Treat Yourself to this Delicious Messy Fries Recipe with the Philips Airfryer

A few weeks ago I received the Philips Airfryer to review and while I was excited about being able to enjoy crispy fried food without all the fat, I have to admit that I was pretty sceptical it could compare to my traditional deep fryer.

Then I heard from readers about how much they loved the Airfryer and I started to believe that tasty deep-fried taste without tons of fat really might be possible.

After just a few uses, I was sold. The Airfryer uses cycling hot air to crisp up foods without the need to submerge them in oil and the results really are amazing.

I’ve found that the Airfryer works best for foods that already have oil added to them in some form.

Popcorn chicken, store-bought spring rolls and frozen French fries have all cooked beautifully in the Airfryer with no added oil at all.

Even better, because of the basket’s mesh design, the foods actually lose some of their added oil while cooking!

I’ve been having a great time whipping up some of my favourite treats using the Airfryer and so last weekend, I decided to make one of my favourite indulgent deep-fryer recipes for supper: Messy Fries.

These loaded poutine-style fries used to be one of the top menu items at the local bar when I was younger and I loved them so much that I started making my own version at home.

A plate of fries loaded with chopped lettuce, tomato, green onion, two kinds of cheese and gravy, they certainly live up to their name!

But with the Airfryer, I was able to eliminate a whole bunch of added fat when enjoying my favourite messy fries!

The Messy Fries were absolutely delicious and the fries cooked to perfection in the Airfryer. I just set the timer, filled the basket and then grated cheese, chopped vegetables and made gravy while the fries cooked.

I do find that shaking the basket once or twice while the food is cooking, just as I would do with a regular deep fryer, helps to ensure that the fries cook and crisp up evenly.

For foods that don’t have oil added to them (homemade French fries, for example), a small amount of oil is needed to crispy up the food properly.

I found the best method for this was to put the food in a Ziploc bag, drizzle it with a tablespoon or so of oil, seal the bag and shake the food around to coat it evenly.

Then, I put the food into the Airfryer and cooked it until it was crispy and delicious!

I’m so excited to have discovered how many delicious meals I can cook with the Airfryer and I also love that it’s so effective for reheating food too.

Rather than using the microwave or the oven to reheat meals, I can just pop food into the Airfryer and in a few minutes it’s hot and fresh.

It works especially well on leftover pizza; no more tough, chewy crust after reheating!

Whether you’ve never bought a deep fryer because of the worry of adding too much fat to your diet, or you already own one and want to try a healthier alternative, the Philips Airfryer is a great choice that’s sure to inspire you to create all kinds of delicious recipes.

Find it at major stores across Canada, check out this guide on air fryer cooking times to ensure you know how to make your favorite foods, and get ready to enjoy crispy treats with a tasty fried flavour and no added oil!