Air Fryer Crunch Plate

Golden FROZN, warm grains, fresh veg and your favourite sauce. A proper lunch without starting from scratch.

15+ minAir FryerOn its ownEnergy required: Low. The air fryer does most of the work.

Some days you want a proper balanced meal, but you really don't want to spend half an hour making it.

Crispy golden patties from the air fryer, warm grains, whatever fresh vegetables you have and a sauce that brings everything together.

I love using Merchant Gourmet ready-to-eat grains because they're already cooked and take just a couple of minutes to heat. But rice, quinoa, bulgur or any grains you've cooked yourself work just as well.

It's a bowl you can make differently every time, depending on what's in the fridge.

Ingredients

  • 2-3 FROZN chicken patties
  • pouch Merchant Gourmet ready-to-eat grains (approximately 125g/250g), or your favourite cooked grains

Optional

  • Handful of rocket or mixed salad leaves
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Cucumber
  • Your favourite sauce or dressing
  • Good sauce options: Garlic yoghurt, Sriracha, mayo, Pesto, Ranch, Lemon and olive oil dressing

Method

  1. 1
    Preheat your air fryer to 175°C.
  2. 2
    Place FROZN chicken patties in the air fryer straight from frozen.
  3. 3
    Heat for 10–12 minutes at 175°C, following the pack instructions and ensuring they're piping hot throughout.
  4. 4
    Meanwhile, heat your Merchant Gourmet grains according to the packet instructions. If using grains cooked from scratch, prepare them according to their cooking instructions.
  5. 5
    Add the warm grains to a bowl, followed by the golden FROZN patties, whole or sliced.
  6. 6
    Finish with your favourite sauce, black pepper and a squeeze of lemon if you have one.

Why this works

A grain bowl doesn't need to be complicated.

You've got the grains, the vegetables, something saucy and the protein part already done.

Air frying gives FROZN a lovely golden outside, while keeping the inside tender and juicy.

And because you can use ready-cooked grains, most of this meal is just assembling things you already have.

Why you’ll make this again

  • Golden FROZN straight from the air fryer
  • Ready in around 5 minutes with ready-cooked grains
  • Easy to make with whatever vegetables you have
  • Works with any grain or sauce
  • A filling lunch or dinner without cooking raw chicken
  • Great for using up bits already in the fridge

Used in this recipe

FROZN — Real Frozen Chicken

Fully cooked British chicken, ready from frozen in around three minutes. The bit of the meal that's already done.

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Founder tip

I always try to keep a couple of Merchant Gourmet grain pouches in the cupboard. They're genuinely one of the easiest shortcuts for putting together a balanced meal. Add FROZN, some vegetables and a good sauce and you've got a proper lunch without much cooking at all. And if you've already cooked a batch of rice or quinoa, even better. Use that instead.