Air fryers are becoming a very popular appliance to have in the kitchen, and for good reason. Not only does an air fryer offer a way to cook that doesn’t require a lot of fat, it also creates great tasting, fresh, and healthy foods. It’s definitely earned a spot on our kitchen counters. After lots of experimenting and testing, we are excited to share some of our easiest and best air fryer recipes with you!
What is the best thing to cook in an air fryer?
The best answer is: Anything you want to be crispy on the outside and cooked through perfectly, and still moist and tender on the inside. Chicken, fish, beef, vegetables, and frozen foods all cook up perfectly in an air fryer, even donuts. The air fryer uses convection heat to cook the outside of the food first, sealing in flavor while preserving a crisp outer layer.Our air fryer recipes are tried and tested, and have received rave reviews. You will find many “best things to cook in your air fryer” here, the hardest part will be deciding which one to make first.
Air Fryer Meat Recipes
Many people ask if you can put raw meat in air fryer. Of course, you can! The air fryer was made for it, for the very reasons explained above. Whether it’s beef, chicken, pork, or fish, the air fryer will cook it from the outside in. This seals in the juices and gives a nice crisp outer layer to meat.
Air Fryer Hamburgers
It is hard to beat a burger cooked on a grill poolside in the summer, but sometimes you just need a quick, weeknight dinner inside. That’s where cooking hamburgers in the air fryer comes in! You can have delicious, juicy air fryer burgers on the table in less than 20 minutes. Pile on your favorite toppings and serve with chips, fries, veggies, watermelon, or salad.
Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Chicken Wings are the perfect appetizer and game day food. They are easy to snack on, easy to make, and everyone loves them. My favorite way to serve them is with ranch dipping sauce or blue cheese dressing, and carrot and celery sticks on the side.
Air Fryer Salmon
The air fryer is one of my favorite ways to cook salmon. It is quicker than the grill or oven, and it comes out so flavorful and flakey. Whether you are making it for dinner, or making it for meal prep, its a great simple recipe with tons of variations!
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Even though I love crispy, crunchy chicken tenders, I don’t love it when my whole house smells like oil. This is why I love this recipe and using a Air Fryer. You can get that crispy texture quicker, and with way less oil!
Air Fryer Steak Bites
I used to think that I only liked steaks cooked on the grill, but this Air Fryer Steak recipe changed my mind. The steak is perfectly seasoned, plus it is served with garlic butter, so what’s not to love? No standing over a hot grill flipping the steaks, just put everything in the air fryer and walk away!
Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken Bowls
These Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken Bowls are one of my go-to meals for weeknight dinners. It is quick, easy, and all my kids love it. The tender bites of chicken and the flavorful veggies are just too good! For the marinade, I love to use Mr. Yoshidas. You can find it in the grocery store in the condiment aisle. However, if you have another teriyaki sauce that you like that will work too!
Air Fryer Frozen Chicken
The air fryer method is quicker than the oven and the chicken breast comes out so well. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may not be able to fit as many chicken breasts in the basket as you would in the oven. I was able to fit three chicken breasts in my air fryer.
Air Fryer Bacon
One of the most popular ways to use the Air Fryer in our family is Air Fryer Bacon. We can’t get enough of it. The bacon cooks up perfectly. It is crispy, but still chewy enough to get the satisfying flavor our of every bite. In addition, the bacon is evenly cooked with no pieces of uncooked fat.
Air Fryer Vegetable Recipes
The air fryer is ideal for vegetables! Potatoes, zucchini, onion rings, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, and more cook up beautifully when air fried. A light coating of butter or olive oil will give it the extra crispness it needs, but isn’t necessary.
Air Fryer Green Beans
Fried green beans seem like they are all the rage right now, and for good reason! They can be served as an appetizer, side dish, or snack. Fried green beans are a great low-carb alternative to regular fries and they are even healthier when made in the air fryer. No deep frying needed to get these crispy, golden green bean fries!
Air Fryer Zucchini
The trick to making zucchini crispy is spraying the breadcrumb coating with cooking spray before air frying. If you coat the zucchini with breadcrumbs but don’t spray it, the coating will clump and fall off. Spraying over the coating will allow the crumbs to “fry” and get golden brown. Otherwise it will have more of a baked taste.
