People often ask how a food and travel writer ended up cooking on HSN. It actually started with luggage. My first on-air role there was as the spokesperson for Destinations, HSN’s travel luggage brand, which for a travel writer was about as natural a fit as it gets. I spent three years showing viewers how to pack smarter before moving from the suitcase to the kitchen as an on-air culinary expert for Ninja.
Since then I’ve made more than 500 live TV appearances for Ninja Kitchen, and a good share of those hours have been spent in front of an air fryer. Live TV is a tough testing ground. A recipe has to work the first time, in just a few minutes, under hot studio lights, with viewers at home deciding whether to pick up the phone. That’s the standard I hold my own recipes to here on The Travel Bite: food that comes out crispy and golden without a lot of fuss.
You’ll find easy air fryer sides like carrots, broccoli, and Greek lemon potatoes, a weeknight salmon that’s on the table in about ten minutes, and freezer-aisle shortcuts like frozen onion rings and sweet potato fries. There are breakfast ideas too, including air fryer French toast and fluffy biscuits, plus bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers for game day and sweet treats like apple cider donuts and s’mores.
Most of these recipes work in any basket-style air fryer, whatever brand is on your counter. Cook times can vary by model and basket size, so the first time you make a recipe, check your food a minute or two early. Once you know how your machine runs, you’ll be cooking from memory.
Air Fryer Tips From 500 Live TV Demos
After years of cooking on live television, I’ve learned that most air fryer disappointments come down to a few small habits. These are the tips I share most often, whether I’m on air or answering questions from friends who just bought their first machine.
- Give your food room. Air fryers work by circulating hot air, so a crowded basket steams instead of crisps. Cook in a single layer and work in batches if you need to.
- Shake or flip halfway through. A quick shake of the basket for fries and vegetables, or a flip for salmon and chicken, gives you even browning on every side.
- Pat food dry first. Moisture is the enemy of crispy. A paper towel on vegetables, potatoes, or fish before seasoning makes a real difference.
- Use a little oil, but skip the aerosol spray. A light coating of oil helps food brown. Aerosol cooking sprays can wear down a nonstick basket over time, so use a refillable oil mister or toss your food in a bowl with a teaspoon or two of oil instead.
- Preheat when the recipe calls for it. It only takes a few minutes and helps food crisp from the start.
- Don’t thaw frozen foods. Onion rings, fries, and other freezer staples go straight from the bag into the basket.
- Converting an oven recipe? Start by lowering the temperature about 25 degrees and checking the food about 20 percent earlier than the oven time.
- Never preheat with an empty parchment liner. The fan can lift it into the heating element. Add the liner when you add the food.
- Finish with something green. This one comes straight from TV food styling. Before a dish went on camera, we always added a little green garnish, like chopped parsley or chives. It takes seconds and makes air fried food look as good as it tastes, especially golden foods like potatoes, salmon, and onion rings.
Once you have these down, every recipe above gets easier, and you’ll start finding new ways to use your air fryer every week.