A 3 litre air fryer is ideal for cooking meals for 1-2 people, producing perfectly crispy food with little oil. This compact size fits neatly on worktops while still handling most everyday dishes with ease.
The 3 litre capacity is perfect for small portions of proteins like chicken thighs, salmon fillets, or shrimp. You can find excellent recipes for these at airfryerrecipe.co.uk/chicken and airfryerrecipe.co.uk/salmon. Vegetables roast beautifully too - try broccoli, peppers or sweet potato wedges.
While you won't fit a whole chicken in a 3 litre air fryer, it's brilliant for cooking components of a meal simultaneously. For example, you could cook salmon fillets on one side of the basket and asparagus on the other. The hot air circulation ensures everything cooks evenly.
As a general rule, a 3l air fryer can handle about 500g of food at once. That's roughly 2 chicken breasts, 4-5 chicken wings, or 2 medium-sized salmon fillets. For vegetables, you can cook about 300-400g per batch.
If you're cooking for two, you might need to cook protein and veg separately. Check out our air fryer conversion chart to adjust oven recipes for your 3 litre model. Remember not to overcrowd the basket - leave space for air to circulate.
Some foods work particularly well in a 3l air fryer. Smaller items like shrimp, chicken wings, and meatballs cook evenly without needing to be turned. Roasted vegetables like Brussels sprouts or green beans get beautifully crispy. You can even bake small batches of cookies or roast nuts.
One advantage of a smaller air fryer is how easy it is to clean. The compact basket and drawer fit in most sinks. For tough grease, try our recommended air fryer cleaner solutions that won't damage the non-stick coating.
After each use, wipe down the exterior with a damp cloth. The removable parts are usually dishwasher safe, but check your manual. Regular cleaning prevents smoke and maintains performance in your 3 litre air fryer.
A 3l air fryer uses significantly less energy than heating a conventional oven. It's perfect for cooking small meals without wasting electricity. Preheating takes just 2-3 minutes compared to 10-15 minutes for an oven.
Discover hundreds of perfectly portioned recipes at airfryerrecipe.co.uk/recipes. Our favourites for this size include crispy chicken wings (about 6-8 at a time), roasted vegetable medleys, and individual portions of fish like salmon or cod.
For vegetarian options, try halloumi fries, stuffed mushrooms or crispy tofu. The vegetable recipe category has brilliant ideas for making the most of your 3 litre air fryer's capacity.
In a 3 litre air fryer, shaking the basket halfway through cooking ensures all surfaces get crispy. For thicker items like chicken breasts, you might need to flip them. Use kitchen tongs rather than metal utensils to protect the non-stick coating.
