Ninja Crispi Recipes: 51 Budget-Friendly Air Fryer Meals
These are all my Ninja Crispi recipes pulled together in one place. If you’ve just got one & you’re wondering what to actually cook in it, you’re in the right place. The Crispi is Ninja’s compact air fryer and it circulates hot air around food to get a super crispy finish with barely any oil, runs much cheaper than a standard oven and it’s way faster too. I’ve been using mine constantly! There are 51 recipes here, all budget friendly, and most are ready in under 30 minutes.
Table of Contents
Chicken Ninja Crispi Recipes
Chicken in the air fryer is where most people start and for good reason. It cooks fast, stays juicy and you can get a nice crispy coating without any deep frying at all. These are my favourite Ninja Crispi recipes for chicken.
1. Chicken Goujons
You NEED to make these crispy chicken goujons at home. They only take 15 minutes, they use a cornflake crust instead of breadcrumbs and they taste so much better than a boring frozen option.
2. Air Fryer Chicken Bites
Juicy air fryer chicken bites without any breading, ready in minutes and perfect for meal prep. I love making a big batch on a Sunday and throwing them into salads, wraps and rice bowls all week.
3. Air Fryer Chicken Patties
These are made from scratch using chicken mince, coriander, garlic and onion powder and they cook in 10 to 12 minutes in the air fryer. I use them as burger patties but they’re great sliced into a wrap too.
4. Crispy Chicken Wrap
This is a healthier crispy chicken wrap made in the air fryer with no deep frying. The chicken comes out golden & crunchy and it tastes like fast food but with far fewer calories, ready in 15 minutes.
5. Easy Spicy Chicken Sandwich
Here we have marinated chicken thighs in a spiced cornflake crust, air fried until golden. This is the fakeaway recipe I come back to most and the cornflake crust is honestly what makes it so so good.
6. Spiced Halloumi & Couscous Meal Prep
This might be one of my favourite meal prep lunches. It’s fresh & filling and I fry the halloumi fresh on the day rather than meal prepping it, so it stays as crispy as possible.
Spiced Halloumi & Couscous Meal Prep
7. Air Fryer Turkey Burgers
The juiciest turkey burgers with hidden veggies inside, ready in just 25 minutes. They’re a lighter alternative to beef burgers and I love how easy they are to throw together on a weeknight.
8. Frozen Chicken Breast in Air Fryer
You can cook frozen chicken breast in the air fryer with absolutely no thawing and it comes out juicy with a nicely seasoned exterior. I LOVE slicing it over a salad or stirring it through pasta.
Frozen Chicken Breast in Air Fryer
9. Frozen Chicken Thighs in Air Fryer
Crispy skin and juicy meat straight from the freezer with no thawing needed. The seasoning blend of paprika, onion powder and cayenne is so good and the Ninja Crispi handles it perfectly.
Frozen Chicken Thighs in Air Fryer
10. How to Cook Chicken Sausage
This covers four foolproof methods for cooking chicken sausages and the air fryer version gives the most consistently golden result. Simple, quick & a really useful one to know.
Beef, Pork and Lamb Ninja Air Fryer Recipes
These ninja air fryer recipes for meat prove the Crispi can handle big proteins just as well as quick weeknight dinners. You get a brilliant crust without the mess of a frying pan or the running cost of a full oven.
11. Easy Burger Bowls
This healthy burger bowl recipe is everyone’s favourite meal deconstructed. Take a burger and fries but make it healthy whilst still being delicious. We’ve got a special sauce here too and it’s SO tasty.
12. Ribeye Steak in Air Fryer
A perfectly cooked ribeye in just 12 minutes, juicy throughout and nicely browned on the outside. Serve it with my peppercorn sauce and you’ve got a dinner that costs a fraction of what you’d pay in a restaurant.
13. Frozen Steak in Air Fryer
You can cook steak straight from the freezer in the air fryer! This is one of the most useful Ninja Crispi recipes to know for days when you haven’t thought ahead.
14. Frozen Burgers in Air Fryer
You can make frozen hamburgers in the air fryer in about 15 minutes. They come out golden on the outside & juicy all the way through with no grill required.
15. Easy Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin
Flavorful pork tenderloin with a delicious dry rub, ready in less than 30 minutes. It comes out tender and juicy and it’s ideal for a midweek dinner when you want something different.
Easy Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin
16. Crispy Air Fryer Pork Belly
This is the quickest way to get perfectly crispy crackling with tender meat underneath and it’s ready in under an hour. It’s inspired by Chinese flavours with five spice and honestly the best crackling I’ve ever made at home.
17. Crispy Air Fryer Pork Belly Strips
These are the ultimate air fryer pork belly strips. They’re crispy on the outside and beautifully juicy inside and they’re ready in 30 minutes or less, so great if you want all that pork belly flavour without the longer cook time.
