What to cook for dinner

The Independent’s journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission. I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. While many budding chefs have switched to cooking chicken nuggets, fried halloumi, bacon and more with these pioneering appliances, a roast dinner might still what to cook for dinner like a stretch.

I should mention now that I taught myself how to cook during lockdown, but roast dinner was never on the curriculum. So this air fryer roast dinner of mine is, in fact, my first. Let’s say I’m more intrigued than nervous. I’m positive I’ll get to that stage at some point. After all, the whole point of air frying is that it requires minimal effort, just the pressing of a few buttons what could go wrong? Adding to the popularity of air fryers this year in particular is the cost of living crisis, as these nifty appliances reportedly use less energy and take less time to preheat and cook than traditional ovens. Plants, fake sprouts and none of the trimmings: What does the future hold for the traditional Christmas dinner?

I can already sense some raised eyebrows. First things first: can you actually cook a roast dinner in an air fryer? Folks, I am here to tell you that you can, indeed, cook an entire roast dinner in an air fryer. Now, I’ve confessed to having not cooked my own roast before, but I have indulged in plenty at various pubs, restaurants and, of course, my family home, so I know a good one when I see it.

What size air fryer is needed to cook a roast dinner? I have the Ninja Foodi 9-in-1 multi-cooker, which proved to be the perfect size for cooking a roast dinner. With its 6L bowl capacity, a 1. Ninja 9-in-1 takes up a lot of room.

Smaller, more compact air fryers can still get the job done, although you may need to forgo a whole chicken and roast a breast or leg instead. At the halfway point I still wasn’t feeling nervous, mostly because of the mouth-watering aroma that was filling my house. I opened up the air fryer to check on the chicken and reader, it was perfection. The chicken was golden, tender and juicy but with a beautifully crispy skin.