Recipe This | Air Fryer Curry (2024)

Jump to RecipePrint Recipe

This air fryer curry is delicious. The easiest ever curry in air fryer and made with sweet potatoes, chickpeas, spinach, and a creamy tikka masala sauce.

If you love a curry, and want an easy one to make first, then this air fryer curry recipe is for you.

Table of Contents

Curry Air Fryer

OMG curry air fryer you say????

I grew up on the English national dish as chicken tikka masala was my Dad’s favourite. The famous chicken curry was always served with a warm naan bread and usually involved either chips or rice (or both) and I still love it to this day.

But how about curry in air fryer?

You can saute in the meat or veggies in the air fryer basket like you would make a curry in the pan. Then add the sauce ingredients, let it finish off and you have a delicious curry.

You can also mix and match your air fryer curry. So instead of what they call the lame tikka masala you can swap for madras, korma, red thai, or another favourite of yours. You could also just add a jar of curry sauce to save any real prep – the choice is yours because it is your curry in the air fryer.

Air Fryer Easy Everyday

Air Fryer Easy Everyday is new for 2024, following on from our first air fryer cookbook. Our first cookbook sold over 100,000 copies worldwide is still selling well and has changed the way people use the air fryer.

In this newer air fryer cookbook (which is perfect for beginners) we have two curry recipes. One which is based on this one and sits in our vegetarian and vegan chapter, and also a chicken curry that sits in our dinners chapter. Plus, you will love our quick naan breads.

Read more about Air Fryer Easy Everyday here.

Can You Cook Curry In An Air Fryer?

Yes, you can cook curry in an air fryer and its delicious.

Air fryer curry works in a similar way to when you are cooking curry in a pan on the stovetop.

You sauté first your add ins, then add the curry sauce, then simmer.

Of course, with an air fryer curry you don’t have to stand over it and just need to return to the kitchen when the air fryer beeps.

Can You Cook Curry In Ninja Air Fryer?

Yes, you can also cook curry in Ninja Air Fryer and its even better, than in a standard air fryer basket.

That is because, you can remove the crisper plate and then transform your Ninja Air Fryer into a pan and then cook the curry sauce directly in the bottom, it becomes very efficient that way.

Can You Freeze Chickpea Curry?

Yes, you can freeze chickpea curry. I like to make my air fryer curry, let it cool down, which normally means having it for dinner, then assessing the leftovers.

Air Fryer Vegan Curry

This air fryer curry is vegan as is. This wasn’t intended to be, just that I love making a curry out of pantry staples. You can keep it vegan or add in other ingredients as you see fit. In Air Fryer Easy Everyday Cookbook we have it as a vegan recipe too – though in the book the naan bread we serve with it is vegetarian.

Would you like easy & amazing air fryer recipes from air fryer experts? Click here and join the Recipe This Newsletter. We will then send you the BEST air fryer beginner recipes direct to your email inbox along with other useful air fryer resources.

Curry Air Fryer Ingredients

Dry – We split our air fryer curry recipe ingredients into wet and dry. You air fry the dry ingredients first before adding the wet. For dry we used sweet potato, and drained chickpeas.

Wet – Then for wet ingredients we had coconut milk, passata, thawed spinach, curry paste, ginger paste and then seasonings.

Can You Recommend An Air Fryer?

I often get asked which air fryers I recommend and which one I use. In 95% of our air fryer recipes, we use either the Philips Air Fryer XL or the Cosori XL because they are the best ones, we have found out of many air fryers we have tried over the years. You can click on the links above and read up on them.

Plus, we recommend you head over to our air fryer recipes category as we have more than 500 tried and tested everyday air fryer recipes and have been air frying for 10+ years.

How To Cook Curry In Air Fryer?

Dry. Starting with the dry ingredients. Add cubed sweet potato and olive oil and seasonings are air fry. Add in chickpeas and continue air frying until the sweet potatoes are to your liking.
Wet. Whilst the air fryer is cooking the sweet potato and chickpeas, squeeze the extra moisture from the spinach, add all the sauce ingredients and mix well.
Combine. When the air fryer is done, combine everything and then pour into a container, or use the bottom of the Ninja Dual.
Cook. Finish by air frying until the sauce has reduced and you have a creamy and yummy air fryer curry recipe.

Curry Ninja Air Fryer

Ever since getting a Ninja Dual air fryer I have been obsessed with it. But the biggest admiration, is the ability to remove the crisper plate and then cook directly in the bottom.

