How to cook a complete Christmas dinner in an air fryer!
It’s the most important meal of the year - so Nathan Anthony’s giving you a helping hand and showing you how to make an entire Christmas dinner in an air fryer! He’ll reveal how to cook a turkey crown to feed up to six people, as well as all your festive sides. Not only will they taste delicious but the air fryer will free up oven space and save on washing up too!
Air fryer Christmas dinner sides
Serves: 4
Ingredients
For the potatoes:600g Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and chopped2 tbsp oil or a few sprays of low calorie oil spray 1 tbsp plain flourFresh rosemarySalt and pepper
For the pigs in blankets:4 sausages, or 8 cocktail sausages20g cranberry sauce100g Brie, sliced into 6 pieces 12 streaky bacon rashers, cut in half if using cocktail sausagesLow calorie oil spray
For the stuffing:600g breadcrumbs150g butter, melted½ tsp mild curry powderHandful fresh parsley, choppedSmall handful fresh sage, chopped (optional)2 onions, peeled and finely chopped2 garlic cloves, crushed or 1 tsp garlic saltSalt and pepper
For the caramelised carrots:500g thin carrots, or regular carrots cut into batons1 tsp olive oilJuice of ½ lemon1 tsp butter1 tsp nutmeg, grated2 tbsp honey2 tbsp parsley, chopped
Method
For the potatoes:
1. Parboil your potatoes in salted water for 8-10 minutes.
2. Drain and then in the pot shake with 1 tbsp flour to fluff them up.
3. Add to the airfryer and spray very well with a low calorie spray.
4. Air Fry for 22 mins at 200℃, shaking them after 10 and 15 minutes.
5. Add some fresh rosemary, shake and cook again for another 2-3 minutes. Season and enjoy.
For the pigs in blankets:
1. Take the sausages and slice a seam along one side nearly all the way through.
2. Open and fill with cranberry and slices of Brie.
3. Roll in the bacon, covering the filling.
4. Spray with oil and air fry for 15-17 minutes at 180℃ for large sausages. For cocktail sausages air fry for 12-14 minutes.
For the stuffing:
1. Combine all of the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
2. Wrap the stuffing mix in foil and cook in the air fryer for 30 minutes at 200℃, until crisp.
For the caramelised carrots:
1. Put the carrots in a bowl with all the ingredients except the parsley. Season with salt and pepper and place into the air fryer for 13-15 minutes at 190℃.
2. Top with the chopped parsley.
Air fryer turkey
Serves: 8
Ingredients
For the dry brine:2 tbsp salt1 tsp black pepper1 tbsp brown sugar2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped1 tsp each dried thyme and sage½ tsp ground cinnamon
For the turkey:2kg turkey crown or breast, minimum 1.5kg1 large orange, sliced
For the butter:175g butter4 garlic cloves, grated1 bay leaf, choppedPinch of pepper2 sprigs fresh rosemary, choppedZest of 1 lemonZest and juice of 1 orangeZest of 1/2 lime1 tsp dried sage1 tsp dried thyme½ tsp dried oregano
Method
1. Combine the dry brine ingredients together in a large bowl. Rub the brine underneath the crown and all over the turkey and rest the bird on a plate on top of orange slices overnight in the fridge.
2. Once you’re ready to cook, combine all the butter ingredients in a bowl ahead of time or just before cooking the turkey and set aside.
3. The day you plan to cook the turkey, pat the skin dry with kitchen paper, then cover the entire bird in the butter and cover with foil – if you want to be a bit ambitious you can put some butter under the skin.
4. Preheat the airfryer to 180C. Cook the turkey for 20 minutes per 450g, plus an additional 20 minutes, basting it halfway through cooking. Remove the foil for the last 20 minutes and brush it with melted butter.
5. To test if the turkey is cooked, insert a small sharp knife in the thickest part of the crown and the juices should run clear. If not, then cover again with foil and cook for a further 20 minutes, before testing again. If testing with a meat thermometer, the internal temperature at the thickest part of the bird should be 75C or above.
6. Once cooked, remove from the oven and let it rest covered in foil for at least 20 minutes before slicing.