Australian cuisine is a unique blend of British heritage, multicultural influences, and ingredients native to our sun-soaked continent. Many of our favourite foods—from the iconic meat pie to the beloved lamington—traditionally rely on deep frying or extensive oven time. The air fryer offers a modern approach to these classics, delivering results that honour tradition while reducing fat and cooking time.
This guide adapts quintessential Australian dishes for air fryer cooking, ensuring you can enjoy local favourites with the convenience and health benefits this appliance provides.
The Great Australian Meat Pie
Nothing says Australia quite like a meat pie smothered in tomato sauce. While bakeries will always have their place, the air fryer produces remarkably good results with both homemade and frozen varieties.
Frozen Meat Pies
The air fryer transforms frozen pies into something approaching fresh-from-the-bakery quality. The circulating heat creates flaky, golden pastry while heating the filling evenly—something conventional ovens sometimes struggle with.
Cook frozen individual pies at 180°C for 15-18 minutes. The pastry should be deeply golden and crisp, with filling hot throughout (check with a thermometer—it should exceed 75°C). For extra-golden pastry, brush the top with a beaten egg wash before cooking.
Party Pie Perfection
Frozen party pies are a staple of Australian gatherings. Air fry at 180°C for 12-15 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through. They emerge uniformly golden and piping hot—perfect for feeding a crowd without the oven being occupied by trays of pies.
Homemade Meat Pies
For homemade pies, prepare your filling and pastry as usual, then assemble in pie tins that fit your air fryer basket. Brush tops with egg wash. Cook at 180°C for 20-25 minutes, checking that pastry is golden and filling bubbles at the edges.
Sausage Rolls
Another Australian party essential, sausage rolls achieve perfect results in the air fryer. The pastry crisps beautifully while the sausage meat cooks through without drying out.
Frozen sausage rolls: 180°C for 15-18 minutes, turning once halfway through. The pastry should be golden and flaky, filling cooked through.
Homemade sausage rolls: Use quality puff pastry and well-seasoned sausage mince. Roll, seal with egg wash, and cut into desired lengths. Cook at 180°C for 18-22 minutes, turning once.
Sausage Roll Tips
- Score the tops of homemade rolls for even cooking
- Don't overcrowd—leave space between rolls for air circulation
- Brush with egg wash for bakery-quality golden finish
- Rest for 2 minutes after cooking—the filling is extremely hot
Dim Sims
These Australian-Chinese hybrids—larger and meatier than traditional dim sum—are a fish and chip shop staple. While traditionally deep fried, air frying produces excellent results with far less oil.
Frozen dim sims cook at 190°C for 12-15 minutes. The wrapper crisps while the filling steams inside. Shake the basket once during cooking for even browning. Serve with soy sauce and chilli for the authentic Aussie experience.
For an even crispier result, lightly spray dim sims with oil before cooking. The wrapper develops more colour and crunch.
Chiko Rolls
This uniquely Australian creation—a distant cousin of the Chinese spring roll—was designed specifically for the Australian fast food market. The thick, durable wrapper was engineered to survive the rigours of football ground service, and it crisps beautifully in the air fryer.
Cook frozen Chiko Rolls at 190°C for 12-15 minutes, turning once. The wrapper should be golden and crisp, filling hot throughout. The air fryer actually improves on the traditional deep-fried version, producing a less greasy result that lets the filling flavours shine.
Fish and Chips
The Friday night fish and chip tradition runs deep in Australian culture. While the air fryer can't replicate beer-battered fish from the local shop, it produces excellent crumbed fish and chips that satisfy the craving.
The Chips
For proper Australian chips—thick-cut and fluffy inside, crispy outside—the air fryer is exceptional. Cut potatoes into 1-1.5cm thick chips, soak in cold water for 30 minutes to remove surface starch, then dry thoroughly.
Toss with 1-2 tablespoons of oil and cook at 190°C for 20-25 minutes, shaking every 5-7 minutes. Season with chicken salt—the bright yellow seasoning that makes Aussie chips distinctive—immediately after cooking.
