How Unilever is targeting the air fryer boom as cooking habits reshape food innovation

Air fryers are reshaping at-home cooking habits and influencing food innovation, creating opportunities for manufacturers as consumers seek convenient, flavor-led meals. From adapting existing products to exploring new formats and flavor profiles, the appliance — widely regarded as one of the most significant shifts in home cooking technology in recent years — is becoming an increasingly important consideration for food brands.

Against this backdrop, Food Ingredients First speaks exclusively with Unilever about how air fryers are shaping its innovation strategy and where the next opportunities lie. 

The interview follows the launch of a new Knorr range of bold-flavored seasonings and crispy coating mixes developed for air fryer cooking. The range forms part of a partnership with Versuni, the makers of Philips air fryers, combining recipes, in-app content, and social media campaigns to inspire air fryer-led home cooking.

From cooking trend to kitchen infrastructure

Once considered an alternative to conventional frying, the air fryer is becoming an established fixture in home kitchens, creating new considerations for food brands across multiple categories. Beyond convenience, consumers are looking for crisp textures and new ways to prepare familiar dishes, prompting manufacturers to rethink how products are seasoned, coated, and prepared.

“At Knorr, our role is to provide that spark of inspiration and give home cooks the confidence to discover their cooking potential. By combining our flavor and culinary expertise with easy-to-use solutions, we can help people turn everyday ingredients into simple, delicious meals,” Joanny Lijbers, VP, Cooking Aids & Marketing Transformation at Unilever Foods Europe, tells us. 

“For example, our recent launches, including Crispy Garlic Chicken in the Netherlands and Chicken Nuggets in Germany, help consumers achieve a crispy, perfectly seasoned coating while keeping the chicken juicy inside. Our ambition is to make great taste easy to achieve.”

“An air fryer can make cooking easier, saving users an average of 19 minutes per meal, or around 1.5 hours across a working week, but it doesn’t necessarily answer that everyday question: “What shall we cook tonight?,” she says.

The inspiration gap

Convenience alone does not necessarily translate into cooking inspiration. Knorr’s research found that nearly one in three weekday cooks (31%) say a lack of inspiration is a challenge, highlighting an opportunity for brands to help consumers explore new flavors, textures, and cooking ideas.Air fryers are reshaping home cooking, driving demand for crispier textures, and inspiring food brands to rethink product coatings and seasonings.

“That’s why the role of food brands goes beyond providing ingredients. It’s about providing the inspiration to get started and the confidence to turn that inspiration into a flavorsome meal. For example, our Knorr recipe hub features 20+ recipes created using Knorr products and Philips air fryer models, including popular in-app recipe content like “three ways to level up your fries” and “four secrets to perfect chicken breast at home,” Lijbers says.

“In key markets, such as Germany, Poland, and the Netherlands, our air fryer recipe content is generating around 4,000 views and hundreds of likes per market, demonstrating strong consumer engagement. ‘Viral Doner Kebab’ is the standout engagement performer, delivering the strongest like-to-view ratio and share volumes across markets.”

Technology and brand partnerships

Through the multi-year collaboration, Knorr is combining its culinary expertise with Versuni’s technology, including its SteamFry functionality. SteamFry combines air frying with steam cooking to deliver crispy exteriors while helping retain moisture inside food.

“What makes our partnership with Versuni so exciting is that we’re bringing together two complementary areas of expertise around one shared ambition — inspiring people and giving them the confidence to create delicious meals at home,” Lijbers says. 

“Philips brings the cooking technology, while Knorr brings flavor and culinary expertise. Innovations such as SteamFry create opportunities to explore different combinations of flavor and texture.”

“Strategically, this is about moving beyond thinking about individual products or appliances in isolation and toward the overall cooking experience, with the best technology empowering consumers to bring creative ideas to life.” 

For Knorr, the more important question is how the rise in air fryer cooking is changing what people want to cook and where they still need inspiration, confidence, and support.

This could shape what comes next.

“Our ambition extends beyond the product,” says Lijbers. “We want to be a source of inspiration for home cooks, which means being present in the places they increasingly turn to for ideas. Through our ‘Sounds of Flavour’ platform and ‘Crunch It!’ campaign, we’re bringing the joy of cooking to life through creators, music, and real-life ‘Kitchen Concert’ experiences.”

“It’s part of our wider social-first transformation, moving from simply communicating product benefits toward sparking inspiration, participation, and conversation around food. Ultimately, we want Knorr to be the flavor expert that gives people an idea, the confidence to try it and the tools to transform it into something simply delicious.”

Combining convenience with bold flavors and texture 

Unilever’s research highlights how frequently UK consumers are using air fryers, with 87% of owners using the appliance weekly and 57% preparing three or more main evening meals in it each week.Air fryers are driving food innovation, encouraging brands to develop convenient, flavor-focused products and explore new formats.

Usage is also influencing ingredient choices — 70% say they use crispy coatings more often since owning an air fryer, while 60% report increased use of seasoning blends and 53% of marinades.

Research from the US trade body, the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association, shows that frozen and refrigerated manufacturers and retailers are well-positioned to capitalize on the rising trend of air fryer cooking.

Air fryers are now present in nearly three-quarters of American households, with more than half of owners saying the appliance has prompted them to buy more frozen foods. This rises to 61% among core users, 67% among Millennials, and 63% among Gen Z.

McCain has responded to growing air fryer use by highlighting products suited to the appliance and adapting cooking guidance to help consumers achieve the desired crispness and texture. The frozen food company recently unveiled its air-fryer-specific fries, while its competitor Pilgrim’s has developed Flamin’ Hot chicken tenders for air-fryer cooking.

Innova Market Insights also identifies air fryer compatibility as an emerging consideration in UK convenience meals. Its research shows air-fryer-ready products rising from virtually zero of UK launches in 2020–2021 to around 5% in 2024–2025. Microwaveable formats, meanwhile, still feature in approximately 46% of launches.

“Brands are responding with dedicated air fryer ranges, appliance-brand collaborations, and front-of-pack air-fry instructions that signal the meal belongs in the new kitchen workflow. It is the most visible technology shift the category has seen in a decade,” says the market researcher.

Move over microwaves

It’s clear that brands will continue to innovate air fryer products as the appliances become even more embedded in everyday dinner occasions, but questions remain whether air fryers have permanently changed the at-home cooking landscape.

Over the years ahead, Knorr plans to keep a focus on the evolving needs of home cooks and understanding where its flavor and culinary expertise can turn inspiration into food with greater ease and confidence. 

“We’re also seeing how social media, creators, and food culture increasingly shape what people want to cook,” Lijbers says.

“That makes cultural relevance increasingly important. The opportunity is to identify the ideas that inspire people and translate them into accessible cooking experiences they feel confident recreating at home.”

“Technology will continue to evolve, and food trends will change, but the underlying human need will remain consistent: people want inspiration, the confidence to create, and food that tastes great.”