Christmas dinner is one of the most anticipated meals of the year, but it can also be one of the most stressful. Between juggling oven space, timing multiple dishes to perfection, and dealing with endless washing up, even the most experienced hosts can feel the pressure.
Enter the air fryer – my secret weapon for a stress-free Christmas. This kitchen gadget not only saves time and effort, but delivers delicious, crispy results that will impress your guests. From the crispiest chicken skin to reheated crispy vegetables, these air fryer tricks will help you streamline your festive feast. And if you're already thinking about investing in one just in time for the holidays, we've included some of our tried and tested best air fryers here too.
1. Create air fryer crackling
My first Christmas air fryer hack (that I learned from my mom) is to remove the chicken skin after oven-roasting and place it in the air fryer for crispy, delicious crackling. This is so genius – it’s always my family’s favorite part of the meal!
While your chicken (or turkey) is resting, carefully remove the skin and lay it flat in the air fryer basket (careful not to overlap the pieces). Cook at 200°C (390°F) for 10 minutes, then flip each piece with silicone tongs and cook for another 5 minutes, until perfectly crisped. No oil or deep-fat frying involved.
2. Roast your vegetables in the air fryer
Trust me, nobody wants boiled vegetables with their Christmas dinner. It’s universally agreed that the most delicious way to enjoy veggies is when they’re golden and crispy on the outside and tender within.
Thankfully, this is the air fryer’s bread and butter. For perfectly roasted carrots or parsnips, chop them into batons and toss with olive oil, a couple of tablespoons of honey, a pinch of salt and pepper. Line the air fryer basket with a parchment paper liner, add the carrots and roast at 180°C (350°F) for 18 minutes. Toss halfway through, until they’re beautifully caramelized and tender.
The same goes for Brussels sprouts: trim, peel away any browned outer leaves, rinse, and dry thoroughly. Place them in a lined air fryer basket, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. You could also add orange zest or bacon bits. Mix everything together with your hands to ensure an even coating, then air fry at 180°C (350°F) for 10 minutes or until golden, crispy, and soft inside.
3. Use your air fryer to reheat dishes
If you’ve made your carrots, sprouts, parsnips or sweet potatoes ahead of time, the air fryer is perfect for reheating them. Preheat the air fryer to 180°C (350°F), then place the veggies in a single layer in the basket. Heat for 3–5 minutes, shaking halfway through, until warmed through and crispy again. You can also use the 'reheat' setting, if you have a Ninja air fryer that has one. It's a quick and foolproof way to bring your veggies back to life without losing their texture.
4. Cut down on greasy baking dishes by using parchment paper
Cleanup can be one of the worst parts of Christmas dinner, but here’s a simple air fryer trick: use parchment paper liners the air fryer. For example, I'm British and I used to roast my pigs in blankets in the oven, but I always found the clean up was a nightmare, the sausages always took longer than expected and hogged the precious space I needed for roast potatoes and chicken.
In the air fryer, pigs in blankets cook in just 15 minutes, turn out crispier and tastier, and – best of all – cleanup is a breeze. Lining the air fryer basket with parchment paper catches the grease and saves you from scrubbing a sticky, greasy baking dish afterward. You can simply discard the paper once your sausages are ready.
5. Air fry your stuffing balls
This is how I got into using my air fryer at Christmas. I ran out of oven space for a tray of stuffing, so I decided to roll the mixture into balls and air fry them instead.
You can prepare your stuffing well in advance, then, when you’re 15 minutes away from dishing up, pop the balls into the air fryer at 180°C (350°F) until golden and crispy. They’ll have a lovely crunchy exterior while staying soft on the inside.
H&G's edit of the best air fryers
If you're late to the air fryer party, these are the top three models from my best air fryer list. You can cook delicious dishes in any of these air fryers – they're not just for Christmas!
Voted our best air fryer overall, this model makes excellent French fries. We highly rate the window and odor neutralizer – it's affordable and user-friendly. You'll never look back.
Read more in our Instant Vortex review.
I use this slim air fryer at home. It can stack up to four different ingredients, it's super fast and the baskets are dishwasher-safe for the speediest clean-up.
My Ninja Double Stack Air Fryer review has more details.
You might have seen this best-seller on social media. It's inexpensive, but when we put it to the test, we found it's super quick and ultra-powerful. Great for beginners.
Read more in our Cosori Pro Air Fryer review.
FAQS
Can you cook a Christmas turkey or chicken in the air fryer?
Honestly, I’m the biggest air fryer fan, but I wouldn’t recommend cooking a whole roast chicken in one. Unless you’re working with a very small chicken and the best air fryer for the job (like the Paris Rhone), I’d stick to the traditional oven method. This gives you plenty of space for onions, apples, lemons, and a generous splash of wine to create a delicious gravy – and ensures the meat stays moist and tender.
With these air fryer hacks, you’ll save time, space, and effort – so you can focus on enjoying a stress-free Christmas dinner with your family.
