Air fry anything to a crisp with this easy batter

Creating crunch without a ton of oil is the air fryer’s biggest flex

Welcome back to another week of Air Fryer August deliciousness here at Cool Beans! The final weeks of summer are upon us, and what better way to celebrate than with a big platter of fried veggies to enjoy poolside. Crispy snacks and summer go hand in hand, but who wants to stand over a pot of hot oil? The air fryer can get those finger foods brown and crispy quicker than pan-frying—and with zero spattering and significantly less oil and energy. 

TBH, it’s probably the countertop appliance’s biggest flex. The fan in an air fryer circulates hot air fast, so it touches and toasts up every bit of food and produces a golden, crispy crust similar to deep-fat frying. Today, I’m deploying mine to make a quick fritto misto—that’s “mixed fry” in Italian—which is typically a battered and fried mix of seafood and vegetables. This take, which I designed to use up bits and bobs from the kitchen, swaps the seafood for craggy, crispy tofu nuggets. 

A go-to batter for air-fried anything

Credit: Gabriella Vigoreaux

A classic fritto misto batter is wet and intended for frying in oil, but we’re going with a three-step breading technique that ends with a breadcrumb coat. This helps keep your air fryer from becoming a big, sticky mess. In the first step, a layer of cornstarch helps the batter adhere to the tofu and veggies better. Then we dredge in a batter made with flour and club soda. (The carbonation inhibits gluten development, leading to a lighter, more aerated breading.) Finally we dunk in some seasoned breadcrumbs, which helps seal in the batter and provides extra crunch for a lighter, crispier misto. 

This recipe is highly adaptable to whatever veggies you have on hand or whatever’s in season. I went with green beans, broccolini, and wild ’shrooms because 1) longer veggies are fun to eat and 2) torn mushrooms get mega crunchy due to their irregular shapes. Try it with asparagus, cauliflower florets, or even thinly sliced squash in the fall. You can even throw some chickpeas in the mix for a li’l extra protein. 

It’s, of course, sacrilege to have fried food without dipping sauce. To get the coastal Italian vibes without using seafood, some Japanese furikake seasoning (I get mine at Trader Joe’s) or ground-up toasted nori adds a little oceanic funk to store-bought mayo. A pulverized pack of seaweed snacks would work, too. The basil sauce from last week’s air-fryer stuffed peppers would also be super yummy here—if you still have some lingering in the fridge. 

Air-Fryer Fritto Misto with Nori Mayo

Yield: 3 to 4 servings