A journalist has put the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer air fryer to the test by cooking an entire Christmas dinner—with mixed results. While the air fryer produced a juicy roast chicken in just 55 minutes, it fell short on crispy roast potatoes and gravy.
The experiment, conducted in mid-November, involved a chicken (as no whole turkey was available), roast potatoes, pigs in blankets, honey-glazed carrots and parsnips, stuffing, and Brussels sprouts. The air fryer, retailing at £219.99, was easy to use and came with a recipe guide.
The chicken, stuffed with lemon, thyme, rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper, cooked in 37 minutes. Vegetables were added for a further 18 minutes, and the stuffing and pigs in blankets took about 12 minutes. The total cooking time was 55 minutes—a fraction of what an oven would require.
However, the roast potatoes lacked a crispy crust due to the absence of hot oil or goose fat, and making gravy in the air fryer proved impractical. The journalist also noted that the air fryer is best suited for small gatherings, as the 10.5L capacity cannot accommodate a large bird.
Despite these drawbacks, the air fryer simplified the cooking process by eliminating the need to monitor multiple pans and trays. The chicken came out juicy, and the appliance performed well for most components.
The overall verdict: an air fryer can tackle a Christmas dinner for two, but traditional oven methods remain superior for roast potatoes and gravy.
