My day-to-day cooking (which is my day-to-day life) has gotten so much easier since my air fryer entered the kitchen. I’m usually skeptical of trendy appliances, but a few years ago, I decided to just go ahead and get one to see what all the fuss was about. Turns out, the hype was deserved.
I adore this appliance so much that I wrote a veritable love letter to it a couple of years ago. I use it all the time, especially for vegetables, and I continue to get a kick out of its ability to cook things quickly without much mess. I recently realized that I’m 11 weeks into writing this column and haven’t yet shared an air-fryer-specific recipe.
Today, that changes, with a fun recipe for spicy chicken with bacon and dates. It’s inspired by “devils on horseback,” the retro appetizer of bacon-wrapped dates, and it’s a quick dinner that pairs salty and sweet flavors, and can of course still be made if you don’t have an air fryer. If you’re on the fence about getting one, let me tell you a bit more about why I love using mine.
First, I don’t think of it as a fryer. In fact, I think the name “air fryer” is incredibly misleading. This gadget doesn’t fry anything.
It’s a compact convection oven. (But that doesn’t sound as catchy as “air fryer.”) Knowing this helps us understand what an air fryer is capable of: heating up quickly (and not heating up your kitchen), and roasting things at a high heat with a strong fan that circulates that air very well.
And bec.