Countertop air fryers are becoming increasingly more popular in everyone’s kitchen. For those who live under a rock, Air fryers work by circulating super-hot air, which quickly and evenly reaches all the surfaces of the food. Basically, it gives the food that crispy fried texture and golden-brown color without actually deep-frying anything.
If you have recently joined the air fryer club, and need some new recipe ideas, we’ve got you covered. You can honestly make practically anything that you would normally fry in an air fryer. It’s great at heating frozen foods, but it can also be used to cook food from scratch, like chicken wings, potato chips, donuts, and extra-crisp cookies. Here are 15 recipes to show you just how versatile the air fryer really can be.
I love potatoes, you love potatoes we ALL love potatoes. The air fryer is basically a countertop oven, this allows them to make baked potatoes fluffy and tender on the inside and extremely crispy on the outside. If you’re the type to eat all the fluffy filling of a baked potato and leave the skins, air fried bake potatoes will change that forever. Here’s how to make the best baked potatoes in the air fryer. This recipe serves for 2, the prep time is 10 minutes and takes about 45 minutes to cook.
Ingredients
2 medium russet potatoes (8 to 10 ounces each)
1 teaspoon neutral oil, such as peanut or vegetable
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for serving
Butter and freshly ground black pepper, for serving
Instructions
Heat the air fryer to 375° for at least 10 minutes. Meanwhile, rinse, scrub, and dry 2 medium russet potatoes. Use a fork to prick the potatoes in a few places. Drizzle the potatoes with 1 teaspoon neutral oil and rub with your hands to coat the potatoes. Season the potatoes with ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
Place the potatoes in the preheated air fryer. Roast until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a paring knife, about 40 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the air fryer with tongs, then cut each one lengthwise to split. Serve with butter, salt, and pepper, or as desired.
Crispy chicken tenders without the deep dryer? YES! These air fryer chicken tenders only need 10 minutes to get golden and crispy! How insane! If you don’t have tenders, you can cut out thin strips of chicken breasts for the same results. Spraying the breaded tenders down with some cooking spray also gives the chicken the moisture it needs for the breading. It also helps turn the chicken tenders into a nice golden color. This recipe is 4 servings and the prep time is about 15 minutes.
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb. chicken tenders
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ c. all-purpose flowers
1 1/2c panko breadcrumbs
2 large eggs
1/4c buttermilk
Cooking spray
Instructions:
Season chicken tenders on both sides with salt and pepper. Place flour and breadcrumbs in two separate shallow bowls. In a third bowl, whisk together eggs and buttermilk. Working one at a time, dip chicken in flour, then egg mixture, and finally in breadcrumbs, pressing to coat.
Working in batches, place chicken tenders in basket of air fryer, being sure to not overcrowd it. Spray the tops of chicken with cooking spray and cook at 400° for 5 minutes. Flip chicken over, spray the tops with more cooking spray and cook 5 minutes more. Repeat with remaining chicken tenders.
Bring Louisiana to you without having to get on a flight, especially now during COVID season. This spicy delicious recipe will have you wanting to get on the next flight to Louisiana. However, for now with the help of the air fryer, we can bring Louisiana to you! This recipe makes 2 servings and the prep/total time is about 30 minutes, super quick and easy.
Ingredients:
½ pound uncooked large shrimp
½ cup sweetened shredded coconut
3 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
2 large egg whites
1/8 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
Dash Louisiana- style hot sauce
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Sauce ingredients:
1/3 cup apricot preserves
½ teaspoon cider vinegar
Dash crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions:
Preheat air fryer to 375°. Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails on.
In a shallow bowl, toss coconut with breadcrumbs. In another shallow bowl, whisk egg whites, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Place flour in a third shallow bowl.
Dip shrimp in flour to coat lightly; shake off excess. Dip in egg white mixture, then in coconut mixture, patting to help coating adhere.
Place shrimp in a single layer on greased tray in air-fryer basket. Cook 4 minutes; turn shrimp and continue cooking until coconut is lightly browned and shrimp turn pink, another 4 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine sauce ingredients in a small saucepan; cook and stir over medium-low heat until preserves are melted. Serve shrimp immediately with sauce.
You can’t eat Louisiana style shrimp without some NOLA desserts after. Pull out your air fryer and make these fluffy beignets with loads of powdered sugar. These are so easy to make, and it requires no deep frying- which means less cleanup. Thanks air fryer! This recipe makes 9 beignets, the prep time is about 20 minutes and cook time is 28.
