potatoes with the oil and place them in the air fryer basket. Air fry for 25 minutes, shaking the basket a few times so the potatoes cook and brown evenly.
Mix all the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle the potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the seasoning mix during the last 5 minutes of cook time. Shake well and you can give the potatoes a spritz of additional oil at this point.
For the dipping sauce, mix all the ingredients in a small bowl.

Video

Nutrition

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Air Fryer Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Mushrooms

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 23:00:03 +0000

Watch these air fryer jalapeño popper stuffed mushrooms disappear when you serve them.

Air Fryer Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Mushrooms–YUM!

Is there anything more yummy than a jalapeño popper? Since they contain some delicious savory ingredients, they are a perennial favorite.

So why not extend that terrific filling to a mushroom? Stuffed mushrooms are experiencing a real surge in popularity lately too. And with air fryers being so popular too, let’s combine these trends to come up with, you guessed it, air fryer jalapeño popper stuffed mushrooms.

If you don’t have an air fryer (why are you waiting???) they can, of course, be made in a conventional oven.

Choosing The Mushrooms

Baby or button mushrooms are definitely out for this recipe. You’ll need ones with larger caps so they will stuff easily. However, try to avoid varieties such as those huge portabella caps. Something so large would amount to overkill and it’s just too much of a good thing. However, if it appeals, then by all means.

Nothing fancy is needed. I used those good old generic white mushrooms that come pre-packaged. If you’re lucky enough to shop where you can pick bulk mushrooms by the pound, you’re golden. Since you get to choose the size you can have a mostly uniform set. They’ll also cook more evenly.

As an aside, these can be made ahead and refrigerated until you’re ready to cook them.

Basket Or Oven-Style Fryer

I have a basket-style air fryer so naturally I based times and temps on the machine I have.

If you have an oven-style machine, I’d recommend cooking on an upper or upper-middle shelf so you get good air circulation.

Whatever machine you use, you don’t have to worry about these mushrooms flying around because of the fan. The filling has enough weight so they remain stable–at least in my basket machine.

The Recipe

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Air Fryer Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Mushrooms

Cooks in 10 minutes

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: jalapeno popper mushrooms, mushrooms stuffed with cream cheese, tailgating appetizers

Servings: 6

Calories: 204kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

16 oz white mushrooms

Filling:

8 oz cream cheese softened
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 green onions minced
1 clove garlic minced
1 tbs mayonnaise
3 tbs crisp cooked bacon crumbled
1/4 cup jalapeño pepper finely diced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Remove stems from mushrooms--reserve them for future use. Brush off any dirt on the mushrooms.
Mix all filling ingredients in a small bowl and distribute evenly to all mushroom caps/
Air fry at 370F/185C for 10 minutes. Check them in 8 minutes as air fryers vary. Mine took 10.
Conventional oven--bake at 400F/200C for 20 minutes

Video

Nutrition

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Air Fryer Golden Ranch Potatoes

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 30 Apr 2022 23:00:28 +0000

Air fryer golden ranch potatoes are even great as a snack. Easy to make too.

Air Fryer Golden Ranch Potatoes–Quick Side

Air fryers get the job done quickly and easily with most foods. These potatoes are no exception!

If you’re looking for a quick and very easy side dish to serve, you’ll definitely want to look into these potatoes. The dish has only three ingredients, most of us have them all on hand too.

The color comes from the Yukon gold potatoes. I had them on hand so that’s what I used. Any potato will do here so as usual, use what you have.

Ranch Seasoning

The flavoring here comes from ranch seasoning mix. This is the dry stuff that comes in a packet sold in the dressings and condiment aisle of most food stores.

I can hear people on low-sodium diets saying, “This isn’t for me then.” Well, not with the commercial stuff because that’s literally loaded with salt.

However, I’ve been making my own ranch seasoning mix for years and I make it without any salt. My mix also uses non-fat dry milk and not that powdered buttermilk. Where the powdered buttermilk gets rock hard in a few months, the instant non-fat milk does not and my opinion is it tastes better in the mix.

