I spent a week making 3-ingredient meals in my air fryer, and I'd cook every delicious dish again

I found some great three-ingredient recipes I could make in my air fryer when I want a quick and easy meal.Chelsea DavisI spent a week cooking three-ingredient air-fryer recipes to see if any could become staples.Each easy recipe — including bagels — was surprisingly delicious and very easy to make.From Buffalo wings to hot dogs, the recipes were efficient and worth the minimal effort.I use my air fryer for almost everything, from crisping up leftovers to quickly preparing breakfast.So, I was curious if combining the appliance's ability to cook things fast with three-ingredient recipes could optimize my days even more.After all, fewer ingredients often mean fewer dishes and a speedier prep time. If I could spend less time in the kitchen while still having delicious food, I'd be golden.Here's how the week went.I started by making pork chops.I bought thin-cut, bone-in pork chops.Chelsea DavisThe three ingredients used in this recipe from blogger Chewable Structures were olive oil, seasoning, and pork chops.I couldn't find the specific McCormick spice blend she recommends using, so I made one using a combination of chipotle pepper, roasted garlic, salt, and pepper.I let the chops sit in the olive oil and seasonings for about 15 minutes.I was really looking for the flavors to marry together into the pork chops.Chelsea DavisI coated each chop in a drizzle of olive oil, then massaged in the seasoning blend.After preheating the air fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, I put one chop in each basket. I cooked them for 10 minutes on one side, then five on the other.They came out perfectly.They came out so flavorful and juicy.Chelsea DavisI don't often cook pork chops because they tend to easily get dry. So, I couldn't believe how juicy and perfect these chops came out.The olive-oil coat gave these a nice golden crust and the meat maintained its moisture. I would make these air-fryer pork chops for dinner any night of the week.Next, I made butternut squash, which I ate with the chops.I loved the sweetness of the squash in combination with the rosemary.Chelsea DavisI love butternut squash, but roasting it in the oven can heat up my whole house and take a long time.So I tried this easy recipe from food blogger All the Nourishing Things that's paleo, vegan, vegetarian, and Whole30-friendly.First, I peeled, gutted, and chopped my squash into 1/8-inch thick moons.I chopped the fresh rosemary as finely as I could.I find cutting them into moons is simple and less time-consuming than cubing them.Chelsea DavisNext, I combined the squash with olive oil and rosemary. I added some salt and pepper for extra flavor.I placed the prepared squash in a preheated air fryer at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes, shaking halfway.Butternut is my favorite type of squash — it's so versatile.The butternut squash was absolutely delicious and such a great side dish.Chelsea DavisThe squash was tender and well-seasoned. I also think it paired well with the pork chops.Next time, I'll add in some garlic and onion powder and chili flakes for a little kick.Next up were the three-ingredient chicken wings.I just placed the wings into the air fryer plain and added sauce later.Chelsea DavisThis recipe from food blogger Smile Sandwich was so easy. First, I sprayed the air-fryer baskets and chicken wings with cooking spray.Next, I placed the wings in the preheated air fryer at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 25 minutes, shaking the basket every so often.I was pleasantly surprised by the taste of these wings.I was a little skeptical of mixing barbecue sauce with Buffalo.Chelsea DavisTo make my sauce, I skeptically combined barbecue and Buffalo sauces. I like them separately, but I wasn't sure they'd be good together.Once the wings were cooked through — the less crowded the baskets, the quicker they cook — I coated them in the sauce while they were still hot.The wings had a slightly crispy texture from the air fryer, and the barbecue-Buffalo combination was excellent. It was sweet, tangy, and had a little kick.I was ready to try something sweet, so the next recipe was a Nutella sandwich.I love Nutella sandwiches, so I was excited for this one.Chelsea DavisAnyone who's a fan of Nutella will enjoy this recipe from blogger Blue Jean Chef. First, butter one side of each of the two pieces of bread.Then, spread a thick layer of Nutella on the other sides and add a layer of sliced banana. Instead of Nutella, I used a hazelnut spread from Whole Foods.Close the sandwich with the butter side on the outside.This came out perfectly toasty.This was such a comforting, sweet treat. I'll definitely be making it again.Chelsea DavisI stuck the sandwich in the preheated air fryer at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for