The Best Air Fryer Recipes For Beginners
What makes a recipe beginner friendly? Its quick, easy and not intimidating. Most of these recipes do not require many ingredients or steps to prepare. They are designed to give you the confidence you need to succeed at your first attempt.
Weve been there, so we understand how intimidating it can be to use a new kitchen appliance but I will tell you one thing, using an air fryer is really not much different from using an oven and most of the recipes in this collection of easy air fryer recipes for beginners get ready in 30 mins or less and can be made ahead and stored for later. They are great dishes for any time of day.
We usually include the temperature in Fahrenheit and Celsius because our readers arent only in the US. We have a wide range of readers from across the world. Weve also got a handy Air fryer calculator to help you convert your oven recipes.
Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies
Bake right on your countertop! Your air fryer can make more than just French fries. These chocolate chip cookies are small, sweet and cakey. Make the dough, roll into balls and freezethen thaw and air-fry a few as needed for easy after-dinner treats.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Serve up these mouthwatering sweet potato fries with your favorite dip like ranch or chipotle for a last-minute meal.
While you can totally get away with classic potatoes for this recipe, sweet potatoes just take the dish to a whole new level.
The sweetness of the inside paired with the salty outside is a match made in heaven.
I recommend picking up a whole bag of sweet potatoes to always have on standby for those last-minute dinners.
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Easy Air Fryer Recipes
Wondering what to make for dinner in your air fryer? Whether you just purchased your first air fryer and can’t wait to try air fryer recipes, or have had your air fryer for years but are looking for something different to cook with it, then you have come to the right place. We have rounded up over 25 of the best easy air fryer recipes including roasted vegetables in the air fryer, air fried meat like chicken, beef, and lamb, all the air fryer seafood including salmon and shrimp, and air fryer snacks . Plus, most of these recipes are quick and easy with minimal prep perfect for busy weeknights.
Air Fryer Zucchini Chips
The amazing zucchini is a wondrous vegetable and one of the most versatile for cooking.
You can do so much with zucchini. From making zoodles to soups, appetizers to salads, it seems that there is no end to the meals you can create with the humble zucchini.
One great way to use up a bumper crop of zucchini is to make these addictive little zucchini chips in the air fryer.
These will disappear quickly! We love them sprinkled with parmesan cheese. These are as addictive as potato chips with none of the guilt.
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The Mozzarella Sticks Were The Most Fun And Strangely Satisfying Recipe To Make
The food blogger Kimspired’s quick recipe calls for light string cheese, Italian bread crumbs, an egg, and flour, plus marinara sauce for dipping.
First put your egg, bread crumbs, and flour in three separate containers.
After you unwrap your cheese, coat it in flour, then dip it in egg, and coat in a layer of bread crumbs.
My favorite part was making sure each stick was perfectly coated in crumbles, which felt therapeutic.
The only downside is that you need to freeze the cheese sticks for an hour so they firm up.
Once you take them out of the freezer, pop them into a preheated air fryer at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for four minutes. Then flip again for another four minutes.
These came out cheesy, delicious, and addictive.
Some of the cheese ended up oozing out of the breading, especially when I flipped them. But they stayed together for the most part and tasted great with the marinara dipping sauce.
Air Fryer Bulgogi With Zucchini
This version of bulgogi is made with a no-fuss sweet and salty marinade and cooked to perfection in your air fryer, for an ideal weeknight meal. The recipe calls for zucchini but you can make it your own by using other vegetables like mushrooms and onions! to switch it up.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Bulgogi with Zucchini
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Air Fryer Chicken Thighs With Salsa Verde And Lemony Kale Salad
An air fryer practically guarantees crispy, juicy chicken thighs. Seasoned simply with lemon zest, salt and pepper, they make a satisfying meal with an Italian-inspired salsa verde and bright kale salad . Air fried panko is the final crunchy touch.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Chicken Thighs with Salsa Verde and Lemony Kale Salad
The Last Thing I Made Was The Air
The food blogger This Old Gal makes her grilled cheese with three simple, classic ingredients: bread, cheese, and butter.
Butter one side of each piece of bread, stick cheese inside, and then cook in the preheated air fryer at 370 degrees Fahrenheit for four minutes on each side.
The recipe recommends using toothpicks to hold the bread down. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any. Because of this, I had to rearrange the bread midway through cooking, as it had blown off.
Still, these came out cheesy and fabulous â though I could have just as easily made it in a pan.
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Next Up Were The Vegan Air
This taquito recipe from an Allrecipes user named Yoly is vegan, but I would have preferred using meat since it lacked texture on its own. Even so, they weren’t hard to make and tasted good enough for a snack.
