54 Easy Air Fryer Recipes for When You’re Out of Ideas
Are you using your air fryer to its full potential?
Wondering what to cook in your air fryer? Beyond crispy chicken tenders, fries, and roasted vegetables, it can also handle desserts like cakes and cookies.
An air fryer is essentially a compact countertop convection oven. Its powerful heat source and circulating air cook food quickly and create crisp edges with little or no oil. It can also free up oven space during holiday meals, cook an entire turkey breast (yes, really!), and reheat food without heating up your whole kitchen.
These recipes offer plenty of inspiration for making the most of this workhorse appliance.
Honey Glazed Salmon
Want to make moist, flavorful salmon without making your whole kitchen smell like fish? The air fryer will be your best friend.
Get the Honey Glazed Salmon recipe.
Air Fryer Parmesan-Thyme Artichokes
Veggies crisp up faster in the air fryer. Whip up this speedy side with canned artichoke hearts: They take just a few minutes to prep and under 15 minutes to cook.
Air Fryer Strawberry-Thyme Mini Scones
Good ingredients and the right technique help make great scones, but the air fryer is our secret weapon. The concentrated heat of this countertop appliances creates a golden-brown crust while keeping the inside of these berry scones nice and buttery.
Air Fryer Pepperoni Pizzas
An air fryer can turn out pies that are pizza parlor crisp. A drizzle of honey creates a spicy-sweet contrast that takes these personal 'zas over the top.
Get the Air Fryer Pepperoni Pizzas recipe.
Red Velvet Cookies
Skip the oven for these rich, chocolatey red velvet cookies. The air fryer is ideal for baking a small batch, producing cookies with signature crackled tops without heating up the kitchen.
Get the Red Velvet Cookies recipe.
Air Fryer Fish Tacos with Tangy Citrus Salsa
Want the texture of crunchy fish without the mess of deep frying? Use your air fryer. It cooks the fish in just a few minutes so you can get dinner on the table fast.
Get the Air Fryer Fish Tacos with Tangy Citrus Salsa recipe.
Air Fryer Donuts Two Ways
In the air fryer, these donuts made with store-bought biscuit dough rise to impressive heights and turn deliciously golden brown. A quick dusting of sugar gives them that crave-worthy crackle.
Get the Air Fryer Donuts Two Ways recipe.
Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan
Cutlets for chicken parm are typically shallow-fried in sputtering oil. For a less-mess method, crisp them up in your air fryer, then top them off with marinara sauce and plenty of cheese.
Get the Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan recipe.
Wedge Salads with Air Fryer Buffalo Tofu Croutons
These are no ordinary salad croutons. Cornflake-crusted tofu gets crispy in the air fryer—and adds extra protein to boot.
Get the Wedge Salads with Air Fryer Buffalo Tofu Croutons recipe.
Air Fryer Chicken Strips
Pro tip: air-fry the panko breadcrumbs before coating chicken tenders (and air-frying again!) for an extra-crispy finish. We promise it's worth the extra step.
Get the Air Fryer Chicken Strips recipe.
Air Fryer Salmon and Swiss Chard
This mess-free, one-pan meal is a weeknight hero. The salmon, Swiss chard, and onion all cook in the air fryer in under 30 minutes.
Air Fryer Turkey Breast with Gravy
One of the biggest hurdles on Thanksgiving is making room in the oven to accommodate all of your dishes. The good news is that air fryer turkey can turn out every bit as good as an oven-cooked bird.
Air Fryer Falafel Salad
Homemade falafel typically requires standing over a hot pot of fry oil, but our method skips the stovetop altogether. Once they're crisp, serve them over a cool and crunchy cucumber salad.
Get the Air Fryer Falafel Salad recipe.
Air Fryer Tostones with Cilantro Dip
Serve these twice-air-fried plantain chips with a tangy, slightly spicy cilantro-avocado dip. And the best part is that there's very little cleanup needed so you can get back to hosting.
Air Fryer Fish Taco Bowls
White fish like cod is a great basic protein, but it often needs a little something to zhush it up. Our go-to solution? Taco seasoning, which makes this crispy fish extra delicious.
Get the Air Fryer Fish Taco Bowls recipe.
Air Fryer Tandoori-Spiced Cauliflower Chicken Flatbreads
Chicken and cauliflower get a flavor boost with a tandoori masala-inspired spice rub. Serve them with a cooling swoosh of yogurt or labneh to balance the heat.
Get the Air Fryer Tandoori-Spiced Cauliflower Chicken Flatbreads recipe.
Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers
Looking for an MVP party app that won't leave you in the kitchen for hours? These cream cheese and cheddar-stuffed poppers cook in just six minutes in the air fryer.
Get the Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers recipe.
RELATED: 45 Easy Appetizers and Snacks to Get the Party Started
Air Fryer Fish and Chips
Say goodbye to boring, bland fish and chips. Here, cod fillets get a punchy upgrade with crushed salt-and-vinegar chips. It gives them instant texture and a flavorful upgrade from standard breadcrumbs.
Get the Air Fryer Fish and Chips recipe.
Air Fryer Chicken Wings
With our tips, you'll "fry" up wings that are perfectly juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside and tossed in an all star-worthy sauce. And there's hardly any clean up required!
Get the Air Fryer Chicken Wings recipe.
Air Fryer Spice-Roasted Cauliflower with Green Beans
Cauliflower has never tasted so good. It's tossed in a combination of vinegar, tomato paste, garam masala, brown sugar, and cayenne, roasted, and served over fluffy rice. How's that for a vegetarian dinner?
Get the Air Fryer Spice-Roasted Cauliflower with Green Beans recipe.
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