Unlock the magic of pumpkins with these autumnal air fryer recipes
Never airfried pumpkin before? Our guide to making tasty pumpkin dishes in an air fryer shows you how.
Never airfried pumpkin before? Our guide to making tasty pumpkin dishes in an air fryer shows you how.
As well as being a favourite Halloween decoration when pumpkins are carved and decorated or used as a lantern, they also taste great.
There are many ways to cook great pumpkin dishes, but using your air fryer means you can create tasty pumpkin sides and snacks while using less oil and staying healthy.
“Thanks to only needing a tiny bit of oil, air fryer pumpkin is very low in calories compared to other cooking methods,” says air fryer expert and author Sam Milner.
“And with just a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, your pumpkin goes wonderfully crispy when cooked in an air fryer," she says. "Pumpkin holds a lot of water and as you air fry it, the water goes to the bottom of the air fryer basket, helping crisp up the pumpkin even more.”
Just like with air fryer potatoes, using your air fryer means you can create a whole host of dishes quickly, so if sudden guests pop round this Halloween, you can whip up pumpkin fries in a matter of minutes.
Aside from your air fryer and a pumpkin, all you will need are a few store cupboard essentials to make these tasty seasonal treats.
Back to basics
The simplest way to cook your pumpkin in the air fryer is to cut it into chunks and roast it.
Wash your pumpkin first, as always; cut it in half and spoon out the seeds – you can keep the pumpkin seeds and air fry them separately – and cut the pumpkin into bite-sized chunks. Add a little seasoning to your taste and pop them in the air fryer for about 20 minutes.
The sweetness from the pumpkin shines through and the edges of your chunks will be caramelised, making delicious chunky pumpkin roasties. Air fryer pumpkin chunks make a great side dish to any dinner.
Create an easy dinner if you have a dual drawer air fryer, by cooking up some sizzling sausages at the same time as your pumpkin chunks. It's worth trying some of the limited edition seasonal varieties on offer. Heck pumpkin-spiced pork sausages keep to the flavour theme and are perfect in an air fryer.
Switch your chips
You’ll need a small pumpkin for this one, known as a sugar pumpkin. Sugar pumpkins are difficult to find in supermarkets, but some specialist food stores stock them.
You can cut your large pumpkin down into curls to make fries, but the smaller pumpkins are easier to do this with and they taste better when cooked. Once you’ve prepared your pumpkin and you have your curls, coat them in a little oil and season them. The oil helps the seasoning to stick to the pumpkin.
Don't pour oil straight into the machine - this air fryer mistake might cause damage to the elements or result in soggy fries. Lay the fries in the air fryer in a single layer so they cook well.
This might mean cooking the fries in batches, depending on the size of your air fryer. The result is crispy, sweet pumpkin fries.
Squash substitute If you can’t find a sugar pumpkin, the next best substitute for this dish is another winter squash, such as butternut squash.
Nothing goes to waste
The seeds from inside the pumpkin make a tasty little snack, or a garnish for pasta dishes, when toasted in an air fryer.
The whole story
Air frying a whole pumpkin gives you so many options when it comes to what kind of dish to make. You can use your roasted whole pumpkin to make mash, or puree, or just serve it as it is, as a side dish to any dinner.
The sweetest feeling
Air fryer pumpkin fritters coated in sugar are a sweet treat for Halloween, or any winter time snack.
Begin by preparing your pumpkin and roasting it in quarters. You can do this as per the instructions for roasting a whole pumpkin above.
When it’s roasted and soft, cut it up and puree it in a food processor. To make pumpkin fritters, follow these four steps:
And if you haven't already invested in one, our expert reveals the things she wished she'd known before buying an air fryer.
(Hero image credit: Shutterstock)
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