This chicken ball recipe was created in order to road test the Tefal Actifry 2 in 1. To see how something I would normally fry would stand up to a healthier air fry treatment. Plus I have an Actifry 2 in 1 (rrp $449.95) to give away.
I have heard people rave out air fryers where only a tablespoon of oil is needed to fry food. In fact you can fry 1.5Kg of fries in this amount of oil in this particular Actifry.
There are a few Tefal Actifry appliances on the market, this particular one has both a bowl and a tray. This allows you to cook a few different items together.
I love the healthy idea of cooking this way, but in the past I haven’t felt the need to rush out and purchase one for the kitchen. Disclaimer, I didn’t rush out and purchase this one either, it was gifted to me to try. My curiosity on if they actually worked or not lead me to saying yes.
I am not one for lots of extra appliances in the kitchen. I feel if you are serious on cutting down your intake of oily foods, non-stick pans and clever oven cooking are the way to go.
Did I really need another space eating appliance in my kitchen?
Would it achieve better results than I was already getting using non stick pans or using some spray oil on ingredients in the oven?
Most importantly, would it end up like my bread maker, and die a death in storage?
All I really knew about the Actifry was supposedly how awesome they were in making chips (fries). Due to the appliance being called an Acti ’fry’, that’s what I thought they did, fried stuff. I assumed that the sole existence of this appliance was to fry food in a healthy way. I was wrong.
When I read the accompanying recipe book, it didn’t excite me. I didn’t see recipes for healthy fried food. They were all normal meals that could be achieved with minimal oil in non-stick pans. Or oven cooking with a spray of oil.
I was concentrating on the ‘fry’ in Actifry and sort of missing the point in regard to what an Actifry 2 in 1 is all about and can achieve.
You can cook complete meals in a virtually oil free environment. Steak and chips for example. Chips are ‘frying’ in the bottom bowl of the Actifry and your steaks get cooked on the top tray.
Basically vegies down the bottom and meat up the top, with endless combinations. You can even make dessert in it. I am also wondering if a 'hands free' risotto is possible due to the mixing paddle in the bottom bowl? Stay tuned for that, possibly very messy, epic failure of an experiment.
I could easily see how a meal normally made in a fry pan would work in the appliance. My personal goal was to determine if you could achieve a good result on a recipe where shallow or deep frying would normally be involved.
To test if it would, work a chicken version of my prawn balls were whipped up and cooked in the Actifry. To my surprise they worked really well.
Sure you didn’t have oil infused bread, but that’s a good thing. Isn’t it? No oil is used at all in the recipe or cooking method using the Actifry.
Asian Chicken Balls
Ingredients
- 7 slices white bread sandwich slices, finely diced
- 500 grams chicken mince
- 1 small red chili finely chopped
- 2 spring onions finely chopped
- ½ cup coriander finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
Instructions
- In a medium bowl place diced white bread.
- In another medium bowl place the rest of your ingredients and mix very well, until completely combined.
- Roll generous tablespoons of mixture in to balls and coat with the diced bread.
- Place approximately 8 balls on the top tray of your Actifry and cook for 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining balls.
- If you don’t have an Actifry please follow the instructions in the original prawn ball recipe. Alternatively spray with oil and oven bake for 25 minutes.
- Serve with either sweet chili sauce.
Nutrition
After the success of the chicken balls I gave the appliance the chip/fries test. The simplicity of making chips/fries in this method is actually brilliant. All you need to do is peel and slice up your potatoes into the chip/fries size you desire. Give them a wash under cold water, and then dry them off thoroughly in a tea towel. Place them in the bottom bowl of the Actifry and sprinkle one tablespoon of oil over the chips. Shut the lid and cook for 45 minutes.
What were the chips really like? Actually pretty good. A mixture of crunchy chips with fluffy centres and a few which didn’t crisp up as much. The boys and I thought they were a winner. With using only maximum one tablespoon of oil, in a very hassle free way, chips/fries will be made more often in my household.
What I liked about the Actifry
Easy to use
Super easy to clean
Place what you want to cook in it, set the timer and walk away
Gives you more time to do something else while dinner is cooking
Uses minimal oil to ‘fry food’
Downsides?
None really, I am still in the honeymoon stage with my relationship with the appliance.
You can't 'fry' food which has a wet coating with a good result, it will end up gloopy.
Items you would generally deep fry like doughnuts etc would not work.
It is large appliance which is an issue for me as I have a small kitchen with no storage space.
Will the Actifry join the bread maker? I genuinely thought it would join the bread maker in storage, but it has earned a home snuggled in between the microwave and the sink. It has been victorious in taking over some of my very precious kitchen bench space.
