3-Ingredient Air Fryer Meal Challenge

by Barry Lewis

Ingredients

Chorizo & Red Onion Omelette Bites:

Eggs

Chorizo (sliced or diced, ready to cook)

Red onion (fresh or pre-diced frozen)

Garlic Bread Tuna Melt:

Frozen garlic bread (slices or baguette)

Tin of tuna (in brine, water or oil, drained)

Cheese slices (cheddar, mozzarella, or your choice)

Katsu Curry with Frozen Chicken:

Frozen breaded chicken fillets

Microwave rice pouch

Katsu curry sauce (jar or ready-made pouch)

Berry Crumble:

Frozen mixed berries (bag)

Jar of apple sauce

Granola (your choice – plain or nutty)

3-Ingredient Air Fryer Meals – Can You Cook a Full Day’s Worth of Food?

Can you really make a full day of air fryer meals using just three ingredients per dish? No extra seasoning, no additional sides—just three full items per meal. That was the challenge I set myself, and honestly, I wasn’t sure if this was going to be a success or a complete disaster.

I put my air fryer to the test to see if I could make a full day’s worth of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert using only three ingredients per recipe. The results? Some dishes worked surprisingly well, while others… well, you’ll just have to read on to find out.


Chorizo & Red Onion Omelette Bites (Breakfast)

Starting the day with an omelette is usually a safe bet, but with only three ingredients, there’s no room for extras like milk, seasoning, or butter.

The chorizo adds loads of seasoning on its own, so even without salt and pepper, these came out packed with flavour. Air frying them in silicone muffin cups made them light, fluffy, and super easy to eat on the go.


Garlic Bread Tuna Melt (Lunch)

This was either going to be genius or a disaster. A tuna melt, but swapping out normal bread for garlic bread? Definitely a risk, but I had to give it a go.

It actually worked. The garlic butter soaked into the bread, making it crispy and full of flavour, and the cheese melted perfectly over the tuna. A tuna melt with an upgrade.


Katsu Curry with Frozen Chicken (Dinner)

This is a go-to comfort meal, but could I make it work with just three ingredients? Turns out, yes.

The air fryer crisps up the chicken fillet beautifully, and the katsu sauce brings everything together, making it feel like a proper takeaway meal. Considering this took barely any effort, I’d definitely make this again.


Berry Crumble (Dessert)

This one was a bit of an experiment. No butter, no sugar, no flour—just three ingredients to make a crumble-style dessert.

Surprisingly, it actually worked. The apple sauce added natural sweetness, the berries softened beautifully, and the granola gave it a crunchy topping. If you want something quick, warm, and comforting, this is an easy win.


Final Thoughts – Would I Do It Again?

Honestly? Yes. Some of these meals turned out far better than I expected, proving that you don’t need loads of ingredients to make great food. The air fryer made everything easy, crispy, and actually enjoyable to eat.

So, what do you think—would you try this challenge? Let me know in the comments what three-ingredient meals you’d come up with, or if you’d end up sneaking in a fourth ingredient when no one was looking.

If you love air fryer cooking, I’ve also tested out budget vs luxury air fryers—you can check that out [here]

For more simple meal ideas, check out the 3-ingredient recipes playlist [here] and the air fryer recipes playlist [here].