Easy Potato Prep

The prep for the potatoes is easy because you don’t peel them. Just give them a good scrub and you’re all set.

A word about fryers–my air fryer is the basket style so shaking was necessary for even cooking. If you have an oven-style model, that comes equipped with a rotating basket that fits the rotisserie. In that basket, the potatoes are in constant rotation so disregard the shaking instruction. And remember, each fryer is different so your cooking time could vary.

The Recipe

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Air Fryer Golden Ranch Potatoes

Great as a snack too

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy air fryer potato recipes, low sodium ranch seasoning recipe, roasted ranch potato recipe

Servings: 6

Calories: 199kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes cut in chunks
3 tbs olive oil
3 tbs dry ranch seasoning mix or 1 envelope

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Scrub potatoes and cut in chunks. It’s not necessary to peel them.
Place potatoes in a large plastic bag and add the olive oil. Squish the bag so the potatoes are all coated with the oil. Add the ranch mix and squish the bag again so they’re coated with the seasoning.
Place in the fryer basket and air fry at 400F/200C for 20 minutes, shaking basket half way through the cooking time.

Notes

link to low-sodium ranch seasoning mix in post

Video

Nutrition

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Air Fryer Pickle Chicken

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 23 Apr 2022 23:00:10 +0000

Save that pickle juice to make this air fryer pickle chicken!

Air Fryer Pickle Chicken

At first this sounded crazy to me. However, I got to thinking how the composition of pickle juice would make a great marinade. And besides, it comes from Meredith Laurence who is also known as The Blue Jean Chef. I like her recipes so I decided to give this a whirl. I wasn’t disappointed–far from it in fact.

There are some slight deviations from her original recipe, but nothing very major. Since I rarely make my own pickles anymore, I opted for using commercially packed dill pickles–the ones that are shelf stable, not the refrigerated variety. Meredith gives a brine you can make yourself on her site which you may want to use because it’s clear.

A Word About Marinating

A rule of thumb is that marinating for longer produces a better flavor. That’s true here as it is with other meats.

I marinated this for about 10 hours, which is a bit more than “overnight.” And the flavor of the pickle juice really flavored the meat, so I suggest you let it sit for at least 8 hours.

One thing that I noticed was that the chicken had taken on a chartreuse color like the pickle juice. It actually looked radioactive–but don’t let that put you off. The chicken gets a breading so you won’t see it, but if you think that may be an issue (it would have been with my late husband), then I suggest you use Meredith’s formula for your own pickle juice since it’s clear.

Air Frying

The chicken is air fried in batches, which makes sense if you have a basket-style fryer, but it’s final cooking is done with the chicken stacked. Again, I thought this was weird, but as I said before, I trust her recipes and it came out perfectly. Of course this won’t be an issue if you have an oven-style fryer where you can use two racks.

The Recipe

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Air Fryer Pickle Chicken

Surprisingly delicious

Prep Time20

Cook Time47

Marinate5

Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: air fryer chicken marinated in pickle juice, chicken brined in pickle juice, using leftover pickle brine

Servings: 4

Calories: 743kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

3.5 lb chicken legs bone-in and skin-on cut into drumsticks and thighs, 4 whole legs
pickle juice from a 24-ounce jar of kosher dill pickles
1/2 cup flour
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs
2 tbs oil
1 cup fine breadcrumbs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
vegetable or canola oil in a spray bottle

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place chicken in a large zipper freezer bag and pour in the pickle juice. Seal bag and refrigerate overnight.
Let the chicken come to room temperature before you are ready to cook.
Mix the flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Whisk the eggs and the 2 tablespoons of oil and place in another shallow dish.
Preheat air fryer to 370F/185C.
Remove the chicken form the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Dredge the chicken in the flour then dip it into the egg mixture and then press it into the breadcrumb mixture coating all sides. Place the breaded chicken on a baking sheet and spritz with oil liberally.
Air fry the chicken (in shifts) 10 minutes on one side then turn and air fry for an additional 10 minutes. Repeat with the other batch of chicken.
When the second batch is done, place the first batch on top of it and air fry at 340F/170C for an additional 7 minutes or until internal temp is 165F/80C and juices run clean

Nutrition

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Copycat Shake-N-Bake

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 23:00:39 +0000

This copycat shake-n-bake uses ingredients you already have in your pantry.