We have done this for this curry in the air fryer and you can too. Or if you don’t have a Ninja Dual, you can place a silicone container into the air fryer at the point of when the sauce ingredients are added.

More Comfort Food In The Air Fryer

Air Fryer Garlic Crack Bread
Air Fryer Frozen Cauliflower Cheese
Air Fryer Chicken Pot Pie
Air Fryer Chilli Con Carne
Air Fryer Apple Pie
Air Fryer Chocolate Cake
Check out all our 600+ air fryer beginner recipes!

This is an updated post. We originally shared with you how to cook a curry in air fryer back in 2020 and we just love how simple and easy it is and have updated the photos for you too.

Learn How To Cook Curry In Air Fryer below, note you can print it out with or without photos, adjust servings, or click between metric and imperial depending on where you are in the world.

Though before you do, don’t forget to subscribe, and grab your FREE VIP Pass to Recipe This. You will get access to our latest recipes first, you will be able to request recipes, you will have access to free mini courses, free air fryer ebooks and useful air fryer cook time charts and so much more.

Print Recipe

4.67 from 3 votes

Air Fryer Curry

This air fryer curry is delicious. The easiest ever curry in air fryer and made with sweet potatoes, chickpeas, spinach, and a creamy tikka masala sauce.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time35 minutes mins

Total Time50 minutes mins

Ingredients

2 Medium Sweet Potatoes
400 g Chickpeas
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tsp Dried Coriander/Cilantro
¼ Tsp Mild Curry Powder
¼ Tsp Ground Turmeric
1 ¼ Tsp Garam Masala
Salt & Pepper

For The Curry Sauce

4 Frozen Spinach Blocks
400 g Coconut Milk
240 ml Passata
4 Tsp Tikka Paste
2 Tsp Ginger Puree
2 Tsp Dried Coriander/Cilantro
1 Tsp Ground Cumin

Kitchen Gadgets

Metric – Imperial

Instructions

Peel and dice the sweet potato into small cubes. Place into a mixing bowl with a teaspoon of coriander, a generous seasoning of salt and pepper and the olive oil.
Mix well with your hands and place in the air fryer and spread out for an even cook. Air fry, the sweet potatoes for 20 minutes at 180c/360f or until fork tender.
Add the chickpeas and ¼ tsp of garam masala. Shake the air fryer or mix with a spatula for an even coating. Air fry for another 5 minutes at the same temperature.
In the meantime, prepare your sauce ingredients. Microwave the spinach for 3 minutes on full power if not thawed already, then use your hands to squeeze out the excess moisture.
Add all the sauce ingredients with the chickpeas and sweet potatoes into a container, or directly in the bottom of the Ninja Dual and mix well.
Air fry the curry for 10 minutes at 180c/360f or until piping hot and reduced.
When it is ready it will have a curry colour to it and the sweet potato will be a little crispy on touch.

Notes

Flavours. You can mix and match with any favourite curry seasoning. You can also skip the process of making our sauce by using a jar of bought sauce.

Thanks for reading all about curry in an air fryer on Recipe This. We have many more air fryer recipes for you to check out next. Though if you love some chips with your curry, do try our air fryer chips, or if you prefer rice why not try our instant pot pilau rice.

Nutrition

Nutrition InfoPlease Note: Nutrition values are our best estimate based on the software we use at Recipe This and are meant as a guide. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

Did You Know We Have A Sunday Times Bestselling Air Fryer Cookbook?It has sold 100,000+ copies worldwide and is called The Complete Air Fryer Cookbook, gets you started with air frying with step by step pictures and it uses everyday ingredients. It is JUST £10 on Amazon in the UK and $15 in the USA.!

We Are Making You Another Air Fryer Cookbook!You can also pre-order Air Fryer Easy Everyday which is just how it sounds. Easy everyday recipes for those that want to learn the air fryer and have easy meals rather than fancy food you would never cook. Pre-order your copy here.!

Are We Friends On Pinterest?If we are not and you use Pinterest then follow us @RecipeThisBlog for more delicious recipes.

Fancy A Video?Subscribe to the Recipe This YouTube Channel for full length recipe videos. Don’t forget to click the bell icon to be notified when we upload a new video. Subscribe Here!

