An Air Fryer Skeptic

We all know those people who are early adopters. The ones who regularly wait in line the very day a new iPhone gets released, just to have the latest. Or who were using ChatGPT back when it was released in November 2022. They’re the ones who had Spotify playlists while the rest of us were excited to make our own CD mixes on our computers. 

I am not one of those people. My children dread the day I am forced to get a new iPhone or, even worse, a new computer, because they will be fielding complaints for days. The Cloud? What’s that? I will ignore progress in favor of what feels comfortable, even if that comfort takes three hours longer than it could. I’m just fine over here, thank you very much.

That’s why, when my 24-year-old daughter asked for an air fryer as a gift, I had no clue where to start. I also had no idea why in the world she would want an air fryer. She has two perfectly dependable, full-sized ovens at her disposal, plus a toaster. She wanted an air fryer?

Yes, of course she did, and yes, of course I gave one to her. Little did I know I would become a fan.

“This is such a Gen Z thing to say, but I kept seeing people on TikTok and Instagram make these super crispy vegetables in air fryers, and I wanted those veggies,” Lucy explains, when I ask what the attraction was. “There was one recipe in particular, it was for okra, and I love the okra. A woman made this crispy air-fried okra, and it looked healthier and way more doable than actual frying, and that’s when I put an air fryer on my wish list.”

Lucy has been happily air-frying veggies and other things on her own, unnoticed by her uninterested mother. But now it’s 2025: New year, new quest! Unconvinced but curious, if only for the right to say I tried, I asked my Gen Z-er for a tutorial.

Wanting to test both veg and protein, we decided to make steak frites. Specifically, we zeroed in on a recipe Food & Wine published that was written by developer Marianne Williams especially for the air fryer. 

I have sat at lunch listening to friends rave that their air fryers can cook dinner in a fraction of the time it takes to preheat a conventional oven. I wasn’t prepared for just how true that is. Lucy and I seasoned a beautiful 1 ½ pound ribeye and put the air fryer to the test. “This steak feels too large to cook in that amount of time,” Lucy doubted. But in 16 minutes plus a 12-minute rest on the countertop, we had a gorgeously browned and crisp-edged steak, pink inside, almost like something we could have ordered at a restaurant. “For me, a 24-year-old girl who does not cook steak, it was perfect,” Lucy said.

But the star was the frites. Golden and crispy, we had never enjoyed fries like those at home, because neither of us is ever going to actually fry potato sticks and smell the oil for days when we can go to Whataburger. But will we make air fryer fries again? Oh yes. And that means both of us. (Pro tip: Lucy says the truffle salt was a “game-changer.”)

In the context of books and movies and performers, I always say if something is wildly popular, there’s a reason. I guess that’s true for more than pop culture. I will be adding air fryers to that list. And I will be borrowing my daughter’s very modern gadget, even if I am the last to get excited about it.

TIME SENSITIVE An air fryer makes quick work of putting an A-game dinner on the table in steak frites. Writer Andria Dilling cooked up this easy and delicious dinner with the help of her Gen Z daughter, Lucy Frankfort. Previously skeptical of the air fryer’s popularity, this method of cooking steak frites – in particular, the frites – persuaded Andria that there’s good reason to use this trendy kitchen tool. (Photo: Andria Dilling)

Air Fryer Steak Frites

Very slightly adapted from a recipe written by Marianne Williams for Food & Wine

Air fryers are different; you might need to adjust the cook time based on yours.

1 ½ pound bone-in ribeye steak, about 1 ½-inches thick
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons thinly sliced fresh chives
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
¾ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
14 ounces frozen hand cut-style fries
½ teaspoon sea salt or truffle salt

Pat the steak dry using paper towels, and place it on a wire rack-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle both sides and the edges of the steak evenly with 1 ½ teaspoons of the salt. Refrigerate the steak, uncovered, for at least 8 hours or up to 48 hours.

Meanwhile, stir together the softened butter, chives, thyme, rosemary, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon of the salt in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (Alternatively, place the butter mixture on parchment paper or plastic wrap, and roll it into a log. Seal the edges, and refrigerate until ready to use.)

Remove the steak from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. While the steak comes to room temperature, preheat the air fryer with 1 large, flat perforated basket to 400 degrees. Brush the steak evenly with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Place the steak in the basket of the air fryer; cook it, undisturbed, until it is golden brown on top and an instant-read thermometer registers 125 degrees for medium-rare or 135 degrees for medium, 10 to 12 minutes or until the desired degree of doneness (continue cooking and checking the temperature every 2 minutes). Remove the steak from the air fryer and place it on a cutting board. Sprinkle it with pepper, and let it rest while preparing the fries (do not cut into it). 

Place the frozen fries in a large, heatproof bowl. Pour any remaining juices and fat from the air fryer over the frozen fries. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the frozen fries, and toss to evenly coat. 

Heat the air fryer to 400 degrees. Add the frozen fries to the air fryer basket, and shake to evenly distribute them. (Save the bowl for tossing the fries after cooking.) Place the basket in the air fryer and cook, shaking the basket every 4 to 5 minutes, until the fries are golden brown and crispy, 14 to 15 minutes. Remove and transfer the fries to the same large, heatproof bowl. Sprinkle them with the sea salt or truffle salt, and toss to fully coat.

Carve the rested steak from the bone, and cut it into ¾- to 1-inch slices. Place the steak on plates, and pile the fries alongside. Spoon or slice 1 ½ tablespoons of the compound butter over the sliced steak, and sprinkle it lightly with a pinch more kosher salt. Serve immediately. 

CRISPIER Brussels sprouts cooked in an air fryer turn out crispier – and with less oil – than those roasted in a conventional oven. (Photo: Lucy Frankfort)

Crispy Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts

Lucy says these are so quick and crispy, she will never roast brussels sprouts in the oven again.

1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Hot honey

Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees. Dry the brussels sprouts with paper towels. Toss them with the olive oil, salt, and pepper, then place them in the basket of the air fryer. Cook for about 5 minutes, then shake the basket. Cook another 5 minutes and shake again. If they need to cook a bit more, repeat checking and shaking every 2 minutes.

Transfer the brussels sprouts to a serving bowl, drizzle with the hot honey, and serve immediately.

A Few Basic Air Fryer Tips

• For even cooking and consistent crisping, be sure you don’t overfill the air fryer. Food needs the air to circulate around it.

• Watch the cook time the first few rounds of using the air fryer. If things cook faster (or slower) than expected, you’ll know how to adjust for future recipes. 

• Be sparing with oil – part of the air fryer’s appeal is that it crisps food up without the need for conventional frying. Less is more for coaxing out crisp in an air fryer.

• Spray the basket with a little oil or nonstick cooking spray.

• Shake the basket occasionally during cooking to ensure an even cook and all-around crisp.

• When cooking meat, use a thermometer to test doneness. While the outside might appear browned and crispy, the inside might still need more time.