Copycat Shake-N-Bake: Economical

Shake-N-Bake has been around for ages. I’m old enough to remember when it first appeared on the horizon. First it started with chicken, then came pork, BBQ and several other flavors. My mom stuck pretty much to the original chicken and pork varieties because we really liked the flavors.

My copycat version is pretty much interchangeable for either chicken or pork like the traditional varieties. It’s a good all-around coating for either meat.

The best part is this is far more budget conscious than the national brand–even the house label brand! I recently checked the prices in my local store and almost keeled over for what they wanted for a single box of this stuff. You can make my copycat Shake-N-Bake for a fraction of that cost and have an amount equal to about three boxes of the stuff.

Tailoring The Flavor

As I mentioned above, this version is pretty generic with a tip of the hat to a slightly Italian flavor because of the herbs.

Substituting thyme and sage for the basil and oregano would work with chicken as well as pork. I tend to go pretty light on herbs so my suggestion is for the full recipe to use a scant teaspoon of thyme and a scant half teaspoon of sage. My philosophy is go easy because you can always add more.

There’s many dry BBQ seasonings on the market so if that’s a flavor you like, replace the basil and oregano with about two teaspoons of that.

As you can see, the possibilities are almost endless. Eating low sodium? Eliminate the salt and any flavorings that contain it and you’ve got a tasty coating that works with your diet.

Perfect For The Air Fryer

There’s really nothing better than chicken or pork chops made in the air fryer. This coating is perfect to use when air frying!

Since it contains some oil, spraying the meat with a bit of oil is eliminated. The coating will brown nicely without the spritz of oil.

The Recipe

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Copycat Shake-n-Bake

Budget-friendly coating

Prep Time5

Cook Time0

Course: condiments, Dips/Sauces/Dressings

Cuisine: American

Keyword: air fryer coatings for chicken, air fryer coatings for pork, copycat shake-n-bake

Servings: 30

Calories: 27kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 cups fine bread crumbs
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbs sea salt
1 tbs onion powder
1 tbs paprika
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbs dry parsley
1 tsp basil
1/2 oregano
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Put bread crumbs and all the seasonings in a medium bowl. Blend well. Add vegetable oil and blend in, whisking until there are no clumps.
Spoon into a Mason jar and store in the freezer. Keeps a long time.

Nutrition

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Air Fryer Rotisserie Chicken

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 20 Feb 2022 00:00:39 +0000

Once you do an air fryer rotisserie chicken you’ll never make it any other way. You won’t buy it in the store again either.

Delicious Air Fryer Rotisserie Chicken

If you’ve been buying rotisserie chicken at the supermarket, you won’t do that anymore after making one in your air fryer!

I admit I absolutely love my supermarket’s rotisserie chicken. Since I learned the secret to why they are so juicy and awesome from a lady who works in the deli department, I can now duplicate that at home.

Chicken made in the air fryer is extremely tasty and juicier than when it’s done in the oven. So with the little deli trick–which really isn’t a trick–it’s even juicier!

Brining Is The Key

This is a real no-brainer. In fact, I wonder why I didn’t realize this before the gal in the deli department told me.

It’s not really necessary if you don’t have the time to brine. You are committing 4-5 hours if you do. The secret is not to brine for too long. No more than 5 hours. Plus you don’t rinse the bird when it comes out of the brine. Just pat the inside and outside dry with paper towels.

The brine is simple. Just kosher salt, sugar, a bay leaf and some peppercorns.