Win a Tefal Actifry 2 in 1 (competition is now closed)
If you would like to win an Actifry 2 in 1 for your kitchen please leave a comment below letting me know what you would like to try cooking in one. Leave as many comments as you like, entries close Sunday 2nd November.
Good luck!
Sara xxx
Belly Rumbles was gifted the Tefal 2 in 1 Actifry to road test.
Giveaway terms and conditions: Giveaway is open to Australian residents only. You can leave as many comments as you wish. The most original and creative comment will be chosen. Winner will be contacted by the email you use when leaving your comment. Winner will need to respond to me within 5 days or another winner will be chose. Winner will be announced on FB once they have been confirmed. Giveaway entries close midnight Sunday 2nd November 2014
Cindy Licastro
Hi Sara,
Have you picked the winner of the Actifry contest as yet?
I haven't seen anything come through as yet and nothing on your Facebook page.
I am really hoping I am the winner.
Thanks for holding the competition and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Regards, Cindy
Sara
Hi Cindy, the competition finished midnight on Sunday. A winner will be announced shortly. Please read the terms and conditions at the end of the post which explains the process of announcement.
ROBYN LITTLE
I LOVE LOVE LOVE to eat fried food but HATE to cook it at home because I have a massive aversion to the feel of oil. Weird isn't it? If I get oil on my fingers I get super stressed. As a result, while I love the idea of deep frying, I have never bought a deep fryer because of the thought of dealing with the oil. What a revelation the Tefal Air Fryer is for me. Just to able to cook something without the messy oil, but still get that crispness would be fantastic. Doesn't matter WHAT I would cook, it's the fact that I could cook it that means so much to me. Air fried anything I say!
Cindy Licastro
I have a Few oven baked donut recipes in use as I don't like to deep fry.
I bet they would be exceptionally good if they were cooked in the Actifry.
Served with fresh made jam or chocolate iced with hundreds AND thousands, or caramel glazed.
So many ways to go, I just need this appliance to make it so.
Cindy Licastro
Chicken schnitzel that is first soaked in a mix of plain Greek yoghurt, lemon juice, French mustard then coated in breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. I usually oven bake them but I would love to see how crunchy and crispy they came out of the Actifry. I would also cook some fries on the side and as you only use a tablespoon of oil, eating healthy is definitely possible.
Helen W
So I have NO idea what these are like but I've just found on Pinterest something called Cheesecake Chinese Style! You wrap cheesecake filling into an egg roll and Actifry it (yep, already got the Actifry recipe so I don't need to trial and error anything!). Served with fresh fruit and cinnamon, it definitely sounds like something I want to be a part of. Never thought you could Actifry Cheesecake!
Erin
Deep fried mini mars bar but I dont see that coming out well...
Wanton filled with milk choc
Savoury wanton filled prawns & pork mince
Prawn crackers
Ooo the possibilities are endless
Damian Dennett
Chips look great. Think id give the Texas pluto Pup a rethink . Chips stuck to a Bratwurst to dip in Thomy Hot Mustard (Scharfer Senf). Beer mandatory!
Helen W
I have a new idea! With my endless supply of eggs (I give away about 6 dozen a week), I've resorted to lots of creative egg recipes. Quiches, ramekin-cooked eggs, pickled .. with my Scottish heritage I'd definitely have to try to create a recipe for Actifried Scotch eggs! Yummo!
Cindy Licastro
I would love to try cooking Arancini Rice balls, filled with bolognese sauce, cheese and peas. I never cook them because they are usually deep fried but I love them so much with the crunchy outside and gooey inside. This Actifry would definitely get a workout cooking these little babies and so much more. Thanks for the opportunity to win one as I have been wanting one since they first came out years ago. I don't deep fry food as it is so unhealthy but my cooking world will open up to include 'healthier' fried foods if I win this appliance. Thanks
Helen W
(Sorry @bellyrumbles, I'm going to be commenting A LOT!)
So I'm not a very adventurous eater. I grew up with an older English parent who was firmly "meat and three veg for dinner". Nothing "foreign" (I was 15 when I first tried pasta), nothing spicy.
I went to a Thermomix demo last year and tried risotto for the first time. WOW. I loved it! And my toddler hoovered it up as well. I don't have a thermomix and I've been scared off trying risotto in the pan as people say it's a pain to cook. But I reckon the 2-in-1 could do a stellar job of it. So I would make risotto with coriander and lime chicken. I've never tried that before but I just saw a recipe for it on Pinterest and it definitely looks like it would be worth the cost of limes!!