Crispy Air Fryer Pork Belly Strips
18. Thin Pork Chops in Air Fryer
Cook your thin pork chops in the air fryer and you get the juiciest result without any mess. It’s 10 minutes cook time and the brown sugar and smoked paprika rub is so so good.
19. Air Fryer Gammon Joint
A budget-friendly glazed gammon joint ready in under an hour, ideal for a Sunday roast alternative or for meal prepping protein across multiple days. So much faster than the traditional boil and roast method.
20. Frozen Sausages in Air Fryer
You can cook frozen sausages straight in the air fryer with no defrosting & no mess!
21. Crispy Bacon in Air Fryer
This is the failproof method for perfectly crispy bacon without any splatter. A layer of foil, space between each slice and 180°C is all it takes.
22. Air Fryer Leg of Lamb
Perfectly succulent and juicy bone-in leg of lamb made in just an hour and a half with no oven required. Basically a full Sunday roast done entirely in the Ninja Crispi!
Fish and Seafood Recipes for the Ninja
Fish in the air fryer is so underrated. It cooks fast, stays moist and the outside gets crispy in a way that’s really hard to replicate without loads of oil in a pan. These are my favourite ninja recipes for fish and seafood.
23. Air Fryer Cod
Harissa-coated cod that’s tender and flaky with loads of flavour, ready in just 8 minutes. This is one of those Ninja Crispi recipes that needs to be in your regular rotation.
24. Air Fryer Salmon Bites
The BEST air fryer salmon bites, lightly crisped and ready in less than 10 minutes. Serve over rice, tuck into a wrap or eat them as a high protein snack.
25. How to Cook Frozen Salmon
Frozen salmon in the air fryer comes out with a crisp outside and a moist inside and in my opinion it’s actually better than cooking from thawed. A really useful method to know for busy weeknights.
26. Creamy Salmon Pasta
The salmon gets air fried first until perfectly flaky then folded through a creamy pasta sauce, all in just 15 minutes. It’s packed with flavour and the perfect comforting weeknight meal.
27. The BEST Prawn Salad
The easiest and tastiest prawn salad whipped up in just 10 minutes. It’s high in protein, low in calories and the honey soy dressing is what makes it so good.
28. Spicy Shrimp Ramen
Fast and healthy spicy shrimp ramen made with crispy air fried shrimp, ready in just 10 minutes and great for meal prep each week.
29. Frozen Shrimp in Air Fryer
Cajun seasoned frozen prawns cooked in just 6 minutes straight from the freezer with no thawing needed. They come out juicy inside with a lightly crispy exterior and it’s honestly one of my favourite Ninja Crispi recipes for a quick dinner.
30. Frozen Fish Fingers in Air Fryer
Golden and crispy fish fingers in under 10 minutes. A great quick dinner or easy lunch with no oven and no hassle.
Frozen Fish Fingers in Air Fryer
31. Air Fryer Frozen Dumplings
Fast and crispy air fryer dumplings with a perfectly steamed inside every time. A little water in the base of the basket keeps them from drying out while the outside goes golden.
Vegetarian Ninja Crispi Recipes
Some of the best things you can cook in the Ninja Crispi are vegetarian. Halloumi goes golden in 10 minutes, courgette fries come out properly crispy and homemade spring rolls are a completely different thing to anything from the freezer aisle. These are my favourite vegetarian Ninja Crispi recipes.
32. Air Fryer Halloumi
Golden and crispy in just 10 minutes, tossed with sweet chilli sauce. Sweet, salty and kind of impossible to stop eating.
33. Air Fryer Spring Rolls
Crispy homemade spring rolls that are so much better than anything from the freezer aisle. A brilliant starter or snack that the whole family will love.
34. Air Fryer Green Beans
Green beans coated in panko & parmesan then air fried until golden. A great snack or side that’s ready in minutes and infinitely more interesting than the boiled version.
35. Air Fryer Frozen Green Beans
Frozen green beans cooked straight from the bag with garlic and butter until tender, ready in about 12 minutes. Also loads better than boiling them!
36. Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
Crispy golden courgette fries made with panko breadcrumbs and a great low carb alternative to chips. Ready in minutes and easy to customise with different seasonings.
37. Air Fryer Frozen Broccoli
Frozen broccoli straight into the Crispi and it comes out tender with slightly charred edges rather than the waterlogged result you get from boiling.
38. Air Fryer Roasted Garlic
Quicker, easier and possibly even tastier than oven roasted garlic with a total time of just 30 minutes. Once you’ve made it this way you won’t go back.
Breakfast Ninja Air Fryer Recipes
The Ninja Crispi is really underused at breakfast time. These ninja recipes show what it can do first thing in the morning, from a full meal prep frittata to perfectly poached eggs without a saucepan.