However, the brining takes the chicken to the next level.

Trussing

There’s many different ways to do this. Whatever is best for you always works, but if you want to learn a new way, here you go.

I just picked up this method recently while binge-watching some older Julia Child French Chef shows. When I saw how she did it, I thought it was a lot more convenient–and neater–than the usual way. You might want to save this video for when you’re doing a large bird such as a turkey. It appears to be better for bigger birds.

This video is the entire show on chickens. About 5 minutes or so in Julia shows you how to French truss the bird. It’s about 30 minutes total time, but she’s so darned entertaining you’ll want to watch the whole show. She does tell you how to make a trussing needle , (affiliate link) but they are available on Amazon.

The Recipe (Method)

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Air Fryer Rotisserie Chicken

You'll never make it any other way after you try this

Prep Time5

Cook Time1

Brining5

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: air fryer rotisserie chicken, roast chicken in the air fryer, rotisserie chicken seasoning

Servings: 4

Calories: 673kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

5 lb whole chicken
fresh herbs optional
2 lemon slices optional
2 tbs rotisserie chicken rub or your favorite rub
1 tbs oil

Brine:

1 gallon water
1//4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 bay leaf
3 peppercorns

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Mix the brine so that all the sugar & salt is dissolved. Place chicken in the brine--making sure the liquid covers the chicken. Brine for no more than 5 hours and do not rinse the bird, just pat the inside and outside dry with a paper towel.
If desired, stuff chicken with a handful of herbs of your choice and/or the lemon slices. FYI I use a small bunch of fresh thyme and the lemon.
Truss the chicken (see video link in the post to see how I truss a bird) then rub with the oil and sprinkle on the rotisserie seasoning.
Place the chicken breast side down in the basket of the air fryer. If you have an oven-style fryer, use the rotisserie attachment.
Air fry at 370F/185C for 30 minutes. Turn breast side up (for basket style fryers) and air fry at 360F/180C for 25-30 minutes. Always test with a meat thermometer as all fryers differ in power. These times are based on my 1800W 5.8 quart model. Your time may vary.

Nutrition

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Easy Garlic Mayonnaise

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 03 Aug 2021 23:00:35 +0000

Use this garlic mayonnaise as a sandwich spread or as a base to help crumb coatings adhere. Delicious either way.

Garlic Mayonnaise

If you’ve never tried homemade garlic mayonnaise, now’s your chance! And if you love garlic, you can start rejoicing!

Since it’s so velvety in texture, it can form the base of many salad dressings. Of course you don’t have to put the garlic in; this is simply a basic mayonnaise where I added garlic. You can leave it plain. Other additions could be herbs and spices you like. Cranberry and horseradish make fine additions as well.

However, today we’re talking garlic mayo and not just for dressing or sandwich spreads! Did you know that mayonnaise can replace the egg wash and flour to get breadcrumbs to adhere to food? I never made the connection either, but learned that in one of my air fryer groups. Mayonnaise also helps prevent the food from drying out.

So next time you want to bake or airfry breaded chicken breasts, use this! It adds such great flavor.

Dust Off That Immersion Blender

I’ve had an immersion blender for ages. They were all the rage about 10 years ago. I played with this toy and then put it away, using it only periodically to puree a soup. And yes, I even made emulsified dressings and mayo with it.

But dust it off an make this mayonnaise. You have all the ingredients on hand I am quite sure. With the stick blender, you don’t have to let the oil drizzle in a thin laminar thread. You just dump all the ingredients in a container then let ‘er rip, as they say.

As for the container, it’s best to use the one that came with your blender. If you can’t find it, a pint mason jar will work well. You need something tall and with a base that’s just a little bit larger than the head of the blender. The reason is so the oil can be gradually incorporated through the openings at the head of the blender. Just remember to use high speed and don’t stop until the mayo is almost formed.

Dijon Mustard

This is something that’s a regular pantry item for me because I like it as a condiment and I also use it in cooking. My Swiss Dijon chicken is one such recipe.

