10 Jamie Oliver Air Fryer Christmas Recipes

On Christmas Day the oven is always the busiest place in the kitchen, and an air fryer can take a huge amount of pressure off. These ten recipes, inspired by Jamie Oliver’s practical, flavour-packed cooking, show how to use it for a turkey breast joint, a whole small chicken, crispy potatoes, sticky roots, crunchy sprouts and even a quick pudding.

Air fryers vary in size and power, so use the times as a guide, cook in batches rather than overcrowding the basket and always check meat with a thermometer. Everything here is designed for a typical 5–6 litre basket.

1. Air Fryer Turkey Breast Joint

A small turkey breast joint cooks beautifully in the air fryer with crisp golden skin and juicy meat. It frees up the whole oven for the trimmings.

Servings: 4–6 · Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes, plus resting

Ingredients

• 1 x 1kg boneless turkey breast joint, skin on
• 25g butter, softened
• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tsp chopped fresh sage
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Mix the butter with the herbs, garlic and seasoning and spread over and under the skin. Rub with the oil.
2. Preheat the air fryer to 180°C. Place the joint skin-side down in the basket and cook for 25 minutes.
3. Turn skin-side up and cook for 25–30 minutes more until golden and the centre reaches 75°C.
4. Rest under foil for 15 minutes before slicing.

2. Air Fryer Roast Potatoes

Par-boiled potatoes cook to a deep golden crunch in the air fryer with only a couple of tablespoons of oil. Cook them in batches if your basket is small.

Servings: 4 · Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 800g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp semolina
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• Sea salt

Instructions

1. Boil the potatoes for 8 minutes, drain, steam dry and shake with the semolina to rough up the edges.
2. Toss with the oil. Preheat the air fryer to 200°C.
3. Cook in a single layer for 25–30 minutes, shaking every 10 minutes and adding the rosemary for the last 5 minutes, until crisp. Season with salt.

3. Air Fryer Chipolatas in Turkey Bacon

Little chipolatas wrapped in turkey bacon crisp up brilliantly in the air fryer in about fifteen minutes. A quick honey glaze makes them sticky.

Servings: 12 pieces · Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 12 chicken chipolatas
• 6 slices turkey bacon, halved lengthways
• 1 tbsp runny honey
• 1 tsp wholegrain mustard

Instructions

1. Wrap each chipolata in a strip of turkey bacon.
2. Preheat the air fryer to 190°C. Cook in a single layer for 12 minutes, turning halfway.
3. Brush with the honey and mustard and cook for 2–3 minutes more until sticky and the sausages reach 75°C.

4. Air Fryer Honey Carrots and Parsnips

Roots cook quickly in the air fryer and caramelise beautifully with a little honey. They are ready in under half an hour.

Servings: 4 · Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 carrots, halved lengthways
• 3 parsnips, quartered lengthways
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp runny honey
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Toss the vegetables with the oil and seasoning.
2. Preheat the air fryer to 190°C and cook for 15 minutes, shaking halfway.
3. Drizzle with honey, add the thyme, toss and cook for 3–5 minutes more until sticky and tender.

5. Crispy Air Fryer Sprouts with Parmesan

Sprouts turn crispy, nutty and charred in the air fryer, and a dusting of Parmesan makes them irresistible. Even sprout sceptics will be converted.

Servings: 4 · Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 400g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 25g Parmesan, finely grated
• Zest of 1/2 lemon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Toss the sprouts with the oil and seasoning.
2. Preheat the air fryer to 200°C and cook for 10–12 minutes, shaking halfway, until charred and tender.
3. Sprinkle with Parmesan and cook for 1–2 minutes more. Finish with lemon zest.

6. Air Fryer Sage and Onion Stuffing Balls

Stuffing balls cook evenly in the air fryer with a lovely crisp crust. Shape them ahead and cook while the meat rests.

Servings: 4 (12 balls) · Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 25g butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 150g fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
• Zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1 egg, beaten
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Soften the onion in the butter for 8 minutes and cool.
2. Mix with the remaining ingredients, season and roll into 12 balls.
3. Preheat the air fryer to 180°C and cook for 10–12 minutes, shaking halfway, until golden and piping hot.

7. Air Fryer Honey Mustard Salmon

Salmon fillets with a sticky honey and mustard glaze cook in under ten minutes in the air fryer. It is a quick, light option for Christmas Eve or a smaller festive meal.

Servings: 2 · Total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 salmon fillets, skin on
• 1 tbsp runny honey
• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 1 tsp olive oil
• Lemon wedges, to serve
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Mix the honey, mustard and oil and season. Brush over the salmon.
2. Preheat the air fryer to 190°C. Cook the salmon skin-side down for 8–10 minutes until golden and the flesh reaches 63°C.
3. Serve with lemon wedges and greens.

8. Air Fryer Whole Roast Chicken

A small whole chicken roasts in the air fryer in about an hour with incredibly crisp skin. It is perfect for a small Christmas when the oven is full.

Servings: 4 · Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes, plus resting

Ingredients

• 1 x 1.5kg whole chicken
• 1 lemon, halved
• 3 garlic cloves, bashed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Stuff the chicken with the lemon and garlic. Rub with oil, paprika, thyme and seasoning.
2. Preheat the air fryer to 180°C. Place breast-side down in the basket and cook for 30 minutes.
3. Turn breast-side up and cook for 25–30 minutes more until golden and the thickest part of the thigh reaches 75°C.
4. Rest for 10 minutes before carving.

9. Air Fryer Baked Camembert

A whole camembert turns molten and gooey in the air fryer in ten minutes. Serve with crusty bread and chutney for an easy sharing starter.

Servings: 4 · Total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 x 250g camembert in its wooden box
• 1 garlic clove, sliced
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp olive oil
• Crusty bread and chutney, to serve

Instructions

1. Remove the wrapping and return the cheese to its box. Score the top and push in the garlic and small rosemary sprigs. Drizzle with oil.
2. Preheat the air fryer to 180°C. Cook for 8–10 minutes until soft and molten in the centre.
3. Serve straight away with bread and chutney.

10. Air Fryer Apple and Cinnamon Turnovers

Flaky pastry parcels filled with spiced apple puff up beautifully in the air fryer. They make a quick Christmas pudding or treat with a cup of tea.

Servings: 6 · Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 eating apples, peeled, cored and diced
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 15g butter
• 320g ready-rolled puff pastry
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tbsp caster sugar

Instructions

1. Cook the apples with the brown sugar, cinnamon and butter for 5 minutes until just soft. Cool.
2. Cut the pastry into 6 squares, spoon the apple onto one half of each, fold over into triangles and seal the edges with a fork.
3. Brush with egg and sprinkle with caster sugar. Preheat the air fryer to 180°C and cook in batches for 8–10 minutes until puffed and golden. Cool slightly before eating.