Say everybody have you seen my balls? They’re big, cheesy and hot! I think they might also be good for you too. Cook these in an oven or an air fryer and then pop these airfryer cheesy courgette balls in your mouth. Mmmmmm mmm!
Air fryer cheesy courgette balls are a great base recipe for whatever you have hanging around in the larder. Stick to the cheese, eggs and flour, and for the rest you can go off-piste kitchen freestyin’. You can pretty much juggle anything you like in here.
Suggested listening while cooking this recipe.
Air Fryer Cheesy Courgette Balls Ingredients.
- 2 courgettes
- 1 block of halloumi cheese
- Handful of sweetcorn (frozen or canned + drained)
- 2 eggs
- Oregano leaves, chopped. I used parsley and basil because that’s all I had. It’s all cool.
- 100g of self raising flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder for extra lift.
- Ground pepper
- Mayonnaise
- Smoked paprika
Method.
- Wash your hands, because you are going to get very hands on.
- Grate the courgettes into a bowl and squeeze all the liquid out with your hands. Then squeeze again. Really go for it. Discard the liquid, or maybe try drinking it.
- Grate the halloumi into the bowl, watching your knuckles when you get to the last bit. No one likes picking bits of themselves out of a bowl. Don’t ever ask me about how I misplaced the end of my thumb, especially if you ate pizza in Bournemouth in the late 80’s.
- Whisk the eggs, and lob them in the bowl.
- Flour, baking powder, sweetcorn, pepper and chopped oregano also go in.
- Mix that lot up.
- Shape into small balls about the size of a conker at about 40mm diameter.
- Pop them on a lightly oiled plate and place in the fridge for a while to set.
- Get you air fryer or oven going, and stick your balls in there on a non-stick tray. Give them about 180°C, for about 8-12 minutes. But do cook with your eyes and check your balls regularly. Once firm you can roll them over to get the underside crispy. You are looking for beautiful golden balls.
- Mix some smoked paprika with the mayo, and that is your dip. Maybe garnish the mayo with some chopped parsley for extra colour and Instagram show off points.
Experiments And Deviations.
This basic recipe works with almost anything. Try roasted red peppers or mushroom. Dice up a chilli for extra bang in your balls. And try my fishy balls… it’s also pretty damned good with prawns, courgette, chilli and a little lemon zest, a bit like this other Dorsetshire hairy food botherer’s recipe where Hugh uses breadcrumbs instead of flour.
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I cooked air fryer cheesy courgette balls at Singletrack Towers recently and served them with a “Pub Bike Gumbo“. And not for the first time I tricked Mark into eating courgettes, a vegetable he is fundamentally opposed to.
Why Use an Air Fryer?
Buying an air fryer has been a significant game changer in my kitchen. The air fryer to oven ratio is around 40:1. The oven gets used around once a month.
Air fryers use convection technology, circulating hot air around the food to create a crispy exterior, similar to deep-frying but with significantly less oil. Really, they are just small fan ovens. They are compact, preheat quickly, and are ideal for small portions or single servings. Air fryers are great for cooking frozen foods like fries, chicken wings, roast vegetables or fish, delivering crispy results without the need for excessive oil.
Air fryers also cook food in around half the time so they use significantly less electricity. However, I can confirm you can cram a small roast chicken in a Ninja Foodi Dual Zone Air Fryer.
