Meat

Chicken, pork, beef, lamb and sausages all cook well in an air fryer, because the circulating hot air browns the surface while the inside cooks through. The recipes in this section give the temperature, time and weight each is based on, and every one includes a core temperature so you can check the meat is cooked safely.

Core temperatures

Food Standards Agency guidance says food is safe once it has been heated to 70 °C for 2 minutes or 75 °C for 30 seconds. In practice, the recipes aim for 75 °C in the centre of chicken, turkey, duck, minced meat, sausages and burgers, with no pink meat and clear juices, and 70 °C for whole cuts of pork. Steaks and whole cuts of beef and lamb can stay pink in the middle as long as the outside is properly cooked. Push a meat thermometer into the thickest part, away from any bone.

Getting good results

Pat the meat dry, season it and do not overfill the basket. Let it rest for a few minutes before slicing. For full meals, see dinner, and for fish, see fish. The air fryer cooking times and temperatures table lists the core temperature for each type of meat.