five minutes on one side, then a couple more on the other.The sandwich was toasty and indulgently gooey on the inside. Definitely eat it with a glass of milk.This bagel recipe was my favorite to make.I had no idea making bagels could be this simple.Chelsea DavisThis bagel recipe from blogger Best Recipe Box blew my mind. I had no idea you could make bagels with just yogurt and flour.First, I combined plain, non-fat Greek yogurt and self-rising flour.I mixed the ingredients until they started to form a ball. Then I lightly floured my cutting board and kneaded the dough with my hands for about 30 seconds.The dough wasn't too sticky.Kneading the dough is a crucial step for this recipe to work.Chelsea DavisI cut the dough into four parts and added flour to my hands when the dough got too sticky.I rolled each chunk into a ball, then used a floured finger to stick a 1-inch-wide hole into each, giving it a bagel-like shape. Then, I let them rest and rise for 15 minutes.Don't crowd the air-fryer basket.Giving the bagels space to rise and spread is important.Chelsea DavisAfter they rested, I brushed an egg wash over the bagels and sprinkled on my toppings. I used everything seasoning and cinnamon sugar. Then, I placed the bagels in the air-fryer basket, allowing them enough space to rise and spread. I liked that I could top the bagels with whatever I wanted.This simple recipe is so versatile and delicious.Chelsea DavisI sprayed the basket with cooking spray and then cooked the bagels at 330 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 minutes.They were golden and ready to be eaten.I will be making these bagels a lot more in the future.I never thought air fryer bagels could be so good.Chelsea DavisThese air-fryer bagels were the perfect size and had a soft, moist texture on the inside.They were awesome on their own or with cream cheese, butter, or jam. I will absolutely be making these again.Cooking with puff pastry can be a pain, but not with the air fryer.This was the perfect little snack.Chelsea DavisWorking with puff pastry can sometimes be tough. But the air fryer perfectly cooked the pastry evenly, giving it a fluffy, flaky texture that was just what I was craving.Following blogger Cook It Real Good's recipe, I took my defrosted pastry sheet and cut it into rectangles. Then I took a regular-sized hot dog and cut it in half. I rolled the two halves of the hot dog in the pastry and brushed them with an egg wash.Wrapping the hot dogs was my favorite part.They're much bigger than the pigs in a blanket that I'm used to, but still very tasty.Chelsea DavisI placed the hot dogs in the preheated air fryer at 390 degrees Fahrenheit for about eight minutes, until the puff pastry was golden.These air-fryer hot dogs came out delicious. The combination of slightly sweet puff pastry with the hot dogs made these seem much fancier than if I'd cooked frozen, premade pigs in a blanket.If you love ranch, you'll probably enjoy this chicken recipe.I was surprised that this recipe used ranch dressing as a marinade.Chelsea DavisThis three-ingredient buttermilk-ranch chicken from blogger Hurried Hostess surprised me by using ranch dip as a marinade to tenderize and flavor the chicken tenders.Many chefs soak chicken in buttermilk before frying it, so this was a similar deal.I marinated the chicken for a couple of hours.Marinating the chicken brought out the flavor so much more.Chelsea DavisI couldn't find the Helluva Good! dip the recipe asked for, so I substituted for a different ranch dip, which worked fine. I started by combining the chicken with the ranch dip and letting it soak for a couple of hours.I coated each piece in panko bread crumbs.I loved how crispy this dish came out.Chelsea DavisNext, I coated each chicken strip in panko and placed them in a preheated air fryer at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 to 20 minutes. I flipped them halfway. I knew they were done when they were golden brown. The chicken had a great, crunchy coating and was super tender on the inside.I would make this again with thighs and drumsticks, too.Overall, I thought every recipe was worth making again.There are so many different ways to alter these air-fryer recipes to your liking.Chelsea DavisThese recipes were so easy to make and yielded tasty dishes. If I were to make them again, I would simply add some extra seasoning to a few of the dishes, like the squash and chops.I also like how customizable most of these recipes were. For example, instead of using a banana for the Nutella sandwich, you could use strawberries.You can also coat the air-fryer chicken wings in any sauce, whether you want straight Buffalo or a combination. This story was originally published on July 9, 2022, and most recently updated on June 27, 2025.Read the original article on Business Insider

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