21 easy air fryer recipes that you need in your life! Air fryer snacks, sides, mains, and vegan recipes! Crispy and delicious with a fraction of the oil.
Once you've mastered our 5 air fryer secrets you will be more than ready to get cooking with these 21 must-try air fryer recipes!
While the most popular food to cook in the air fryer is probably french fries (they are definitely delicious) there are also so many other sides, mains, and vegan recipes that you can cook up in the air fryer!
We've rounded up some of our favorite air fryer recipes for you to try, including a few dishes you may not have known were possible to cook in the air fryer. Air fryer pizza, burgers, chicken fajitas, and falafel are so tasty, and fun to try out in the air fryer!
Reasons you'll love these recipes
- these recipes make eating healthy so delicious, and easy
- there's something for everyone here - from vegan falafels to air fryer pizza, and more
- everything that comes out of the air fryer is perfectly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside - with hardly any oil needed!
Recipe Video
Watch the video below to see four of our favorite proteins to cook in the air fryer. You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel, or on Facebook.
What is an Air fryer
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 our 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 purchased the Instant Pot Vortex air fryer, and I am a huge fan! With three trays (2 for air frying, 1 drip tray), the capacity is great, and clean up is easy, as the trays fit easily in a dishwasher. See more about each of these air fryer models and find out which air fryer is best for you here!
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
Sides & snacks
When it comes to side dishes, the air fryer makes things extra easy! Here are my favorite side dish air fryer recipes.
Main course recipes
The air fryer is so perfect for main courses because it cooks your protein to perfection! From chicken to shrimp, these air fryer recipes for main courses are going to make everyone at the dinner table HAPPY!
Vegan Recipes
The air fryer is also great for cooking up delicious vegan meals - including tofu and falafels. Check out these plant-based protein favorites, and put them on your list of easy air fryer recipes to try!