Ingredients
1 cup plain Greek yogurt (8 ounces)
2 tablespoons granulate sugar (optional
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
1 cup self-rising flour, plus more for the work surface
Olive oil or coconut oil spray
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, meted
½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions:
Stir the yogurt, granulated sugar, and vanilla if using together in a medium bowl until combined. Add the flour and stir until all of the flour is moistened and a dough form.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Fold the dough over onto itself 2 to 3 times until smooth. Pat into a 4×5-inch (1-inch thick) rectangle, then cut into 9 pieces. Separate the pieces and lightly dust each side with flour until smooth and no longer tacky. Set aside for 15 minutes.
Heat an air fryer to 350°F. Line a large plate with Bounty paper towels; set aside.
Lightly coat the air fryer basket with olive or coconut oil spray (do not use vegetable oil cooking spray, which can damage the coating on the basket). Brush the tops of the beignets with butter. Place 4 to 5 of them butter-side down in a single layer without touching in the air fryer. Brush the tops of the beignets with butter. Close the air fryer and reset to 350°F if needed. Cook on the first side until the edges appear dry and begin to brown and the beignet releases easily from the basket, about 7 minutes. Flip and cook until golden brown on the second side, 6 minutes more.
Transfer to the Bounty paper towel–lined plate and generously dust with powdered sugar. Repeat with frying the remaining beignets. Serve warm, they are best served immediately after frying.
Who needs take out when you can make take out in your kitchen thanks to our Air Fryer? This recipe will make sure that you never want to get Chinese takeout again. Make a delicious air fryer chicken dinner with this recipe!
Ingredients:
Chicken
6 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
½ cup cornstarch
Olive oil spray
Sauce
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
5 tsp Hoisin sauce
½ tsp ground ginger
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp cold water
1 tsp cornstarch
2tsp sesame seeds
Instructions
Cut the chicken into cubed chunks, then toss in a bowl with Cornstarch or Potato Starch. Use enough to coat the chicken evenly.
Place in the Air Fryer and cook according to your Air Fryer Manual for chicken. (Note – I cooked ours on 390* for 24 Minutes, 12 minutes on each side.)When the chicken is in the air fryer, add a nice even coat of olive oil cooking spray, once it’s in the air fryer, it works best to mix it up halfway through cook time and add an additional coat of spray.
While the chicken is cooking, in a small saucepan, begin to make the sauce.
Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, orange juice, hoisin sauce, ground ginger, and garlic to the saucepan on medium-high heat. Whisk this up until well combined.
Once the sugar has fully dissolved and a low boil is reached, whisk in the water and cornstarch.
Mix in the sesame seeds. (The sauce should only take about 5 minutes or less to make on the stove and then an additional 5 minutes to thicken up.)
Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside for 5 minutes to thicken.
Once the chicken is done, remove from the air fryer and place in a bowl, and then coat with the sauce.
There comes a certain point in our life where we have to get over our “fear” of Brussel sprouts and realize that they’re actually really delicious. I know, our 10-year-old self would be shocked. This dish is great with great with garlic park variety dip, but even ranch would go great. The recipe serves 2-3 and takes a total 30 minutes with a 5-minute prep time.
Ingredients
1/2 lb. brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
1 tbsp, extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp, freshly grated parmesan
1 tsp, garlic powder
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
In a large bowl, toss brussels sprouts with oil, Parmesan, and garlic powder and season with salt and pepper. Arrange in an even layer in air fryer.
Bake at 350° for 8 minutes, toss, and bake 8 minutes more, until crisp and golden.
Garnish with more Parmesan and serve with Caesar dressing for dipping.
Because when are Mozzarella sticks NOT the move? They are essential for every party. They’re hot, crunchy, and oozing with cheese- how can you not love it? This recipe serves 6, with a 2 and a half hour cook and prep time.
Ingredients
6 mozzarella sticks
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
2 large eggs, well-beaten
3 tbsp, all- purpose lower
Warm marinara, for serving
Instructions
Freeze mozzarella sticks until frozen solid, at least 2 hours.
After 3 hours, set up a breading station: Place panko, eggs, and flour in 3 separate shallow bowls. Season panko generously with salt and pepper.
Coat frozen mozzarella sticks in flour, then dip in egg, then panko, back in the egg, then back in the panko.
Arrange frozen breaded mozzarella sticks in an even layer in the basket of your air fryer. Cook on 400° for 6 minutes, or until golden and crisp on the outside and melty in the center.
