These 3 air fryer settings are the ones you need for cooking Christmas dinner

Make Christmas dinner quicker and easier by using these cooking programmes

Air fryer Christmas
(Image credit: Tefa)

Merry Christmas! The main part of Christmas Day is always the eating, and while many people shrug it off as ‘just a fancy roast dinner’, cooking a full Christmas dinner with all the trimmings can be stressful.

One thing to remember when cooking Christmas dinner is it’s all about timing. Making sure everything arrives at the table at the same time and at the same temperature can be almost impossible, which is why the best air fryer can come in handy. 

While most people will use the best oven to cook big meals like Christmas dinner as they have more space, having your air fryer as a backup option can alleviate stress and help ensure every component of the meal is perfectly cooked and warm. For this year’s round of cooking, here are three air fryer settings you need when cooking Christmas dinner.

1. Air fry

The first setting – and the most obvious one on an air fryer – that you need to use this Christmas is air fry. The air fry setting is the most popular one as it uses minimal amounts of oil but evenly circulates hot air around the basket to evenly cook your food. Air frying also delivers the crispiest textures so if your oven is too full with the turkey, then consider using your air fryer to make the roast potatoes – see how to cook roast potatoes in an air fryer for more details.

2. Roast

Next up is roast. The roast setting on an air fryer is primarily used for large cuts of meat. It typically uses a lower temperature to cook the meat so while it doesn’t take less time to cook a turkey in an air fryer than it does to cook it in an oven, it does save you on oven space. So, you could use the roast setting to cook your Christmas turkey or other meats, like ham and stuffing.

3. Reheat

Arguably the most underrated setting on the air fryer is reheat. While most people prefer to use the best microwave to reheat food, an air fryer is actually more efficient at this task, as it offers more consistent heat and coverage. Using the reheat function for Christmas dinner can help you keep everything warm while you wait for the turkey to cook, and it can also reheat food you’ve made in advance. This can help you save a huge amount of time and oven room, plus everything will come to the table at the same temperature – so no more cold, soggy Brussels sprouts!

Bethan Girdler-Maslen
Home Editor

Beth is Home Editor for T3, looking after style, living and wellness. From the comfiest mattresses to strange things you can cook in an air fryer, Beth covers sleep, yoga, smart home, coffee machines, watches, grooming tools, fragrances, gardening and much more. If it's something that goes in your house, chances are Beth knows about it and has the latest reviews and recommendations! She's also in the know about the latest deals and discount codes from top brands and retailers.

Having always been passionate about writing, she’s written for websites, newspapers and magazines on a variety of topics, from jewellery and culture, to food and telecoms. You can find her work across numerous sites, including Wedding Ideas Magazine, Health & Wellbeing, The Bristol Post, Fashion & Style Directory, TechRadar, CreativeBloq and more. In her spare time, Beth enjoys running, reading, baking and attempting craft projects that will probably end in disaster!