The Air Fryer Queen by Steph de Sousa Review: A Colourful Cookbook That Feels as Fun as It Looks

I absolutely love Steph de Sousa’s style. She is one of those wonderfully flamboyant women who brings so much personality to the kitchen, and honestly, her colour alone makes me smile. There is something so refreshing about someone who feels bright, confident, and completely herself. That energy spills right into her brand, and it makes this cookbook feel warm, lively, and approachable before you even start thinking about what to cook.

The Air Fryer Queen has that same cheerful charm. It feels like the kind of cookbook written by someone who genuinely wants to help you get tasty food on the table without turning dinner into a full-blown production. And that is exactly the sort of energy I want from an air fryer book. Not stiff. Not overly chefy. Just fun, practical, and full of ideas you might actually use.

What makes Steph so appealing is that she does not come across as intimidating. She feels real. A little bit fabulous, a little bit cheeky, and very much like someone who understands that most of us are just trying to make something easy, delicious, and vaguely impressive with minimal fuss. That is a big part of why this book stands out. It feels friendly.

And can we talk again about the colour? I know that sounds silly in a cookbook review, but it really is part of the charm. Steph has such a vibrant presence, and it brings a kind of happiness to the whole air fryer world. Kitchen content can sometimes feel a bit beige, but she brings sparkle. She makes cooking feel more fun, more playful, and much less like a chore.

This is the kind of cookbook that would suit anyone who wants easy air fryer recipes but also wants a bit of joy with their meal planning. It is practical, yes, but it also feels full of personality. That makes a difference. Sometimes you are not just buying recipes, you are buying inspiration, momentum, and a little nudge to actually use the appliance sitting on your bench.

For me, that is the big appeal of Steph de Sousa. I love this flamboyant lady, I love her energy, and I love that her colourful style makes the whole thing feel upbeat and inviting. She just makes me smile, and that is not a bad quality in a cookbook author at all.

Keto dinner collections can start to look very similar after a while: cheese on the chicken, cheese in the casserole, and a generous splash of cream somewhere in between. That can be frustrating when you are looking for dairy-free keto diet recipes, or simply want a different sort of dinner. There are other ways to make a meal feel generous and full of flavour.

These dairy-free keto dinners use coconut milk or coconut cream, avocado, herbs and savoury sauces instead of relying on dairy. You will find curries, lettuce wraps, a soup and a chicken salad for a cooler evening. Coconut cream is included here; dairy cream, butter and ghee are not dairy-free substitutes.

Read ingredient labels as well as the recipe card, especially for curry paste, broth and bottled sauces. If you are avoiding dairy because of an allergy, check the suitability of the exact products you buy. Also check serving sizes and nutrition: dairy-free does not automatically mean very low carb, and the curry vegetables and sauces still count toward your daily total.

Keto Chicken Curry

The Coconut Mama uses coconut cream for a chicken curry with vegetables and spices. It is a proper cooking project rather than a five-minute assembly meal, so choose it when you have time for the full method. Check the published carb information before adding a side; this is not automatically the lowest-carb dinner in the collection.

Keto Coconut Shrimp Curry

Chichi Uguru’s coconut shrimp curry gives you a seafood option with a creamy coconut base. Allow for the marinating step as well as the cooking time. It is a good choice when chicken has featured rather often lately and you want dinner to head in a different direction.

Thai Basil Chicken Lettuce Wraps

All Day I Dream About Food brings Thai basil flavour to chicken lettuce wraps. The lettuce makes a fresh serving choice without needing cheese or a dairy sauce. Have the chopping done before cooking so you can enjoy the quicker pace once the chicken reaches the pan.

Keto Egg Roll in a Bowl

Abbey’s Kitchen’s egg roll bowl uses pork, vegetables and a savoury sauce instead of a creamy topping. It is a useful contrast to the coconut-based dishes in this collection. Check the sauce ingredients and serving nutrition, particularly if you are working with a tighter carb allowance.

Avocado Chicken Salad

Nom Nom Paleo’s avocado chicken salad is the no-stove option when you already have cooked chicken. Avocado supplies the creamy texture without mayonnaise or dairy cream. Follow the cucumber preparation in the recipe so the finished salad has the texture the creator intended.

Thai Coconut Chicken and Shrimp Soup

Keto-Mojo’s Thai coconut chicken and shrimp soup combines two proteins with a coconut base. Use unsweetened coconut cream, not sweetened cream of coconut, and read the broth and curry-paste labels. This is the bowl to consider when you want something warm and spoonable rather than another tray bake.

A little variety goes a long way when you are working around an ingredient you cannot use. Try one coconut-based dinner and one herb-and-vegetable option first, rather than assuming every dairy-free keto meal needs the same creamy replacement. Check each complete recipe before shopping so you can choose confidently.

Our easy keto soup recipes offer more bowls to browse, although that broader collection includes recipes with dairy, so check each one individually. Save these six dinners for the next time you want low-carb inspiration that gives the cheese grater an evening off.

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