This classically fried desert is well suited for an air fryer, and makes you feel better about eating them because of no deep frying. The trickiest part of this recipe is getting the batter into the air fryer. To get strips like a classic churro stick, you’ll need to pipe the batter directly into the air fryer basket, then snip the batter away from the piping bag. This recipe makes 24 three-inch churros for you to enjoy with chocolate dipping sauce!
Ingredients:
1 cup water
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided
1 cup all-purpose flower
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 ounces finely chopped dark chocolate
¼ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
Instructions:
Bring the water, butter, and 1 tablespoon of the sugar to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and quickly stir it in with a sturdy wooden spoon. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the flour smells toasted, and the mixture is thick, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
Using the same wooden spoon, beat the flour mixture until cooled slightly but still warm, about 1 minute of constant stirring. Stir in the vanilla. Stir in the eggs one at a time, making sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next.
Transfer the dough to a piping bag or gallon zip-top bag. Let the dough rest for 1 hour at room temperature. Meanwhile, prepare the cinnamon sugar and chocolate sauce.
Combine the cinnamon and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl. Microwave the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe mixing bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until the chocolate is melted, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Add the sour cream or yogurt and whisk until smooth. Cover and set aside.
Preheat the air fryer for 10 minutes at 375°F. Pipe the batter directly into the preheated air fryer, making 6 (3-inch) pieces and piping them at least 1/2-inch apart. Air fry until golden-brown, about 10 minutes. Immediately transfer the churros to the bowl of cinnamon sugar and toss to coat. Repeat with air frying the remaining batter. Serve the churros warm with the dipping sauce.
Swap out your frozen and fast food bought chicken nuggets and make these super easy Homemade Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets instead! These homemade chicken nuggets are perfect as a meal or as snack. It’s perfect for people of all ages because I mean who doesn’t love crispy chicken nuggets right?
Ingredients
Chicken breasts, cut into 1” to 1.5” cubes
Olive oil
Panko bread crumps
Parmesan
Cooking spray/oil for the air fryer
Instructions:
Cut up your chicken breasts into 1″ to 1.5″ cubes and set them aside.
Set up your station with one bowl holding your olive oil, and the other holding your panko, parmesan, and paprika mix.
Spritz the inside of your air fryer lightly with some oil.
Dip your chicken cube into the olive oil, then place it into your coating. Make sure your nugget is well coated and place it into the air fryer. Repeat until your air fryer is full.
Set your air fryer to 400F and cook your homemade chicken nuggets for 8 minutes.
These Air Fryer Fish Tacos feel fancy but could not be simpler to make. This recipe will help you feel like you’re in Mexico without ever having to leave your home!
Stir together the avocado, orange, onion, cilantro and half teaspoon of salt. Set aside.
Stir together the mayonnaise, chipotle sauce, lime juice and remaining half teaspoon of salt. Set aside.
Evenly sprinkle the fish with the grill seasoning.
Brush the air fryer basket lightly with vegetable oil to prevent sticking.
Arrange the fish in a single layer in the basket. Cook at 400 degrees F for 8 – 12 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the fish reaches 145 degrees F. It is not necessary to flip the fish during cooking.
Serve the fish with warmed, corn tortillas, the avocado citrus salsa and chipotle mayonnaise to make tacos.
Air frying frozen dumplings makes them extra crispy while keeping the insides fresh and hot. Just pick up your favorite frozen dumplings and throw them in the air fryer. It’s quick, easy and simple!
Instructions:
Preheat your air fryer to 370 degrees for about 4 minutes.
Place dumplings inside of air fryer in one layer and spray with oil. The dumplings can touch but should not be stacked.
Keeping the food in an even layer allows for more even cooking. If stacked, they can start to stick together and now brown up to the crispy pot stickers they should be.
Cook the dumplings for 5 minutes, shake the basket then spray with a little more oil. I find this helps them keep from getting dry. You can skip this step if you find your frozen dumplings don’t appear dry at all.
Cook the dumplings for an additional 4-6 minutes until they are golden brown on top.
Remove the air fryer dumplings from the basket and let sit for 2 minutes.
This dish tastes like you’re sitting at your favorite hangout and having the best appetizer ever. This recipe has been on all social media, and it’s honestly one of the best things ever.
Ingredients
Cauliflower: We’ll be using ½ a head of cauliflower, broken into bite sized pieces.
Buffalo Sauce: Buffalo sauce will give this cauliflower its flavor! I’m using Frank’s Red-Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce.
Olive Oil: Helps the seasonings stick to the cauliflower while also allowing the florets to get extra crispy.
