Fried polenta in the air fryer gives you crispy sticks of cooked polenta with a golden crust and a soft, creamy centre. The dish is a northern Italian classic that is traditionally deep-fried, but in the air fryer you get by with 2 tbsp of olive oil and avoid both the pot of hot oil and the smell of frying in the kitchen.
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The secret is patience. The polenta is cooked and spread out in a dish, and it has to be completely cold and firm before you cut it, otherwise the sticks will fall apart. Then you brush them with oil and air fry them in a single layer at 200 °C. Serve them hot with sea salt, finely grated parmesan and marinara or ketchup for dipping.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents
Why I love fried polenta in the air fryer
Fried polenta is one of those dishes where a few cheap ingredients turn into something everyone reaches for. Water, salt, polenta and a little olive oil are all the sticks need. The rest is about texture: a crisp surface and a soft inside. In northern Italy, fried polenta is a classic way to give yesterday’s leftovers new life.
I like that most of it can be done ahead of time. The polenta can sit in the fridge overnight, so all you have to do is cut, brush and air fry when your guests arrive. If you want more flavour, cook the polenta in vegetable stock instead of water, or stir 25 g of finely grated parmesan and a little finely chopped rosemary into the hot polenta before you spread it out.
Air fryer instead of deep-frying
Traditionally, fried polenta is deep-fried. That gives a lovely crust, but also a pot of hot oil that has to be watched and then dealt with afterwards. In the air fryer you simply brush the sticks on all sides with 2 tbsp of olive oil, and the hot air does the rest. The crust ends up slightly more toasted than the deep-fried version, but in return the corn flavour comes through more clearly.
My kitchen test of fried polenta
I tested fried polenta in my Cosori Dual Blaze at 200 °C. The sticks first got 9 minutes without being moved and then another 9 minutes after a careful turn with tongs, so 18 minutes in the air fryer in total. The Dual Blaze has heating elements both above and below in the same basket, which gives an even colour on the top and bottom, but I still turn the sticks halfway through, as the recipe says.
What matters most is the chilling. After the 2 hours in the fridge that the recipe requires as a minimum, I could cut the slab into around 20 sticks without them crumbling, and after a night in the fridge the polenta was even firmer. The preparation takes 25 minutes including cooking, because quick-cook polenta only needs to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Leave the sticks completely untouched for the first 9 minutes. Once the crust has set, they release from the basket on their own.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The most common mistake is impatience. If you cut the polenta while it is still lukewarm or soft, the sticks fall apart, so give it at least 2 hours in the fridge, preferably overnight. The next mistake is overfilling the basket. If the sticks lie close together or on top of each other, they steam instead of crisping, so place them in a single layer with air between them, and air fry in two batches rather than one. The third mistake is moving them too early. If you turn the sticks before the crust has set, they stick to the basket and break, so leave them for the first 9 minutes, and turn them carefully with tongs.
How to serve fried polenta
Fried polenta should be eaten hot, while the crust is crisp. Sprinkle the sticks with sea salt and finely grated parmesan as soon as they come out of the basket, and serve them like this:
- Marinara sauce for dipping, where the acidity of the tomato complements the mild corn flavour
- Ketchup for dipping, when the kids are joining in
- As a starter with olives, sun-dried tomatoes and grilled vegetables
- As a side dish instead of French fries with tonight’s main course
Storage and reheating
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The sticks go soft when chilled, but get their crispness back when you reheat them in the air fryer at 180 °C for 4-5 minutes, until they are heated through. You can also freeze the cut sticks, before they are cooked, for up to 2 months. Brush them with oil while still frozen, and air fry them straight from frozen with 3-4 extra minutes.
Fried polenta in the air fryer shows that crispy does not have to mean deep-fried. Give the polenta peace and quiet in the fridge, lay the sticks in a single layer and let them take care of themselves for the first 9 minutes, and you have an Italian snack that disappears from the dish in no time.
FAQ
The polenta was not cold and firm enough when you cut it. Chill it for at least 2 hours in the fridge, preferably overnight, and leave the sticks untouched for the first 9 minutes so they form a crust and release from the basket on their own.
Yes, but the recipe is designed for quick-cook polenta, which only needs to simmer for 5 minutes. Coarse polenta needs to cook for longer, so follow the time on the packet. It is ready when it is thick and comes away from the sides of the pot.
Polenta is made from corn and is naturally gluten-free, but check the packet and the dip for traces of gluten if you are cooking for someone with coeliac disease. If the dish needs to be fully vegetarian, choose a hard cheese made without animal rennet instead of parmesan.
Recipe
Fried polenta in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
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Cost of the dish
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Our estimate is based on average food prices for the current year 2026.
Estimated price for the whole dish:
Airfryer size
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Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Pot
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Ladle
- 1 Dish - Approx. 20 x 20 cm
- 1 Parchment paper
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Brush
- 1 Grater
- 1 Tongs
Shopping list
Ingredients
How to make it
Preparation
- Line a dish of about 20 x 20 cm with parchment paper, so that the paper comes a couple of centimetres up the sides.
- Bring 6 dl water and 0.5 tsp salt to the boil in a pot.
- Turn the heat down to medium, and whisk 150 g polenta into the water in a thin stream so that no lumps form.
- Immediately spread the hot polenta out in the dish in an even layer of about 1.5 cm, and smooth the surface with the back of a wet ladle.
- Put the dish in the fridge once the steam has died down, and let the polenta chill for at least 2 hours, until it is completely cold and firm. If it is still warm or soft, the sticks will fall apart.
- Lift the polenta out of the dish using the parchment paper, and place it on a cutting board. Cut the slab in half, and cut each half into sticks about 2 cm wide, so you end up with around 20 sticks, each 10 cm long.
- Gently brush the sticks on all sides with 2 tbsp olive oil.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 200 °C fan.
- Place the sticks in a single layer in the basket with a little air between them. If they do not all fit, air fry them in two batches.
- Air fry the sticks at 200 °C for 9 minutes without moving them, so they form a crust and release from the basket.
- Carefully turn the sticks with tongs, and air fry them for another 9 minutes at 200 °C, until they are golden and crisp at the edges.
- Finely grate 30 g parmesan while the sticks finish cooking.
Our notes for the recipe
The polenta must be completely cold and firm before you cut it, otherwise the sticks will fall apart. Make it the day before if you like, and leave it in the fridge overnight. Place the sticks in a single layer with air between them, and leave them untouched for the first 9 minutes so they form a crust and release from the basket on their own. The recipe is designed for quick-cook polenta. Coarse polenta needs to cook for longer, so follow the time on the packet. Variation:
Cook the polenta in vegetable stock instead of water, or stir 25 g finely grated parmesan and a little finely chopped rosemary into the hot polenta before you spread it out. Traditionally, fried polenta is deep-fried. In the air fryer, the sticks turn crisp with just 2 tbsp of oil. If the dish needs to be fully vegetarian, choose a hard cheese made without animal rennet instead of parmesan. Polenta is naturally gluten-free, but check the packet and the dip for traces of gluten if you are cooking for someone with coeliac disease. Serving:
Serve the sticks hot with sea salt and grated parmesan and a bowl of marinara or ketchup for dipping. They work as a snack, as a starter or as a side dish instead of French fries. Portion size:
If your air fryer is smaller, you can make the dish in two batches.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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