Air Fryer Recipe
Chickpea and Spinach Frittata
Elevate your culinary game with this nutritious and scrumptious chickpea and spinach frittata, perfect for air frying.
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup chickpeas (cooked and drained, or canned)
- 100g fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 100g feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Optional: Fresh herbs like parsley or dill for garnish
Method
- Preheat air fryer to 180°C (350°F).
- Whisk eggs with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
- Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent.
- Add spinach to the pan and sauté until wilted, then remove from heat.
- Combine chickpeas, sautéed vegetables, and feta cheese in a bowl.
- Pour whisked eggs over the mixture and stir gently.
- Transfer mixture to an air fryer-safe dish and smooth the top.
- Cook in air fryer for 15-20 minutes, checking doneness with a skewer.
- Let cool slightly, garnish with herbs, and serve warm.
Why this works in an air fryer
The air fryer’s top-down convection sets the egg proteins quickly around the drier chickpeas and wilted spinach, while feta adds salt and fat without making the centre watery. Pre-wilting spinach drives off moisture, preventing a steamed, loose frittata, and a shallow dish gives enough surface area for even setting.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 20cm round or similar shallow air-fryer-safe dish in a 5–6 litre basket with air space around it; in a single-drawer model place it centrally, while dual-zone drawers are often narrower so use a smaller dish and expect 2–4 minutes longer because the egg layer is deeper.
Common pitfalls
- Wet patch in the centre after 20 minutes? The dish is too deep or the spinach was under-wilted; cook 3–5 minutes more at 160°C and next time squeeze excess moisture from the spinach before mixing.
- Top browning before the middle sets? The dish is sitting too close to the heating element; lower to 160°C, cover loosely with foil, and continue until a skewer comes out without liquid egg.
- Rubbery edges with a sunken centre? The frittata has been cooked too hot or too long; pull it when the centre has a slight wobble, as carry-over heat will finish the set during resting.
- Chickpeas taste dry or chalky? They were not well drained or evenly mixed into the egg; pat canned chickpeas dry and fold gently so they are coated rather than sitting exposed on the surface.
Variations & substitutions
- Swap feta for grated mature Cheddar for a richer, more melting finish; it browns faster, so check the top from minute 12.
- Use frozen spinach instead of fresh, but thaw and squeeze it very dry first or the egg mixture will take longer to set and may weep.
- Replace chickpeas with cooked lentils for a softer texture; because lentils hold more surface moisture, extend cooking by 2–3 minutes if the centre looks loose.
- Add roasted red peppers or sun-dried tomatoes for sweetness, but drain and pat them dry so they do not create watery pockets in the frittata.
Storage & reheating
Keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days, then reheat slices in the air fryer at 160°C for 4–6 minutes until hot through.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