To make cooking time faster, I microwaved the potato for about four minutes on each side.
While the potato cooked, I made the onion-garlic butter sauce.
I minced the garlic, chopped the onions, and simmered them in butter until they were soft and translucent. Next, I mashed the potato and combined it with salt, pepper, almond milk, and the butter mixture.
Once I had my mashed-potato mixture, I heated the tortillas to roll the taquitos up.
I wasn’t a huge fan of this part. I used the grate of a gas stove to heat the tortillas just enough to be easily rollable. This was tedious, and they’ll burn fast if you don’t pay close attention.
Once I had my tortilla perfectly heated, I put a spoonful of my mashed-potato mixture inside it and rolled it up.
I stuck the rolled taquitos in the preheated air fryer at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
I air-fried them for about seven minutes and then turned them over and sprayed them with oil before cooking them for about three more minutes.
The filling was good and tasted like garlic mashed potatoes.
I would have preferred to eat them without the semi-crunchy tortilla wrapper, which overpowered the flavor of the potatoes.
Do I Need To Preheat My Air Fryer
This is a popular air fryer question in our recipe groups and really theres no right or wrong answer to it. You can get away with making tons of recipes in the air fryer without hitting the preheat button even once.
Most recipes made here at Air Fryer Yum are made without preheating the air fryer and thats because unlike the oven the air fryer heats up really fast.
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Air Fryer Biscuit Egg Sandwiches
PSA: You can and should be cooking refrigerated biscuit dough in your air fryer. Its ready in 10 minutes and the result is much lighter and flakier than the oven-baked version. While youre at it, put beaten eggs and ham into silicone baking cups and air fry them at the same time. Layer with the biscuits, top with hot sauce, and just like that, youll have rich, savory restaurant-worthy egg sandwiches.
What Is Air Fryer
An air fryer is a countertop oven that is designed to fry without oil. It bakes and it roasts food.
The food made in an air fryer imitates frying but without the excess calories of deep frying in oil.
Air fryer cooks food in half of the time it takes a conventional oven.
The fan circulates hot air in the basket above the food and this creates browning and crisping of food.
There are different brands of air fryers from Phillips, Gourmia, Ninja, Cosori, Power Xl, Probreeze, and more. Air fryers come in different sizes and shapes.
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Air Fryer Fried Rice With Sesame
No need to stand over a screaming hot wok to get perfect fried rice the air fryer gives you exceptionally crispy fried rice without heating up your kitchen. This simple recipe adds just enough flavor and nuance to the dish, without a million ingredients and prep dishes.
Air Fryer Fried Pickles: Air Fryer Fried Pickles
Air Fryer Chili Garlic Tofu
We’re usually hesitant to make tofu at home because we can never achieve that satisfying sear, but the air fryer changed that for good. The icing on the cake is the sauce made with chili sauce, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce. Get the recipe for air fryer chili garlic tofu here.
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Less Oil Great Texture And Flavor
The flavor of the chicken and broccoli from the air fryer is fantastic. Its crispy, with toasted edges and super flavorful. The texture is more like roasted chicken and broccoli, which is just as fantastic. This healthy air fryer chicken recipe is low fat and fantastic when served with some wild rice or brown rice. Its not greasy and the broccoli is wonderful crispy and flavorful. Give it a try and youll be obsessed with air fryer recipes from now on. Dinner comes together so quickly and easily. Again, the benefit is that theres such little oil when it comes to healthy air fryer recipes!
Honey Lime Air Fryer Shrimp
An easy weeknight dinner for when you have no idea what to make, start with frozen shrimp and whip them up in the air fryer in minutes. You can serve this sweet and tangy shrimp on rice, in tortillas, or with your favorite vegetable. Get the recipe for honey lime air fryer shrimp here.
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What Is The Difference Between An Air Fryer And A Toaster Oven
Air fryers have a single fan and heating element on top of the oven. Some toaster ovens may have an air fryer function but usually have heating elements on the top and the bottom.
We do have one which we tried for a while but ended up breaking down and buying a standard machine.
It works better. Some multi function machines work well, I dont think this combo is quite as good. I suggest buying JUST an air fryer machine vs. a crisplid too.
Were not done yet though!! Weve got more to share like how to make chicken fried steak and more.
- Breaded pork chops in air fryer are amazing with gravy on top.
For a snack, brunch or appetizer I would give our air fryer calamari bites a whirl. Just grab some rings frozen and theyre super easy to coat and cook.
An easy lunch is to throw in a few frozen chicken patties in air fryer. Theyre tender on the inside but crispy on the outside.
