65+ of Our Favorite Air Fryer Recipes to Make Immediately

updated Sep 8, 2023

Page URL

We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.

air fryer grilled cheese cut in half on a plate — Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Cyd McDowell
Air Fryer Grilled Cheese

Countertop air fryers are an increasingly popular kitchen gadget. Almost every small appliance maker, including Instant Pot, has gotten into the air frying game, with new models and even air frying lids coming out.

Air fryers work by circulating super-hot air, which quickly and evenly reaches all the surfaces of the food. In other words, it gives food that crispy-fried texture and golden-brown color without having to actually deep-fry anything.

If you’ve joined the air fryer club and need some ideas for new dinner essentials, we’ve got you covered. You can make practically anything that you would fry in an air fryer. It’s great at heating frozen foods, but it’s also fantastic for from-scratch foods, like chicken wings, potato chips, donuts, and extra-crisp cookies. Here, we’ve rounded up more than 65 air fryer recipes to show just how versatile the appliance can be.

Instant Pot Vortex 5.7QT Air Fryer Oven Combo

Air Fryer Recipes for Beginners

From baked potatoes to ultra-crispy bacon, these are staple recipes you’ll come back to again and again. And they’re a perfect starting point if you’re just getting started with air frying.

1 / 14

Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes

Turn to your air fryer for this impossibly crispy and easy side dish.

2 / 14

Air Fryer Hard-Boiled Eggs

The surprising value of cooking an egg in the air fryer is not having to deal with a big pot of water at all!

3 / 14

Air Fryer Butternut Squash

For crispy and tender butternut squash in a fraction of the time, use your air fryer.

4 / 14

Air Fryer Carrots

In less than 12 minutes, the carrots are hot, blistered, and ready for a squeeze of fresh lemon and herbs.

5 / 14

Crispy Air Fryer Baked Potatoes

The high fan speed and concentrated heat of the air fryer makes baked potatoes that are fluffy and tender on the inside and shatteringly crisp on the outside.

6 / 14

Air Fryer Grilled Cheese

The air fryer is the answer for always crispy, always gooey grilled cheese sandwiches. Here's how to make them.

7 / 14

Air Fryer Green Beans

Air fryers are great for cooking green beans (fresh or frozen!).

8 / 14

Air Fryer Tater Tots

These hot and crispy air fryer tater tots taste just like the ones from your favorite burger joint.

9 / 14

Crispy Air Fryer Bacon

Want the crispiest bacon possible? Let your air fryer do all the work for you — fuss-free and easily cleanup.

10 / 14

Air Fryer Sweet Potato

Even better than the air fryer recipe are the many toppings you can experiement with.

11 / 14

Perfect Air Fryer Salmon

These salmon fillets cook up perfectly on all sides in minutes, and the resulting salmon is crisp on the outside and juicy and flaky on the inside.

12 / 14

Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls

These air fryer cinnamon rolls, which start with a tube of crescent roll dough, are ready in a fraction of the time.

13 / 14

Air Fryer Tortilla Chips

Turn store-bought tortillas into crispy, restaurant-style chips with an air fryer.

14 / 14

Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries

Crispy-on-the-outside, soft-and-creamy-on-the-inside air fryer sweet potato fries.

Air Fryer Chicken

Not only can the air fryer treat to you to impossibly crisp chicken that rivals deep fried, it also makes the juiciest chicken breast.

1 / 8

Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan

This version includes a cheesy improvement to the traditional breading and a tip for making sure the mozzarella melts where it should.

2 / 8

Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks

The best part about these crispy chicken drumsticks is the creamy raita dip.

3 / 8

Air Fryer Greek Chicken and Potatoes

Garlic, lemon, dill, and oregano add tons of flavor to a simple chicken and potatoes dinner, and, thanks to the air fryer, everything's crispy-crunchy.

4 / 8

Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

For the crispiest chicken tenders, look to the air fryer.

5 / 8

Air Fryer Chicken Sandwich

This DIY crunchy, spicy, juicy fried chicken sandwich tastes even better than the deep-fried fast-food versions.

6 / 8

Air Fryer Chicken Breast

The air fryer is your answer for always-juicy, always-tender boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

7 / 8

Air Fryer Fried Chicken

This fried chicken is basically the number-one reason that you should own an air fryer. It delivers on all the crispy, juicy flavors you’re craving.