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef
I have tossed over in my mind whether this was a worthy acquisition. You make me swoon with envy after looking at your chicken balls. Frankly if I had balls, I'd gift my left one for one of these fryers! 🙂
Helen W
I've been looking around the internet for more Actifry recipes to see what else this machine can do, and I found a recipe for oriental home-cooked fried rice. FRIED RICE!!! You can't even imagine how excited that makes me. Fried rice is my Achilles heel, both in terms of wanting to eat seconds (and thirds) and being an absolute terrible cook when I try to make it. Doesn't matter what recipe I use, the brand of ingredients, it just tastes rubbish. I reckon I need to make the switch to Actifried rice! Then I won't have to satisfy my cravings by ordering from the local Chinese and then going "while I'm there, I may as well get some sweet and sour sauce…and black bean chicken…". Fried rice in one compartment, beef and broccoli in the other, amazing!
Mary
Thank you Sara for reviewing this product!! I've seen it on TV ads for a while now and have always been skeptical about it, because surely you need MORE than just ONE TABLESPOON?! And i always thought that maybe the chips would turn out soggy and gross, but you've definitely thrown that idea down the drain!
Our family's in the process of moving houses where we now have an open kitchen, meaning no more fried foods since the smell of oil wafting throughout the house isn't exactly our cup of tea, so this appliance would be perfect in satisfying those 'fried-goodness' cravings. Being an Asian, we love our fried food - from my father's specialty pork chops to stinky tofu! I can't wait to try these on the Tefal, knowing i'll never have to deal with oil burns, let alone the deliciously disgusting smell of stinky tofu!
Helen W
Those chicken balls actually look amazing! Like, too pretty to eat. Did you just roll them around in the bread or did you spend hours painstakingly applying each bread chunk to be photo-perfect?
As for the Actifry, I am champing at the bit to try one! I've never heard a bad review about them yet which is amazing. I'd love to make fajitas that actually taste authentic. Some onion and capsicum in the Actifry, seasoned steak in the second compartment, and the Actifry does all the work for me while I relax and enjoy the aroma. Heavenly! My own little slice of Texas in Australia.
Sara
Haha Helen, actually just rolled the chicken balls up in the small diced bread. They are so easy to make, no painstaking placing, thank goodness! 🙂
Peter
Due to a medical 'issue' and the removal of a large portion of my stomach and small bowel, I have found that deep fried *crunchy* foods are now a large part of my diet.... ranging from chips/gems, to crumbed prawns, prawn toast, battered fish and all manner of Chinese deep fried Yum-Cha. The deep fried factor aids in the ease of passing thru' the gut, and digestion.
Of course.... I know that at the end of the day, it's not really healthy for me, but it's the only way I can get some variety and taste into my otherwise very bland diet. So I have to limit what I cook/deep fry, so that I don't end up beating the cancer, only to die of a heart attack!!
I've been looking at one of these things, but was very sceptical of it's actual effectiveness.
So I'd *really* love to win one and use the hell out of it 🙂
Padaek
When all else fails, deep fry it. In this case, Actifry it - woohoo! 🙂 Yep, that's what I'll do - I'll be actifrying anything that can be actifried - oriental chicken balls, chips, chicken necks, chicken hearts, chicken noses, you name it. We enjoy our fried foods, a lot, but also want to eat healthily, so this clever handsome kitchenhand would be a great help to have around. Love the look of the chicken and prawn balls. They look incredibly delicious! MMMMMMMmmm. 😀
Diana
Who doesn't love fried chicken?! It's a sublime feeling when you tuck into some crispy coated chicken while licking the seasoning from your fingers, but the amount of oil it takes to make them would send me broke, let alone giving me a one-way ticket to a heart attack! And so after a painful year of abstinence, i've begun to develop some serious cravings for it, and unfortunately, oven-fried chicken just isn't the same (whoever said it is, is the biggest liar!). The fact that the Tefal Actifry could fry some succulent drumsticks with only ONE tablespoon of oil is simply madness!! I'll probably have to make my own paper bucket!
Jenny Swift
Thank-you for such an informative and helpful review! My hubby has banned me from buying any more kitchen appliances (they're my ultimate weakness and total guilty pleasure) but after reading this I think the Tefal Actifry would definitely be worth breaking the rules for!
I'm on a health kick and am preparing a separate meal for myself while simultaneously cooking a family meal each night, so this nifty gadget would surely make life easier...
Would love to pop a beautiful portion of Tassie Salmon sprinkled with fresh chives in the top tray and hidden underneath on the bottom level would be Cajun seasoned sweet potato fries, a not-as-naughty version of fish and chips - YUM! 🙂
nicole o'brien
Sounds perfect for my dysfunctional family which involves oven and frying pan on to satisfy all members...I can do healthy vegies on the bottom and healthy chips (fries) on the top in the one appliance!!! Sounds brilliant Sara...and as my breadmaker went to tip heaven recently, there is ample room on my benchtop! Awesome review. Never heard of it before and now I want one! Please..... 😀
Chloe
I'm so glad you're doing the recipe to riches reviews again, I thoroughly enjoyed them (and how I found your wonderful blog).