- Youll love our air fryer lemon pepper chicken wings too.
If you love all things seafood, I would make our air fryer fish and chips. You can use frozen fillets, stick, tater tots or fries. OR use fresh for our air fryer fish nuggets.
Try crispy chicken legs in air fryer with broccoli in air fryer or sweet potatoes for the win
- When people come over I have made this air fryer baked brie which is so amazing I cannot even tell you.
Many times when my kids want a quick snack, its homemade beef jerky,grilled cheese or air fryer quesadillas for the win.
Easy Air Fryer 30 Minute Recipes For Meals Dinners Snacks
These delicious family-friendly recipes ready in 30 minutes or less. These are easy to assemble the day of cooking or a day ahead of time. So when you come home from a long days work, all the meal prep and ready. All you need to do is to pop them in the air fryer and dinner is ready in less than 30 minutes .
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Quick And Easy Air Fryer Recipes
Theres so many ways to enjoy our Air Fryer quick and easy recipes. Personalize your seasonings by adding your own personal spin with different spices, seasonings, sauces or dressings. Or add additional salt and pepper to personal taste.
The hot circulating air of the air fryer is powerful and cooks food to a crispy texture. If youre using a smaller air fryer , cooking times might be a little quicker because the food is closer to the heating element.
Oven Style Air Fryer: If youre using an oven style air fryer with different racks, trays or shelves remember that the top rack closest to the heating element will cook quicker. The food may even burn. The lower racks will cook a little slower and less crisp. So try to cook food in the middle rack or even a lower rack if the food is thick or needs to cook through the center. For cooking on multiple racks, you might have to rotate the racks from top to bottom for even cooking.
What Can You Not Put In An Air Fryer
- Cling film
- Paper towel
- Non heat resistant ceramic or glass bowls
- Oil
- Wet foods are tricky in the air fryer. Things like battered foods Though you can make pancake batter in the air fryer with a baking pan, as a beginner I would recommend you make pancake muffins in silicon muffin liners instead of regular pancakes. As your confidence improves, you can try making regular pancakes
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Youve probably already made French fries in the air fryer, but did you know that there are tons of other ways to use it? It can cook many of your favorite dishes nearly twice as fast as a regular oven and gives food an irresistible deep-fried texture using no more than a tablespoon of oil. Make the most of your air fryer with these 20 simple air fryer dinner ideas. Theyre healthy, delicious, and perfect for when youre short on time.
Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
This picture-perfect recipe is oozing with deliciousness!
The second you pull this dish out of the air fryer, itll be gone in a snap.
These mini buffalo cauliflower bites are low-carb, keto-friendly, and surprisingly healthy.
This dish is basically a vegan alternative to buffalo wings. It still has the spice and kick, without the added calories.
Dont be scared to go a little crazy on your most loved barbeque or hot sauce.
This mouthwatering dish is a Chick-fil-A copycat recipe thats super easy to make.
The chicken is sautéed in pickle juice and buttermilk for that juicy tenderness.
The breading is loaded with paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne for some added heat.
The best part of this recipe is absolutely no oil is required!
Who needs the extra calories from deep fried fast food when you can get the same crispiness and crunch in an air fryer?
These vibrant air fryer fish tacos are paired with a citrus salsa and spicy chipotle mayo.
Dont forget to whip up a fresh guacamole to spread across the fish tacos.
While the recipe calls for white fish fillet, you can opt for salmon or even shrimp.
If youre looking for that extra crunch, you can throw the final product into the air fryer for some added yumminess.
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Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos
Chicken taquitos are one of the easiest and tastiest air fryer recipes.
This simple dish is something you can whip up on a busy weeknight or serve on the weekend when you want something thats filling but also light.
Taquitos are a great way to use up a leftover rotisserie chicken. How can you go wrong with Tex-Mex food thats cheesy and spicy?
This recipe uses cream cheese, Colby jack cheese, salsa, and black beans. You can always substitute cheddar cheese or a taco cheese blend.
Is Air Fryer Healthier Than Oven
I wouldnt say there is much more of a benefit between these two devices, but your finger food will get crispier this way!
If youre comparing a deep fryer to this though there is a BIG guilt free health difference!
- The benefit is youll get that same fried food crispiness with NO oil needed .
- This is my favorite olive oil spray I use for almost all of these healthy air fryer recipes.
- For things such as air fryer sausage patties it IS much healthier because the grease drains away as it cooks.
Just a little spray on top at the end makes the outside of everything turn out extra crispy and tastes fried. No need to deep fry anymore when making air fryer artichoke hearts, just do it this way! Just look at these air fryer flautas and/or our air fryer empanadas.
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