15 Easy Air Fryer Recipes You Need in Your Life!

March 24, 2019 by Denise Bustard 14 Comments

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15 easy air fryer recipes that you need in your life! We've got you covered with recipes for air fryer snacks, sides and mains! Crispy and delicious with a fraction of the oil.

What is an air fryer? It's a counter-top appliance that is basically a small convection oven. It replaces a deep fryer and is a much healthier option, but in my experience it has other benefits as well!

Which air fryer do you recommend?

I’ve been using a Phillips air fryer (similar to this one) for several years and it is still working great. However, if I could do it over again, I would buy the XL model, which fits more food. We also recently purchased the Instant Pot Vortex air fryer, but haven’t used it enough to comment on it.

Pros and cons of an air fryer:

Pros:

it cooks crispy food with a fraction of the oil
it heats up in just a couple of minutes (compared to 10-15 minutes for my oven)
you don't need to heat up your oven (great in the summer)

Cons:

it has a large footprint (not great for small spaces)
it does not fit a large amount of food at a time and you often have to cook in batches (although it really depends on your air fryer model and the type of food you're cooking)
they can be costly

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Sides & snacks

When it comes to side dishes, the air fryer makes things extra easy! Here are my favorite side dish air fryer recipes from around the web.

Crispy Air Fryer Broccoli

This air fryer broccoli gets golden and crispy, and is ready in under 10 minutes! Tossed in balsamic vinegar, it is slightly tangy, savory and tender.

Check out this recipe

close up shot of air fryer broccoli in a bowl

Air Fryer Cauliflower

Crispy air fryer cauliflower is tender with golden, crunchy bits! Ready in under 20 minutes, it's oil-free and so simple to prep.

Check out this recipe

overhead shot of Crispy air fryer cauliflower in gray bowl

ULTRA Crispy Air Fryer Chickpeas

Crispy air fryer chickpeas are the tastiest and crunchiest snack you will find. Using the air fryer cuts the cook time down to 15 minutes, and they are so much crispier than in the oven! Vegan and gluten-free, these crispy roasted chickpeas are an awesome healthier snack.

Check out this recipe

overhead shot of blue mason jar filled with crispy chickpeas

Crispy Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts

Air fryer brussels sprouts are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. With five simple ingredients, they can be prepped and on your table in under 15 minutes!

Check out this recipe

overhead shot of a bowl of air fryer brussels sprouts

Crispy Baked Zucchini Fries

Baked zucchini fries with a crispy parmesan panko breading are kid-friendly and the perfect way to use up summer's zucchini!

Check out this recipe

overhead shot of crispy baked zucchini fries on gray plate with small bowl of ketchup

Air Fryer Bacon

Air fryer bacon is ULTRA crispy and so easy to cook. No more bacon splatter all over your stove top makes it even easier to clean up after!

Check out this recipe

plate with bacon on it

Seriously Crispy Air Fryer Gnocchi

Air fryer gnocchi is so crispy, is ready in just 13 minutes and does not need to be boiled! This is a great side dish alternative to potatoes or pasta, and also makes a great snack.

Check out this recipe

gnocchi in air fryer basket

Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs

Air fryer hard boiled eggs are cooked through in 16 minutes, peel easily, and are perfectly cooked each and every time! This is such a simple way to cook them.

Check out this recipe

overhead view of eggs in an air fryer basket

Main course recipes

The air fryer is so perfect for main courses because it cooks your protein to perfection! From tofu to shrimp, these air fryer recipes for main courses are going to make everyone at the dinner table HAPPY!

Recipe video

Watch the video below to see four of my favorite proteins to cook in the air fryer. You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel, or on Facebook.

Perfect Air Fryer Salmon

Air fryer salmon cooks quickly and has a slight crust on the outside, but is tender on the inside. With a delicious rub, this salmon recipe can be on your table in 15 minutes!

Check out this recipe

overhead view of plate with four air fryer salmon portions and lemon wedges

Air Fryer Chicken Thighs

Air fryer chicken thighs are juicy, flavorful, and ready in minutes! With a simple spice rub and very little oil, you can use boneless or bone-in thighs. This recipe is gluten-free and low carb!

Check out this recipe

Four chicken thighs on a gray plate

Crispy Seasoned Air Fryer Tofu

This ultra crispy air fryer tofu is super flavorful and cooked through in just 13 minutes! Popular with kids and adults and an easy vegan recipe.

Check out this recipe

overhead shot of tofu cubes in air fryer

Thai Salmon Patties

These Thai Salmon Patties can be prepped ahead and frozen for an easy dinner recipe. Thaw and cook in the frying pan or in an air fryer for crispy salmon patties with a punch of spicy Thai curry flavor!