Garlic Powder: Garlic powder is used to give this dish that extra kick (without having to use fresh garlic, which could burn in the air fryer).
Salt: Use as much or as little salt as you’d like (I’ll be using ½ tsp).
Creamy Dip: This is the fun part! Select your favorite creamy dip for serving. I’m firmly in the Ranch dressing camp, but you could also go with Bleu cheese dressing or even a garlicky yogurt sauce.
Celery: Celery sticks are great for cooling your mouth and pairing with the dip!
Instructions:
Cut cauliflower: Cauliflower will need to be cut into bite-sized florets.
Mix: In a large bowl, gently stir together cauliflower and all remaining ingredients.
Prepair fryer: Lightly grease your air fryer basket or rack.
Place cauliflower in air fryer: Arrange cauliflower in a single layer (working in batches if they don’t all fit in a single layer).
Cook: Cook at 375°F (190°C) for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the pieces are fork tender and slightly browned.
Serve: Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce and celery sticks.
This Air Fryer Fried Rice is going to win you over because it is much quicker and much healthier than take out! One of the best parts about this recipe is that is adaptable to fits anybody’s needs! Vegan? Simply take out the egg! Meat lover? Add in some cooked (and leftover) chicken! You can simply make this fried rice exactly how you want it!
Ingredients
Cold rice
Egg (optional)
Coconut Aminos or Soy Sauce
Frozen Veggies
Oil
Meat (optional)
Instructions
To make this recipe, put your cold rice into a large bowl.
Then add your frozen vegetables to the rice bowl.
If you are using egg or another protein, add it to the rice bowl now.
Next up, you are going to add the coconut aminos and oil to your bowl.
Mix, mix, mix until well combined.
Then transfer to the rice mixture to an oven safe container. Place that container into your air fryer.
Cook at 360 degrees F for 15 minutes. I would suggest stirring 3times through the 15 minutes.
Add in whatever protein you like eggs, tofu, chicken, turkey
Be sure to stir the air fryer fried rice several times within the 15-minute cooking period. This helps it cook evenly.
Use any combinations of frozen veggies that you like.
These easy to make, air fryer French toast sticks are so so good. They are crispy on the outside with creamy custard on the inside. This is the perfect breakfast treat drizzled with maple syrup or cinnamon sugar.
Ingredients
3 large eggs
2/3 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher salt
6 thick slices Texas toast, each slice cut into thirds
Maple syrup and/or confectioner’s sugar for serving
Instructions:
Beat eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt in a large shallow bowl. Add bread, turning to coat in egg mixture.
Lightly coat the basket of air fryer with nonstick cooking spray. Place French toast sticks in basket, in a single layer, making sure they aren’t touching each other. You’ll need to cook them in batches. Set air fryer to 375° and cook 6 minutes, flip, and cook for an additional 1-3 minutes, watching closely, or until golden brown.
To keep warm, place French toast sticks on a wire baking rack placed on top of a sheet pan in a warm oven (175-200ºF). This will keep the cooked French toast warm and crispy while you finish cooking the rest.
Serve warm, drizzled with maple syrup or sprinkled with cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar.
Love donuts but hate deep-frying? Same. However, thanks to the air fryer, there’s a way to get around that.
Ingredients:
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp ground sugar
1 can flaky large biscuits, such as Pillsbury Grands! Flaky Biscuits
Olive oil or coconut oil spray
4 tbsps. unsalted butter, melted
Instructions:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl; set aside.
Remove the biscuits from the can, separate them, and place them on the baking sheet. Use a 1-inch round biscuit cutter (or similarly sized bottle cap) to cut holes out of the center of each biscuit.
Lightly coat an air fryer basket with olive or coconut oil spray (do not use nonstick cooking spray such as Pam, which can damage the coating on the basket).
Place 3 to 4 donuts in a single layer in the air fryer (they should not be touching). Close the air fryer and set to 350°F. Cook, flipping halfway through, until the donuts golden-brown, 5 to 6 minutes total. Transfer donuts place to the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining biscuits. You can also cook the donut holes — they will take about 3 minutes total.
Brush both sides of the warm donuts with melted butter, place in the cinnamon sugar, and flip to coat both sides. Serve warm.
There ya have it folks! 15 easy air fryer recipes that will change your life. If you don’t own an air fryer yet, what are you doing??
Hi Everyone! My name is Emily and I am a current college senior at Ramapo College of New Jersey. I am a Communications major and have a minor in Sociology. Some of my interests are astrology, fashion, celebrities, and holidays!
