Making Your Favorite Fair Food At Home Is A Breeze With Your Air Fryer

The smell of food at a fair or amusement park is unforgettable. Fried, sugary, or greasy is a must for every item on the menu. Where else can you go and walk out with a sweet funnel cake, a corn dog, a couple of fried Oreos, and maybe even a slice of pizza? Those are just a few of the drool-worthy food classics you can find at fairs, though many also make room for regional dishes — especially if it is a seasonal state fair. Luckily, these foods can be made anywhere. From fried Oreos to caramel popcorn, there are a few worthwhile hacks for making fair food easily in an air fryer.

Before cooking, know that there are tons of tips on how to best use your air fryer, many of which will come in handy when making these recipes. First, be sure to use oils with higher smoke points, like canola, sunflower, or vegetable oil, when making the recipes in order to accommodate the air fryer's extremely hot heat. You also want to properly clean your air fryer to ensure the freshest taste and use parchment paper for simple cleanup.

Soon enough, you will be making much more than crispy fries and chicken tenders with your kitchen appliance. By making these popular fair foods at home, you can add your own twists to them and enjoy them as healthier alternatives, as none of the air fryer versions of these treats are deep fried.

Make sure you have your favorite toppings on hand! Nothing beats a funnel cake with fresh strawberries and whipped cream, chocolate syrup, or powdered sugar. Making a funnel cake in an air fryer can be daunting — and some may even caution against it as the fried dough's signature airiness comes from being dipped in hot oil. But if you are dying to replicate the delicious taste and do not mind a more dense texture, look no further.

First, start by mixing the dry ingredients for a basic dough — flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Then, add the wet ingredients into a separate bowl, which is egg, vanilla, greek yogurt, and milk. Combine the two and mix thoroughly before transferring the thick batter into a piping bag to pipe the signature swirl design. If you don't have a piping bag, just use a regular plastic bag and cut the tip. Pipe the batter on a piece of parchment paper in the air fryer and cook at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until golden brown, which will take about 10 minutes. Once done, add your favorite toppings and dig in!

Craving fried Oreos? You can whip up an easy recipe in under 5 minutes with just a few simple ingredients. To make this recipe, combine pancake mix with a splash of milk and stir until you get a thick batter. Then, dip your Oreos into the mix and assemble them in the air fryer, but make sure they are not overlapping. Lastly, air fry the Oreos at 390 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 minutes. Once removed, you can give the Oreos the signature dusting of powdered sugar. If you do not have pancake mix, you can easily make the batter from scratch but limit the amount of liquids in the recipe as you want the batter to be a thicker consistency. Once you master the fried Oreo, what is stopping you from other signature friend treats that you may find at the fair? Try replicating the recipe with different types of cookies or candy bars, like a fried Snickers. 

A corn dog from a state fair will always be far superior to a reheated corn dog from a freezer. To easily make a homemade corn dog, you need hot dogs, skewers, and a few pantry staples. The batter typically consists of yellow cornmeal, granulated sugar, salt, baking powder, and buttermilk, though you can also try using pancake mix with a sprinkle of cornmeal for the signature taste. Make the batter in a tall glass and then put each hot dog on a skewer. Next, roll the hot dog in all-purpose flour and dip it in the thick batter. Place the hot dogs in an air fryer at 375 degrees Fahrenheit, lightly spray with cooking oil, and air fry for 8 minutes. Be sure to rotate them halfway to ensure an even cook. Once done, you can eat them plain or top them with a hearty serving of ketchup and mustard for the full fair experience.

Fried pickles will never go out of style — especially if you live in the American South. The delicious dish made its way onto our list of unexpected foods to cook in the air fryer for its simple preparation and crispy deliciousness. First, cut the pickles into your desired shape. That can be spears, chips, or thick slices. Dip the pickles in a breading of your choice and spray with cooking oil before assembling them in an air fryer. For the breading, try using panko breadcrumbs and egg or a basic flour batter. Then, cook the pickles at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for ten minutes, flipping at the halfway point. The fried pickles are best enjoyed dipped in a spicy mayonnaise sauce or creamy ranch.

You can't step foot in a fair without seeing tons of different booths advertising different flavors of popcorn. And the best ones are the sweet ones! Craving that crunchy caramel popcorn or the multicolored candy-coated popcorn? You can make the food at home in your air fryer by pouring your boiling sugar mixture over popped popcorn and putting it in the air fryer at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes. Make sure to flip halfway. For caramel popcorn, use a premade caramel sauce or make your own with butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. To make the candy-coated popcorn, the topping is just butter, sugar, and food dye. The recipe will yield a crunchy treat that is bound to transport you to the state fair while in the comfort of your own home.