Check out this recipe

stack of thai salmon patties with lime wedge on top

Air Fryer Cauliflower Chickpea Tacos

Air fryer cauliflower chickpea tacos are a fresh, flavorful, and healthy dinner to get on your table quickly. Vegan, clean eating and easily made gluten-free.

Check out this recipe

four air fryer cauliflower chickpea tacos lined up on blue background with hand grabbing one

Air Fryer Shrimp

Air fryer shrimp give you perfectly cooked shrimp without needing to turn on the oven! Marinated in a simple honey lime marinade, these are perfect for an easy dinner.

Check out this recipe

overhead shot of a pile of honey lime shrimp in gray bowl with fresh lime slices

Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

Crispy air fryer chicken tenders are juicy, flavorful, and so much tastier than store-bought! Simple to prepare, requires very little oil, and devoured by kids.

Check out this recipe

Crispy chicken tenders piled on a plate with fresh parsley

20 Minute Air Fryer Chicken Breast

A quick but flavorful recipe to cook chicken breast in the air fryer- ready in just 20 minutes! With a simple breading that gets crispy and adds so much flavor.

Check out this recipe

pile or air fryer chicken breasts with one sliced

Air Fryer Chicken Wings

Air fryer chicken wings are the CRISPIEST wings you can get! Cook a whole batch in your air fryer with four simple ingredients. These are keto, paleo and gluten-free!

Check out this recipe

gray plate with pile of air fryer chicken wings and dipping sauce

« Healthier Chicken and Cauliflower Casserole

How to Cook Pork Tenderloin »

About Denise Bustard

Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more. read more

Comments

Charissa Marie Gregg

January 03, 2021 at 7:52 pm

Do these times very for different types of air fryers?

Reply
- Denise Bustard
  
  January 04, 2021 at 5:55 pm
  
  Hi Charissa! Yes, cook times will vary by model, but they are surprisingly pretty close. I routinely test in two different air fryer models and usually the recipes are quite close, within 1-2 minutes of each other 🙂
  
  Reply
Charissa Marie Gregg

January 03, 2021 at 7:45 pm

Definitely trying out the hard boiled eggs in my fryer i just got it for Christmas! Total jackpot! My son loves eggs so I cant wait to try!!

Reply
- Denise Bustard
  
  January 04, 2021 at 5:56 pm
  
  Awesome! I hope you enjoy!
  
  Reply
Demi

July 23, 2020 at 10:20 pm

So many great ideas! Can't wait to try!

Reply
Robert Bellairs

April 28, 2020 at 6:13 pm

just got my fryer, 5qt vortex, i would like to know if its possible to do baked potatoes, if so how?

Reply
- Brandi
  
  May 22, 2020 at 6:19 pm
  
  I just found a recipe by googling it, they look crispy fluffy and amazing, and I don't even own one yet lol getting it tomorrow. I just sold hubby on it by showing him the mess our traditional fryer makes lol the baked potatoes and wings recipes sold him on it 🙂
  
  Reply
- Denise
  
  May 27, 2020 at 1:19 pm
  
  Hi Robert! Sorry for my late reply. I unfortunately have not had great luck making baked potatoes in the air fryer, they took forever for me (45 minutes!!!). I wonder if it would be good to start them by boiling or baking, then finishing off in the air fryer for that crispy skin? Anyway, here's a recipe I found while googling: https://www.apinchofhealthy.com/air-fryer-baked-potatoes/
  
  Reply
  - Tahlee
    
    July 19, 2020 at 4:34 pm
    
    I think it must depend on the fryer mine does them in 20 mins and they are so delicious 💕 I even did a small roast lamb yesterday and they t was amazing
    
    Reply
    - dorothy
      
      August 06, 2020 at 9:44 pm
      
      what's your brand of air fryer?
      
      Reply
Liz

July 31, 2019 at 5:18 pm

I enjoy your blog but am incredibly frustrated by how hard it is to find the unsubscribe to notifications button. I do not recall subscribing and do not like notifications. I also have been unable to find a way to contact you and this is the only option I can think of at this point. I will continue to read your blog but please tell me how to unsubscribe.

Reply
- Denise
  
  July 31, 2019 at 9:13 pm
  
  Hi Liz, sounds like you opted in to push notifications, sorry they are bothering you, that is definitely not what I intend with them! Look for the little blue bar in the bottom right hand corner of the screen that says 'unsubscribe to notifications'. You can also unsubscribe when you receive a notification. If you still have issues, please reach out to me at sweetpeasandsaffron@gmail.com and I can send you screenshots. Unfortunately this is not something I can do on my end to unsubscribe you.
  
  Reply
Nicole

June 19, 2019 at 2:25 pm

I tried a few of these recipes and I'm amazed how easy and tasty it was. I can't wait to try them all. Thank you for the awesome ideas.

Reply
- Denise
  
  June 25, 2019 at 2:31 pm
  
  So happy you found some winners!
  
  Reply

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