It’s use in this mayonnaise–or anything emulsified–is that it is also a great emulsification aid. You only use a small amount so you probably won’t even taste it. But don’t leave it out; you’ll have problems if you do.

And a word about the egg–to be on the safe side you can use a pasteurized egg. I don’t because I get fresh just-laid eggs from a friend who keeps free-range chickens that are fed organically. And yep, those eggs have a bluish shell!

The Recipe

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Easy Garlic Mayonnaise

Great sandwich spread or base for a crumb coating

Prep Time5

Cook Time0

Course: condiments, Dips/Sauces/Dressings, Sauce

Cuisine: American

Keyword: adhering crumbs to food, garlic mayonnaise, making mayonnaise with an immersion blender

Servings: 16

Calories: 122kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 whole egg
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbs lemon juice
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup vegetable oil

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Using the container that came with your immersion blender or a wide-mouth pint mason jar, add all the ingredients in the order listed. Let this stand about 5 minutes so everything equalizes.
Place immersion blender in the container with the head touching the bottom of the container and blend at high speed until mixture begins to emulsify--it'll turn white--about 1-2 minutes.
Place in a container with a tight-fitting lid (or if you used a mason jar, just put a lid on it) and store in the refrigerator. It lasts about 1 week.

Nutrition

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Air Fryer Pecan Crusted Chicken Strips

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 10 Jul 2021 23:00:10 +0000

These air fryer pecan crusted chicken strips are highly addictive.

The Perfect Air Fryer Chicken

It’s my belief that the best way to cook chicken is in an air fryer since it comes out perfectly every time.

I didn’t think chicken could get much better until I made these air fryer pecan crusted chicken strips. Wrong again! But it was delightful being wrong because these chicken strips are the ultimate in tasty. They’re so tasty that maybe you’d be better off making double the recipe because they will disappear very quickly.

About disappearing quickly, I know what I’m talking about here. I promised them to a neighbor who’s been too busy lately to cook. Trust me, I almost ate them all but did manage to save enough of them so her and her hubby had dinner for that evening.

Go Nuts

I would imagine that any nut would work here. So, if you don’t have pecans but have walnuts, by all means use them.

You must grind the nuts into the texture of dry breadcrumbs otherwise you’ll have a tough time getting them to stick to the chicken.

Although I made these into strips which is essentially finger food that kiddos (and adults) love, you can do whole boneless skinless breasts or thighs with this coating.

An Egg Wash With Flavor

Most often, an egg wash is simply something done to meats and/or vegetables to get a crumb coating to adhere.

It certainly does that in this recipe, but this one is also loaded with flavor. You’ve got the great taste of Parmesan (I usually substitute Romano because it’s bolder) and a little zing from Dijon mustard.

Now, the egg wash mixture will be a bit gloppy and lumpy, but don’t be put off by it. Just carry on as if those lumps were not there–don’t shake them off the chicken! That’s where much of the yummy flavor comes from.

The Recipe

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Air Fryer Pecan Crusted Chicken Strips

Delicious and nutty and highly addictive

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: air fryer chicken strips, chicken breast in the air fryer, nut coated chicken

Servings: 4

Calories: 432kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts about 3 medium
2 eggs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbs Dijon mustard
Oil for spraying

Coating:

1/2 cup pecans very finely processed
1/2 cup plain Panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pat chicken dry and cut each breast into 1/2-inch/1.2 cm strips.
Whisk together the eggs, cheese and mustard. In a large bowl.
Combine the coating ingredients and place on a large plate or in a plastic bag; whichever is more convenient
Toss chicken strips in the egg mixture then coat with the crumb mixture.
Place the prepared chicken in the air fryer, spray with some olive oil and cook at 400F/200C for 8-10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.
To prepare in the oven, place the prepared strips on a greased rack, spray with some olive oil and cook at 425F/220C for 15 minutes.

Nutrition

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