Copyright Notice© RecipeThis.com. ALL content including photos are copyright protected. Sharing of our recipes is both encouraged and appreciated via the social share buttons. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media channel or onto your own website is strictly prohibited.

Can’t make it now? Then save it for later!

FAQs

Can you cook currys in a air fryer? ›

Chicken, peppers and onions cooked in a creamy coconut curry sauce - this easy curry is made completely in the air fryer. It's all ready in less than 30 minutes!

Find Out More ›

What cooks better in an air fryer? ›

Some of the popular things to make in the air fryer are potatoes (chips, roasted, baked), muffins, scones, and cakes. It's also great for getting dinner on the table fast – we love to use our air fryer to make fritters, rissoles, nuggets, and pork belly (yes, you can cook raw meat in an air fryer).

What makes curry taste better? ›

The easiest way to fix a bland and tasteless curry is by adding spices like red chili powder, cumin, coriander, garam masala, curry leaves and turmeric. Just make a quick tempering and pour over the curry to give it a nice punch of spices and herbs.

Discover More ›

How do restaurants make curry so creamy? ›

The actual sweetness and creaminess of such curries meanwhile, usually comes from fried onions and either cashews and/or dairy products. Instead of (or in addition to) onion, ground coconut may be used. White poppy seeds and/or watermelon seeds are also used in some creamy sauces.

View Details ›

Can you put foil in an air fryer? ›

The great news about air fryers is that you can use foil along with parchment paper to cook your food in an air fryer. Just remember that if it's safe and effective to use in a conventional oven, it will work just fine in an air fryer.

Explore More ›

What is the general rule for cooking in the air fryer? ›

To cook fresh food in an air fryer, Jenny suggests subtracting 20°C from the typical oven temperature and reducing the oven cooking time by 20-25%. For example, if the oven instruction calls for cooking at 180°C for 25 minutes, set your air fryer to 160°C for 20 minutes.

Tell Me More ›

What spices add heat to curry? ›

What if your curry isn't spicy enough? Add a bit of cayenne, dried chile powder, or fresh chiles to boost the heat. If your curry is too hot, add coconut milk or yogurt to your sauce.

See Details ›

Is parchment paper safe in air fryer? ›

Parchment paper can handle the heat inside your air fryer - up to 428°F (220°C). To get the best results, add the parchment paper to the air fryer basket at the same time as you add your ingredients. This prevents the paper from lifting up and coming into contact with the heating element while cooking.

Tell Me More ›

Does turmeric make curry hot? ›

Turmeric. This vibrantly coloured spice is closely related to ginger and gives curries their distinctive yellow colour. The spice is mild and adds aromatic notes of both ginger and orange.

Find Out More ›

Why are people getting rid of air fryers? ›

And because they also use little to no oil compared to other traditional cooking methods, they're also seen as a healthy alternative. But now, shoppers have been ditching their air fryers in favour of a different gadget that's said to be even cheaper - and even healthier - when it comes to preparing meals.

Find Out More ›

What is the best meat to air fry? ›

As with all dry-heat cooker methods (grilling, broiling, pan frying and oven roasting), tender beef cuts perform best in the air fryer. Those cuts include Top Sirloin, KC Strip, Ribeye, Tenderloin and Tri Tip. Ground beef also can be easily prepared in an air fryer.

Read On ›

Can I fry an egg in an air fryer? ›

Place it in the fryer basket and preheat it for 5 minutes at 400°F (204 °C). Crack an egg to a small cup and slide the egg to the hot pan. Air fry at 350°F (177°C) for 3 minutes for a sunny side over easy fried egg. If you prefer a fried egg with medium egg yolk, add 1 more minute to the cooking time.

Learn More ›

What gives curry depth? ›

You can give a curry depth by adding umami goodness. Umami is one of the basic five tastes and is often described as a meaty, savoury deliciousness that deepens a dish's flavour.

View Details ›

What makes Indian curry taste authentic? ›

Kesuri Methi, aka dried fenugreek leaves. Toasted and sprinkled in at the end, it gives the "restaurant taste" of most Indian curries. Fresh, toasted spices. Usually whole and ground right before blooming them in oil, before adding the liquid to build the curry gravy.

Explore More ›

How to get really tender chicken in a curry? ›

Marinate chicken with little bit of ginger garlic paste, salt, oil, curd, or lemon juice and keep it for 2 hours. You also can keep it inside the fridge for 12 hours for extra softness. If you are in hurry then keep it for at least 30 minutes.