AIR -FRYER RECIPES: TRI-TIP & CRISPY PARMESAN ZUCCHINI FRIES

A delicious, easy dinner using my favorite appliance - the air fryer. I have to admit I am kind of a newb when it comes to air fryer recipes. My sister bought me my first Cosori Air Fryer for Christmas 2022 so I have been enjoying experimenting with all sorts of recipes this year from reheating leftovers to full on cooking a tri-tip beef roast. And let me tell you, it came out PERFECTLY cooked! So cool! Here is a yummy dinner we had the other night that I knew I had to share with you. Let me know what you love making in your air fryer too in the comments.

I find these delicious MEAT DISTRICT pre-marinated tri-tips at my local grocery store or at Costco that make for a super quick weeknight dinner in a hurry. We don't often eat meat as the main star of our meals anymore so when we do have a roast or something its pretty exciting around here! HA! With 3 kids, I find they have different tastes when it comes to what meat they will eat but all three of mine love beef. I am from Southern California where Santa Maria style tri-tip is something you can get on the side of the road (and it is boommmbbbbbb) so any chance I get to enjoy tri-tip I am taking it so these are perfect for us. We often have enough leftovers for my husband to make a sandwich or two out of what we don't eat for dinner so its an easy win for me when packing his lunch!

#1 TIP FOR COOKING TRI-TIP IN THE AIR FRYER

Ok so you are going to want to make sure you don't overcook your tri-tip. Air fryers cook quickly and are great for saving on time but be careful to start with less time than you think you might need then add more if needed so you don't go too long and dry out the meat. Try setting your air fryer to 360 for 18 minutes for a nice medium roast with some more well done edges and a pinky center.

Simply place the raw meat directly into the pre-heated air fryer. I don't add any extra seasoning or oil when using the Meat District brand pre-marinated tri tip but if it has not been seasoned here is what I like to use for a delicious version every time -

TRI-TIP MARINADE / SEASONING

• 2 teaspoons sea salt

• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

• Juice of 1 lime

• Dash of hot sauce I like Cholula or Tapatio or Truff

• 2 teaspoons garlic powder

• 1 ½ teaspoons paprika

• 2 teaspoons onion powder

• 1 (2 1/2 pound) beef tri-tip roast

• ⅓ cup red wine vinegar

• ⅓ cup vegetable oil

• 2 cloves crushed garlic

• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

1. Combine the dry seasonings together in a little bowl.

2. Combine the oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic in another bowl.

3. Rub the tri-tip with the oil-mustard mixture then sprinkle the dry seasoning rub all over the outer surface of the tri tip.

4. Wrap the tri tip in plastic or set into a glass bowl, wrap in plastic and let sit in the fridge for up to 24 hours or so.

5. Remove the meat from the refrigerator about 30 minutes prior to cooking time.

6. Cook as you'd like either in the air fryer, on the grill, or in the oven.

Try slicing up your tri tip and using it on ciabatta buns for yummy sandwiches - simply add your favorite sandwich fixings like mayo, bbq sauce, cheese, mustards, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, etc etc etc. OR serve the meat straight up with a nice pile of potatoes and veggies - whatever you choose it will be awesome!

Here is how we made the Zucchini Fries in the Air Fryer too ->

INGREDIENTS

3 medium zucchinis, cut into spears

2-3 medium yellow squash, cut into spears

Olive oil

Parmesan cheese

Bread Crumbs

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Sea Salt

Pepper

Homemade Ranch Dressing

1 cup mayo

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp dried dill weed

2 tsp dried chives

1 tsp parsley

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

Water or milk if too thick

Wash your zucchini and yellow squash. I advise using a cute little helper. Cut the veggies into spears and set aside.

In a large bowl combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (I only had shredded but I wish I used grated), and 1 cup of bread crumbs and combine. Season with salt and pepper. Toss together to coat well.

Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees and make sure its pre-heated for about 10 minutes. Add the spears and air fry for 8-10 minutes, shake, then start again for another 8-10 minutes or until perfectly crispy.

ENJOY!