Crispy Air Fryer French Fries
Sure, you can make French Fries in the oven or in a deep fryer, but have you tried French Fries in an Air Fryer? If not, you are missing out! With an Air Fryer, you get the best of both worlds – the crispiness of a deep fryer, and the health benefits of using an oven. Tasting is believing. With very little oil, the French fries are completely and evenly crispy on all sides.
Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
Before I got an air fryer, I didn’t love making Brussels Sprouts. Sometimes I would cook Brussels Sprouts in the oven, or sometimes I would boil them, but they just never wowed me. Now that I know how to air fry them, I make them all the time! This air fryer recipe produces crispy Brussels Sprouts with tender insides. They make a great veggie side dish with chicken or beef.
Air Fryer Onion Rings
Onion rings are the perfect, flavorful, quick, healthy[ish] snack, especially when made in the air fryer. They come out just as crispy as they do when deep fried but with a fraction the oil. This has quickly become one of our all-time favorite air fryer recipes. Try it and you will see why!
Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
I can’t count how many times I have wanted to bake potatoes for dinner, but I forget to put them in the oven in time. Enter the Air Fryer. The potatoes are baked in half the time, and the you don’t have to heat the whole house doing it. If you have an Air Fryer, this recipe will help you get dinner on the table in no time!
Air Fryer Zucchini Pizza Bites
Air Fryer Zucchini pizzas are a quick healthy snack that have the flavor of pizza without all the carbs. These are a favorite after school snack for my kids.
Easy Air Fryer Asparagus
Air fryer asparagus is an easy side dish that can be made in less than 10 minutes. No need to heat up the entire oven to get perfectly roasted asparagus, this recipe can be made start-to-finish before a typical oven even pre-heats!
Air Fryer Corn on the Cob
If you want corn on the cob that is perfectly cooked, juicy, and not watered down then Air Fryer corn is the perfect solution!
Perfect Air Fryer Yellow Squash
Cooking Squash in the air fryer is so easy and tasty! Simply Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Air fry for 8 minutes, and you have a delicious side dish to any meal.
Air Fryer Frozen Foods
Before experimenting with recipes, our love for the air fryer began with reheating leftovers. Have you tried leftover pizza in the air fryer yet? Game changer.The next game changer? Frozen foods. The air fryer breathes new life into frozen chicken nuggets, French fries, egg rolls, and tater tots. You will never go back to the microwave or oven.
Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets
Cooking frozen chicken nuggets in an air fryer is THE way to go. You get perfectly crispy, cooked chicken nuggets in a matter of minutes. No preheating, no uneven cooking, and no need to flip. The outside coating actually gets crispy and the inside is always perfectly tender. You will never go back to making them in the oven (or the microwave) again!
Air Fryer Frozen French Fries
Got a craving for some good, crispy fries? Skip the fast food fries with all the fat and calories and make a batch of Air Fryer Frozen French Fries at home! Air frying a bag of frozen fries results in perfectly golden, crispy potatoes that look and taste just like the fast food favorites but with a fraction of the sodium, fat or calories. Plus, they cook up faster in the air fryer than the oven.
Air Fryer Frozen Mozzarella Sticks
Once you make frozen mozzarella sticks in the air fryer, you will never go back to trying to bake them in the oven. They are a tasty snack for kids (or adults) and they air fry in mere minutes! They also make for a great party appetizer. The air fryer cooks them perfectly and in the perfect amount of time. No cheese oozing out from cooking too long. Dip them in marinara sauce, ranch dressing, or your favorite dipping sauce.
Air Fryer Frozen Egg Rolls
Frozen egg rolls made in an air fryer are by far my favorite! The oven doesn’t get them crispy enough, deep frying them in oil makes them crispy but too greasy, and the microwave ruins them. In my opinion, the air fryer is the only way to go!
Air Fryer Desserts
We saved the best for last…
Air Fryer Donuts
The alleged promise of an Air Fryer is to make traditionally fried foods without oil (or at least with much less oil). So, why not donuts? Donuts are one of my favorite treats, but sometimes I just don’t want to deal with a deep fryer. After a lot of trial and error, I am so excited to share my Air Fryer Donut recipe with you!
Air Fryer S’mores
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