The Doughboy's Favorite Kitchen Gadget: The Air Fryer

We can’t help but love the air fryer. Put something in the basket, and it comes out crispy and golden and perfect every time (no way there isn’t a unicorn or a wizard involved somehow!). From mini crescent dogs to pork chops, this small and mighty countertop appliance does it all and then some. Working like a compact convection oven, it bakes whatever is inside to an all-over golden brown—saving you the hassle of the hot, spattering oil of a deep fryer. That means that, yes, you can make crispy, golden fries or your favorite Sausage Crescent Cheese Balls without having to turn on the oven or dunk anything into a vat of grease.

But you can save the in-depth science class about convection for another day: The real magic is the warm feeling of family gathered around wholesome homemade food your kids will love, made easier and faster than you would imagine.

Whether you’re looking to save space in the oven for Christmas dinner this year or just love to try new cooking methods and gear, listen to your inner Doughboy and give yourself the gift of an air fryer. Then, try one of our recipes and taste for yourself why this countertop appliance is our go-to kitchen gadget of 2019.

Pillsbury’s Favorite Air Fryer

Overwhelmed by all the options out there? We recommend the GoWISE USA 3.7-Quart 8-in-1 Electric Programmable Air Fryer. Our Kitchens experts used this air fryer to develop several Pillsbury air fryer recipes (we used it in our road test of air-frying Pillsbury products, too!).

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How to Use An Air Fryer

You’ve got the gadget: Now what? Our friends at Tablespoon have the answers. They break down all the different types of air fryers, exactly how to use an air fryer and what cooks best in an air fryer—plus, they share exclusive tips and tricks for air fryer cooking. This is everything you never knew you needed to know about air fryers all in one place.

We Tried These Products in an Air Fryer and Here’s What Actually Worked

Air Fryer, cinnamon rolls, grands cinnamon rolls, pizza rolls, toaster strudel, biscuits, crescents

We’ve already spilled the beans that Pillsbury™ biscuits and crescents bake up beautifully in the air fryer, but that only scratches the surface of this small gadget’s unique capabilities. There are so many other products we tried that, once baked in the air fryer, turned out golden, flaky and delicious. Give them a try for yourself and prepare to be wowed.

Q: What is the ideal type of dish to make in an air fryer?

A: If it works well in the oven, it works well in the air fryer! Some of our favorite types of snack foods to make in the air fryer are frozen French fries and Totino’s® Pizza Rolls®.

Watch Our Air Fryer Q&A