I would make air-fried batteried mars bars (actually any chocolate bar I could get my hands on). I absolutely love them but feel like you're eating a years supply of fat in one mouthful.
Next would be salmon fillets, I suspect it would cook perfectly in an air-frier.
Marie Sharp
The Tefal Actifry cooks the salmon to perfection on the top tray while cooking potatoes in the bottom.
Jo Plaehn
My heart just broke, Aussies only. Off to go cry now.
Kim Cleary
I would like to try air frying my mini Thai chicken burgers
Pauline Camilleri
Thai fish cakes I would love to try. I love to make and eat but they are shallow fried absobing too much fat this could be a healthier way to eat lots more fish
Michelle V
My 4-yr-old daughter has an ongoing bowel condition and needs to avoid fried foods. This would be ideal to make some meals for all of us, so she doesn't have to miss out!
I'd make some yummy little arancini using brown rice, peas, cheese and sauce, coated in Weet-Bix crumb (I make Weet-Bix crumb using a mixture of crushed Weet-Bix and homemade wholemeal breadcrumbs)
or little chicken tenderloin strips with a garlic and parmesan crumb, served with a lovely salad.
And some lovely chunky chips would also be on the list of things to try!
Thank you for the opportunity to win!
Michelle
I've been curios about the Actifry for a long time! I am like you with bench space and it takes something pretty remarkable to get some valuable real estate! I would love to try and make kataifi prawns. They are so beautiful and yummy it would be good to test if they can be made healthier and how the Actifry deals with delicate prawns.
Great review, thank you!
Amanda @ Gourmanda
I would love to win this! I've always wanted to deep fry Chinese prawn crackers at home, but the amount of oil has always scared me off. This would be a great, healthier, solution!
Gigi
Mmmm let's see:
Corn dogs (the ones that you can buy in a carnival)
Deep fried (or rather, actifry) Oreos
Arancini balls
Buffalo wings
Cinnamon timbits
john | heneedsfood
I still don't get it. You achieved an all-over golden crust without turning them at all? And I'm very curious as to how a steak would go in such a device.
Helen W
John, I believe the mixing paddle can be used to "turn" the chips so it still remains handsfree but they do get moved about. @bellyrumbles feel free to correct me if I'm wrong!
Sara
There are two compartments. The bottom bowl is where you make the chips, and yes Helen you are correct there is a paddle that 'turns' the chips. It moves them around the non stick bowl and then they sort of flip over it when they gather at the bottom of it.
The top tray where I made the chicken balls actually rotates. So the balls don't turn over, they just rotate around in a circle. The hot air that is pushed through the Actifry is what gives them an all over golden colour. Best way to describe it is, it's like a fan forced oven on steroids.
Muppy
Considering it sounds like battered fish won't work I'm going for fried ice cream!! - a ball of frozen raspberry purée wrapped in spherical awesome vanilla ice cream and covered in a thick crumble topping and fried....I mean air fried -yum!
Justine
Too much oil is not good for the diet,
But if kids don’t get their snacks there will surely be a riot
The actifry will help me trick them with some tasty treats
so if I win, I’ll surely make them some crispy chicken for their eats!
Monique
This appliance has always been on my 'must try out' list. It intrigues me so much! I'd love to eat the fried foods I love without the guilt. I'd christen it by making sweet potato fries drizzled with garlic aioli and chives. Yeeeah!
Julie
My current oven is very old and does a crap job 🙁 . Would definitely try to make deep fried ice cream the healthy way =)
Vivian - vxdollface
ooh those balls look interesting, great idea to use bread! I'd love to make tatter tots with the actifry ^^
Tania @My Kitchen stories
Ha Sara, I think I'd like to cook these exotic looking chicken balls to see if I could make them look as perfect as yours.
LISA PHAM
OMG, fries with only a table of oil? I eat way too many fries and consume too much oil.
- I would eat my fries that were cooked with only a table of oil and top it up with cheese and truffle oil.
- Then I would make more fries and dip them in garlic chili sauce and put them in gyro bread.
- Then I would put a bed of fries and top with BBQ sauce and tasty cheese and if I was really naughty add bacon bits.
With the oil savings from Actifry, you can see I have come up with great ways to make up the calorie/fat intake.
Yum!
Lisa
milkteaxx
we were just discussing this at work the other day, I have limited kitchen space but am dying to try this out, so I wouldnt mind having one to try out!