Healthier Air Fried Po Boy Recipes

VEGAN PO' BOY (WITH FRIED OYSTER MUSHROOMS!)

Steps:

• Take a damp paper towel and begin to wipe down your oyster mushrooms (this is how you clean mushrooms). If you rinse them instead, be sure to pat them dry with a paper towel. Set aside to begin making your batter.
• In the meantime, grab your cast-iron skillet and add enough oil for frying leaving about an inch or so of room from the at the top of the skillet. (The amount will vary depending on the vessel you are using to fry. For a deep fryer I tend to use the entire bottle of oil. For my cast iron skillet, I use ¾ of a 24-ounce bottle of oil).
• Turn heat on high and heat oil for 2 - 3 minutes until it is hot. If you have thermometer, it should read between 350°F (175°C) - 400°F (200°C). I don't use a thermometer so how I test my oil is by dipping a small piece of battered oyster mushroom in the oil. If it sizzles, that means it's ready.
• Take your marinated mushrooms and dip them in to your dry batter fully coating. I like to do this one at a time to make sure they are fully coated in the dry flour mixture. However, you can add multiple pieces in your dry batter at a time. Begin to add these pieces to your oil to begin frying.

AIR-FRIED CRISPY FISH PO' BOYS WITH CHIPOTLE SLAW

Steps:

• Coat an air fryer basket with cooking spray. Rinse fish fillets and pat dry with paper towels.
• Combine flour, black pepper, salt, and garlic powder in a shallow dish. Whisk egg and water together in a second shallow dish. Combine bread crumbs and cornmeal in a third shallow dish.
• Dip each fish fillet until fully coated in the flour mixture, then in the egg mixture, and finally in the bread crumb mixture. Spray fillets with cooking spray and place in the prepared air fryer basket in a single layer, cooking in batches if necessary.
• Cook in the air fryer at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) until breaded coating is browned and fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, 6 to 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice, salt, and dried chipotle pepper in a medium bowl. Add coleslaw mix and cilantro; toss to coat.
• Serve fish fillets in hoagie rolls. Top with chipotle slaw and queso fresco and serve with lime wedges.

HEALTHIER AIR-FRIED PO' BOY

Steps:

• Whisk lemon juice, oil, garlic, tarragon, mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt together in a bowl. Add coleslaw mix and toss to coat.
• Whisk buttermilk, hot sauce, cayenne, chipotle pepper, black pepper, and remaining salt together in another bowl. Add shrimp to buttermilk mixture, tossing to coat; let marinate about 5 minutes.
• Add 2/3 cup panko to a shallow dish. Remove shrimp from buttermilk mixture, letting excess drip off. Working in 3 batches, dredge 1/3 of the shrimp in 2/3 cup panko, turning evenly to coat. Transfer to a baking sheet and repeat with remaining shrimp and panko.
• Preheat an air fryer to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) according to manufacturer's instructions.
• Working in batches if necessary, arrange shrimp in a single layer in the fryer basket. Cook, turning once, until shrimp are golden brown and cooked through, about 8 minutes.
• To serve, put coleslaw in rolls and top with shrimp.

FRIED PORTOBELLO PO'BOYS

Steps:

• Marinate the mushrooms: Whisk the buttermilk and 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning in a large bowl, then add the portobellos and toss to coat. Refrigerate for 4 hours.
• About 30 minutes before frying, make the slaw: Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, sugar, mustard seeds, garlic, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper in a bowl. Add the coleslaw mix, red cabbage and scallions; toss lightly. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Bread the mushrooms: Combine the flour, remaining 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning, the baking powder and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a large shallow dish. Remove the mushrooms from the buttermilk marinade and coat in the seasoned flour (you can also shake the mushrooms with the seasoned flour in a paper bag). Shake off any excess flour and transfer the breaded mushrooms to a large plate.
• Fill a large cast-iron skillet halfway with vegetable oil and fit the skillet with a deep-fry thermometer; heat the oil to 350˚ F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set a rack on top.
• Add 6 to 8 mushroom slices to the hot oil and cook 3 to 4 minutes, then flip and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 more minutes. Remove to the rack. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms.
• Make the sandwiches: Lay the tomatoes and pickles on the bottoms of the bread, then top with the fried mushrooms, red onion and slaw. Close the sandwiches and cut each loaf in half.