8 / 8

Air Fryer Chicken Wings

These are some of the juiciest wings you’ll have outside of a restaurant. They’re also some of the crispiest — thanks to being cooked twice. Don’t forget the dipping sauce!

Vegetarian Air Fryer Recipes

It you need a quick vegetable side or ultra-crispy tofu, the air fryer has you covered.

1 / 20

Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower

This plant-based bar-style snack is unbelievably crispy, thanks to one smart step.

2 / 20

Air Fryer Falafel

Falafel, even eaten on its own with a simple dipping sauce, is a treat that hits the spot regardless if you're a vegetarian or not.

3 / 20

Air Fryer Broccoli

Air-fry slender stalks of broccoli for a tender and crispy-tipped side dish to serve all year long.

4 / 20

Air Fryer Potato Wedges

Old Bay seasoning is the star of this crispy air fryer potato wedge recipe.

5 / 20

Air Fryer Cauliflower

Tender, golden brown air-fried cauliflower is the perfect side dish for any meal on your plan.

6 / 20

Air fryer tofu has those amazing crisp edges that make fried tofu so delicious, but there’s no actual frying with this method.

7 / 20

Air Fryer Beets

Air frying beets is a quick and easy way to create a nutritious and colorful side dish.

8 / 20

Quick & Easy Air Fryer Asparagus

Air fryer asparagus comes out perfectly tender and crisp every time, with just the right amount of char at the tips. Plus, it's ready in less than 10 minutes.

9 / 20

Crispy Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts

All veggies in the air fryer are so good — thanks to the super-hot circulating air, they’re sweeter, crunchier, and more flavorful than roasted vegetables — and Brussels sprouts are no exception.

10 / 20

Air Fryer Blooming Onion

If your Outback go-to is a blooming onion, you'll love this air fryer version.

11 / 20

Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks

Never greasy and always satisfying, these mozzarella sticks actually start in the freezer, which helps keep the cheese from melting away in the air fryer.

12 / 20

Air Fryer Stuffing Hushpuppies

Here's how to use your air fryer to make near-instant, two-ingredient hushpuppies, which are easier and way less messy than traditional deep-fried hushpuppies.

13 / 20

Air Fryer Tofu Nuggets with Smoky Broccoli Recipe

This easy family dinner is the ultimate choice for Meatless Monday. Serve the nuggets with ketchup for the kids and sweet chili sauce for the adults.

14 / 20

Air Fryer French Fries

An easy way to make crispy-on-the-outside, creamy-on-the-inside fries, no deep-frying required.

15 / 20

Air Fryer Zucchini Chips

Thin and crispy Parmesan zucchini slices served with an herb-yogurt sauce is summer's answer to chips and dip.

16 / 20

Air Fryer Squash

This colorful bowl of veggies is the quintessential summer side.

17 / 20

Air Fryer Onion Rings

Onion rings are a classic example of how breading just about anything can transform a few humble ingredients into a fun and impressive side dish or snack.

18 / 20

Air Fryer Pickles

This any-occasion recipe is an easy, crowd-pleasing appetizer that's sure to get devoured in record time.

19 / 20

Air Fryer Eggplant

There are a bunch of ways you can cook eggplant in the air fryer, but crispy fries are the absolute best.

20 / 20

Air Fryer Latkes

This super-simple air fryer latkes — made with grated potatoes, onion, matzo meal, and eggs — are just as crispy and delicious as traditional fried latkes.

Air Fryer Desserts and Snacks

Don’t forget dessert! The air fryer does that too. And it’s also the best way to make crispy potato chips at home.

1 / 10

The best, easiest way to get your fried Oreo fix at home.

2 / 10

The air fryer is one of the best tools to make this easy, yet impressive dessert toast. Finish the freshly baked, hot honey toast with scoops of ice cream and a drizzle of honey.

3 / 10

Air Fryer Churro Bites with Chocolate Dipping Sauce

Because the classically fried dessert is made with a pâte à choux batter that can either be baked or fried, it’s perfectly suited to the air-fryer.

