How to cook Christmas Dinner in an air fryer

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Who needs and oven when you have an air fryer, not only is it healthier it's also quicker. The only downside perhaps is that there isn't always space to cook everything at once. So you need to be tactical in how you go about it, luckily we have planned it all out for you so you know what to do and in what order. There are some things you can prepare ahead of time, such as mince pies and Christmas pudding, both which can be made in your air fryer.

Sausage rolls (6-8 minutes)

This is perhaps the easiest of all the recipes, we suggest getting them done first, so you can offer them as appetisers. Get some pre-made puff pastry and sausages, simply roll your sausages in the pastry then cook at 160°c for about 3-4 minutes until golden then flip the rolls and cook for another 3-4 minutes and they should be golden and ready to hear.

Turkey (20-30 minutes)

Cooking your turkey in an air fryer will not only save you time it's also makes a delicious and juicy turkey. Remember to buy a turkey that will fit into your air fryer, if you need a bigger turkey but only have a smaller air fryer you may need to chop up the turkey before cooking it in the fryer. But if your air fryer can manage you can cook it whole, you can check your air fryers specifications to find out what it can manage, some even have a rotisserie feature.

First make sure that your turkey is fully thawed, then set your air fryer at 175°c. Combine softened butter, herbs, salt and pepper. Begin with loosening the turkey skin, by separating the skin from the breast and the legs by using your hand to gently lift the skin, be careful not to rip the skin and just create a pocket, then you can spread the butter under the skin and then season the the outside of the turkey with whatever you want and add stuffing if you like. Put the turkey on the tray and let it cook for 8-10 minutes per pound.

Make sure that the internal temperature should be at least 75°c in the breast or 80°c in the thighs, so make sure it reaches the right temperature before removing from the air fryer. Once you remove the turkey set it on a serving plate and then cover with aluminium foil and let sit, resting your turkey will make it more juicy.

Roasted potatoes and brussel sprouts (25 minutes)

Peel the potatoes and cut into chunks and half your brussel sprouts. Place potatoes and sprouts in the basket of the air fryer. Spray well with oil , toss, then spray again. Cook at 180°c for 15 minutes. Shake basket. Increase heat to 200°c and cook for a further 10 minutes or until golden and crisp. If you want some added flavour to your brussel sprouts you can add a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and sugar in the last 4 minutes of its cooking time.

Stuffing (8-10 minutes)

Stuffing is a must have and one that doesn't require a specific recipe, just add whatever you fancy, but here is a good basic recipe. You will need:

• Bread crumbs
• Chicken broth
• Butter, melted
• 1 Celery stick
• 1 Small Onion
• Sage
• Herbs and spices

Add the bread crumbs into a medium bowl, then broth and the melted butter. Stir together until the breadcrumbs and the liquids are combined. Next, add in the chopped celery and onion, then add sage, herbs and spices and mix well. Place the stuffing in air fryer basket and cook at 160°c for about 8 minutes, making sure to stir halfway through, it should be golden brown. Once done put into a container and cover with aluminium foil.

Yorkshire Pudding (12 minutes)

What would a Christmas dinner be without Yorkshire pudding? You want to save this for last so that they don't get soggy, granted the air fryer puddings won't be as oily as the classic ones, but they are still delicious nonetheless, this recipe makes 5 servings. To start off with you will need:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups of milk
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of salt

Mix all the ingredients together into a smooth batter. Oil some ramekins, then fill them at least half way. Place into the fryer and cook for 12 minutes at 200°c. Make sure they're cooked all the way through.

Make it in the microwave

There are some things that don't fare so well in the air fryer but that can be made quickly and easily in your microwave while you make all the other dishes in the air fryer.

Cooked Vegetables

If you prefer cooked vegetables over fried then the microwave is a great way to cook them. For vegetables you will want to use frozen veggies for the best result. You will need to adapt a bit depending on the veg you're cooking, but in any case you need to put the vegetable in a microwave safe form and then add a few tablespoons of water and cook for a few minutes. The time will vary depending on what you're cooking so keep an eye on the microwave and test throughout.

Gravy

Making gravy in your microwave is actually relatively easy, no matter what recipe you choose to use. First heat your liquids in the microwave until hot. While the liquids are heating, take your dry ingredients (starch and gravy granules) and mix them in jug. Be careful when removing the liquid from the microwave, then slowly pour it into the dry ingredients while mixing, when all has been mixed you can put the jug back into the microwave and let it heat in intervals making sure not to overheat it.

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