39. Easy Air Fryer Frittata
The perfect airfryer breakfast that also works great for meal prep. Less than 5 minutes of prep, under 30 minutes total & it keeps in the fridge for four days.
40. Perfect Air Fryer Poached Eggs
Perfectly poached eggs in 5 to 7 minutes using a fail-proof method with no saucepan and no swirling water.
Perfect Air Fryer Poached Eggs
41. Frozen Hash Browns in Air Fryer
Golden crispy hash brown patties from frozen in 12 minutes with restaurant quality crunch and no oil needed. Pair with the frittata for a full Ninja Crispi breakfast.
Frozen Hash Browns in Air Fryer
42. Air Fryer Crumpets
Quick air fryer crumpets topped with marmite, cheese and tomatoes and no preheat needed. These have already become a new household favourite!
Potato and Sides Ninja Crispi Recipes
This is where the Ninja Crispi really earns its counter space. Everything from a full batch of Sunday roasties to frozen garlic bread comes out better and faster than the oven. These are my favourite Ninja Crispi recipes for sides.
43. Ninja Airfryer Roast Potatoes
Parboiled and shaken for fluffy edges then dropped into preheated oil across both baskets. These are the crispiest roasties I’ve ever made at home and the Ninja dual basket is what makes it possible.
44. Air Fryer Baby Potatoes
Air fryer baby potatoes that come out fluffy inside with crisp golden skin every time. The secret is cornflour before they go in as it stops them going soggy and makes a huge difference.
45. Diced Potatoes in Air Fryer
Perfectly seasoned diced potatoes with an extraordinarily crispy outside and a fluffy centre, done in just 20 minutes. A great quick side for any protein.
46. Air Fryer Sweet Potato Cubes
Spiced sweet potato cubes with smoked paprika and cayenne that go crispy on the outside and stay soft in the middle, done in just 20 minutes. A really great side to know!
47. Frozen Chips in Air Fryer
From oven chips to french fries, this gets you the crispiest result every time and it’s faster and cheaper to run than the oven.
48. Frozen Roast Potatoes in Air Fryer
Crispy and golden from frozen in 20 minutes with no peeling or parboiling needed.
Frozen Roast Potatoes in Air Fryer
49. Frozen Jacket Potato in Air Fryer
A perfectly baked jacket potato with crispy skin and a fluffy inside, from frozen in under 25 minutes with no thawing required. SO much better than the microwave!
Frozen Jacket Potato in Air Fryer
50. Crispy Garlic Fries at Home
These golden garlic fries are SO bold, zesty & easy to make. A quick side or snack ready in under 20 minutes using just simple ingredients.
51. Frozen Garlic Bread in Air Fryer
Quick and easy frozen garlic bread with melted butter and a crispy crust. It’s a great weeknight side that pairs with pretty much everything.
Tips for Getting the Best Results from Your Ninja Crispi
The most important thing to know is don’t overcrowd the basket. The whole point of an air fryer is circulating hot air and if you pile food on top of itself, it steams rather than crisps. Cook in batches if you need to because the difference in texture is significant and it’s worth the extra few minutes.
Preheating makes a real difference for anything you want a crust on. Steak, chicken and potatoes all benefit from a 5-minute preheat at the cooking temperature before the food goes in. It’s easy to skip and very noticeable when you do when making Ninja Crispi recipes.
Oil spray is your best friend for anything involving breadcrumbs or batter. A light spray of rapeseed or sunflower oil across the basket gets you a golden even finish without adding much fat at all. Four to six sprays is usually enough.
FAQ
Pretty much anything! The Ninja Crispi works brilliantly for chicken, fish, steak, pork, lamb, frozen foods, vegetables and eggs. All 51 Ninja Crispi recipes on this page have been tested in an air fryer basket.
Yes, any ninja air fryer recipes will work in any air fryer model. The Crispi uses the same hot air circulation method so temperatures and cook times from standard recipes apply directly.
Most ninja kitchen recipes use temperatures between 180°C and 200°C. The Crispi goes up to 240°C which is useful for getting a really good crust on meat and potatoes.
Really good! Several of these recipes are built around meal prep and the burger bowls, chicken bites, frittata and gammon joint all batch up well and keep in the fridge for up to four days.
The Ninja Crispi comes in a few different sizes depending on the model. The most popular UK version has a 6 litre capacity which is plenty for 2 to 3 portions. If you’ve got the dual basket version you’ve got even more room, which is what I use for the roast potatoes recipe above to get maximum crispiness across a big batch.
The main culprit is overcrowding. If food is stacked or touching, the hot air can’t circulate and you get steam instead of crispiness. Spread everything in a single layer and cook in batches if you need to. The other thing that helps is patting food dry before it goes in, especially anything coming out of the freezer, and using a light spray of oil on anything breaded.