4 / 10

Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thanks to the high fan speed and concentrated heat of the air fryer, these chocolate chip cookies are crispy on the outside and perfectly gooey on the inside.

5 / 10

Easy Air Fryer Donuts

When it comes to desserts, it doesn’t get much easier than these donuts. They have a super smart-shortcut: Take canned biscuit dough, slice it into rounds, and cut the center out. Top them with a cinnamon-sugar mix or your favorite icing, and voilà!

6 / 10

Air Fryer Apple Cider Donuts

These super-delicious cakey donuts are an autumn New England treat — but you can enjoy them any time of year, and anywhere you are. All you need is a little apple cider, and some baking ingredients. One bite and you’re strolling through an orchard, picking apples!

7 / 10

Air Fryer Apple Chips

The air fryer is the secret to the crispiest apple chips. Tossing the apple slices in cinnamon and nutmeg before frying them gives them warmly spiced flavor (and makes the kitchen smell delicious).

8 / 10

Air Fryer Pumpkin Seeds

Roasting up a batch of pumpkin seeds is one of the many delights of autumn.

9 / 10

Air Fryer Sweet Potato Chips

These golden savory chips are a favorite snack from the air fryer. Sweet potato slices get super crisp without much added oil and definitely without frying or roasting.

10 / 10

Crispy Air Fryer Potato Chips

These easy air fryer potato chips are crispy and perfectly salted — not hot oil required.

Air Fryer Dinners

There’s nothing the air fryer can’t turn out for an easy dinner.

1 / 18

Air Fryer Miso-Ginger Salmon

An easy miso ginger marinade adds a ton of flavor to your weeknight salmon dinner.

2 / 18

Air Fryer Taquitos

Crispy tortillas rolled around a creamy chicken filling.

3 / 18

Air Fryer Spaghetti Squash Parm

Warm, cheesy, perfectly al dente spaghetti squash made at turbo speed in the air fryer.

4 / 18

Air Fryer Cornish Hen

A perfect Thanksgiving substitute for turkey for one or two.

5 / 18

Air Fryer Meatloaf

This classic savory mix of onion, garlic, Worcestershire, and beef is air fried until juicy in the middle with delightfully crispy crust.

6 / 18

Air Fryer Brats

Making golden and juicy bratwurst doesn't get any easier thanks to the air fryer.

7 / 18

Air Fryer Tilapia

Crispy air fryer Parmesan- and panko-crusted tilapia is perfect for busy weeknights.

8 / 18

Air Fryer Hamburgers

Skip the hassle of the grill and make an extra-juicy hamburger right in the air fryer.

9 / 18

Air Fryer Pizza

The air fryer comes in handy when everyone wants a different pizza topping.

10 / 18

Air Fryer Steak

Air frying combines the ease of baking with all the deliciousness of pan-searing. The hot, circulating air quickly browns the outside of the steak, resulting in golden-brown edges that mimic a hard sear.

11 / 18

Air Fryer Salmon and Brussels Sprouts

Thanks to the air fryer, you can leave the oven off and dig into tender, flaky salmon and super-crispy brussels sprouts in a fraction of the time.

12 / 18

Fish and chips aka the epitome of the pub-food experience.

13 / 18

Air Fryer Fried Shrimp

Here's how you can create crispy, crunchy shrimp at home with your air fryer — no hot oil required!

14 / 18

Air Fryer Meatballs

These quick and easy air fryer meatballs are as moist and flavorful as they come, thanks to a combination of ground meat and the addition of ricotta.

15 / 18

Air Fryer Hot Dogs

Hot dogs get super plump and juicy in the air fryer and snap when you bite into them. Here's how to do it.

16 / 18

Air Fryer Mini Calzones

These mini calzones use prepared pizza dough to make delicious pockets filled with cheese and pepperoni that are perfect for parties or after school snacks

17 / 18

Air Fryer Pork Chops

Thanks to the convection heat of the air fryer, these breaded pork chops cook up crisp and juicy every time.

18 / 18

Air Fryer Scallops

Plump sea scallops in a lemon-dill marinade are an easy weeknight win with the air fryer.

The Best Air Fryers for 2021 and Beyond

Read More

What’s your favorite thing to cook in your air fryer? Tell us in the comments.

Filed in:

Cooking Methods