Chicken Salt: The Aussie Secret
Chicken salt is Australia's gift to chip seasoning. This savoury-sweet powder transforms ordinary chips into something special. Add it immediately after cooking while chips are hot, or it won't stick properly.
Crumbed Fish
Whether using frozen crumbed fillets or making your own, the air fryer delivers crispy results. Frozen fillets cook at 190°C for 12-15 minutes, flipping once. For homemade, coat fish in flour, beaten egg, then panko breadcrumbs, and cook at 190°C for 10-12 minutes depending on thickness.
Lamingtons
The lamington—sponge cake coated in chocolate and coconut—is an Australian icon. While you can't air fry the traditional version (chocolate icing would melt everywhere), you can create an air fryer interpretation that captures the spirit.
Bake small sponge cubes in the air fryer at 160°C for 12-15 minutes using a baking pan that fits your basket. Once cooled, dip in chocolate glaze and roll in desiccated coconut as usual. The result is fresher-tasting cake than many bakery versions.
ANZAC Biscuits
These oat and golden syrup biscuits, created during World War I, are part of Australia's culinary heritage. The air fryer produces excellent ANZAC biscuits in smaller batches than a conventional oven.
Use parchment paper to prevent sticking. Roll dough into balls, flatten slightly, and cook at 160°C for 8-10 minutes. The biscuits will seem soft when done—they crisp as they cool. Watch carefully as the high sugar content means they can burn quickly.
Vegemite Scrolls
A uniquely Australian savoury treat, Vegemite scrolls combine the iconic spread with cheese and pastry. The air fryer produces wonderfully flaky scrolls with melted cheese and just the right Vegemite intensity.
Spread puff pastry with Vegemite (thin layer—it's potent), scatter with grated cheese, roll tightly, and slice into 2cm rounds. Cook at 180°C for 10-12 minutes until golden and puffed. The air fryer's even heat ensures the pastry layers separate properly while the cheese melts through the scroll.
Snags (Sausages)
No Australian barbecue is complete without sausages, and while the air fryer can't replicate charcoal flavour, it produces consistently good snags for weeknight dinners.
Cook sausages at 180°C for 15-18 minutes, turning every 5 minutes for even browning. The casings develop a satisfying snap while the interior stays juicy. For the full snag experience, serve in a slice of white bread (not a roll—this is Australia) with onions and tomato sauce.
Onion Rings: The Essential Snag Companion
Cook sliced onions in the air fryer at 180°C for 10-15 minutes while sausages rest. They caramelise beautifully, developing the sweetness that complements the savoury snag perfectly.
Potato Scallops
Not to be confused with the seafood, Australian potato scallops are battered potato slices—a chip shop classic. While the batter presents challenges in the air fryer (it won't set the same way as in hot oil), crumbed potato scallops work beautifully.
Slice potatoes into 5mm rounds, dip in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs, then cook at 190°C for 12-15 minutes, flipping once. The result is different from traditional battered scallops but delicious in its own right.
Kangaroo Steaks
This lean, sustainable meat has become increasingly popular in Australian kitchens. The air fryer handles kangaroo well, though the lack of fat means careful temperature and timing control is essential.
Kangaroo should be served medium-rare to medium—overcooking makes it tough and dry. Cook steaks at 200°C for 4-5 minutes per side for medium-rare (internal temperature around 55°C). Rest for 5 minutes before serving. The intense heat of the air fryer creates a good crust while keeping the interior pink and tender.
Adapting More Australian Classics
The techniques demonstrated with these dishes apply broadly to Australian cuisine. Foods traditionally deep fried become healthier alternatives. Pastry items develop excellent flakiness. Proteins cook evenly with minimal added fat.
As you experiment with your own favourites, remember the key principles: reduce conventional oven temperatures by 10-20°C, expect shorter cooking times, and use oil sparingly. Most Australian classics adapt well to air frying with minor adjustments.
The air fryer doesn't replace the local fish and chip shop or the bakery around the corner—some things demand tradition. But for everyday cooking of Australian favourites at home, it offers convenience, health benefits, and genuinely good results that honour the dishes we love.