Air Fryer
24 recipes found
Air-Fryer Turkey Breast
Succulent, flavorful turkey breast that cooks up in less than 45 minutes is possible with an air fryer. And with the air fryer method, no babysitting basting time is required. Starting with a simple dry rub infuses the turkey as it chills overnight, ensuring that every bite is tastier than the last. This super easy recipe is perfect for an oven-free Thanksgiving feast or for creating a week's worth of delicious turkey sandwiches.
Air-Fryer Turkey Legs
There’s just something about holding a whole roasted turkey leg and taking a big bite. These prized parts of a turkey have a flavorful, juicy and somewhat primal allure. But you don’t have to carve out the time or put in all the work of long roasting for the satisfaction of grasping a large, crispy drumstick. A batch of deeply seasoned and burnished air-fried turkey legs delivers this experience with minimum cleanup, a fraction of the cooking time and a much lower cost — especially if you include the price of entry to state fairs, amusement parks and renaissance fairs. The cranberry sauce might be optional, but is highly recommended. It’s a versatile condiment that can also be schmeared on a sandwich, nestled on a cheeseboard or dunked into as part of a child-friendly weeknight dinner.
Air-Fryer Zucchini
Popping zucchini into the air fryer is a quick way to cook the beloved summer vegetable, but the squash’s high water content can lead to sogginess. For crisp, can’t-stop-eating zucchini, employ these smart tricks: Remove the seeds, don’t salt before cooking, thoroughly dry the zucchini pieces, and finally, toss them with a little mayo before sprinkling with a mixture of panko, Pecorino Romano and cornstarch. You’ll end up with tasty, lightly crisped zucchini nuggets with a salty bite. For a vegan version, substitute vegan mayonnaise or olive oil and use nutritional yeast in place of the cheese.
Easy Air-Fryer Asparagus
Cooking asparagus in an air fryer offers a speedy, hassle-free way to produce tender emerald spears with lightly crispy tips. Before frying, toss with a smidgen of olive oil (less is more, to avoid soggy stalks) and a light seasoning of salt and garlic powder. If you like, garnish with flaky salt, red pepper flakes, lemon zest and freshly grated Parmesan for a salty finish with bright citrus notes. To really save time, serve alongside air-fryer chicken thighs, chicken breasts, or steak, cooking the asparagus in the same basket while the meat rests on a plate, enhancing flavor and minimizing cleanup. A final note: When shopping for asparagus, always choose bright green, firm spears with straight tips and tight buds.
Air-Fryer Chicken Tenders
There are many different ways to cook chicken tenders, but for feeding a smaller group, the air fryer is a convenient method for super-crispy and juicy results. A simple combination of panko bread crumbs, paprika, salt and pepper make up the coating, but that can just be the beginning: Try adding nutritional yeast for a boost of umami, shichimi togarashi or crushed red pepper for heat, or a sprinkle of oregano for a more classic flavor profile. Turn this recipe into a full meal by adding half of the recipe for air-fryer broccoli or air-fryer green beans to the basket when flipping the chicken tenders.
Air-Fryer Steak with Garlic-Herb Butter
A classic cast-iron steak recipe is hard to beat, but cooking steak in the air fryer is a reliable way to nail the perfect internal temperature in a fraction of the time thanks to the machine’s circulating high heat. Both the steak seasoning and herb butter work well for other occasions and can be easily scaled up, stored and saved for future use. The small amount of brown sugar doesn’t add much sweetness, instead, it helps encourage caramelization. Fast and dependable, this may become your new go-to way to cook steak on a weeknight. Why You Should Trust This Recipe In creating this recipe, Eleanore Park tried cooking more than five different cuts of steak in the air fryer to reach the ideal result. The recipe tester then tried another cut and also helped adjust the timing to make sure the steak comes out perfectly medium-rare every time.
Air-Fryer Baked Potatoes
Cooking baked potatoes in an air fryer is an excellent option when it’s too hot to turn on the oven, or when you’re cooking for a smaller group. The machine’s circulating heat evenly crisps potato skins to perfection. Though simply delicious with a pat of butter and a sprinkle of chopped chives or scallions, these spuds also make perfect vessels for leftovers; add chopped, roasted broccoli, crispy crumbled bacon or a mound of chili for a heartier meal.
Air-Fryer Chicken Breast
By some kind of magic, an air fryer can transform a chicken breast into an easy, flavorful dinner with minimal effort. Part of this sorcery takes a cue from Eric Kim’s dry-brined chicken breast recipe, which calls for cutting the chicken breast in half, allowing you to pluck the smaller piece from the air fryer as soon as it’s done, leaving the thicker part to remain in the air fryer longer and preventing any overcooked bites. Paired with vinegar, soy sauce acts less as a salt and more as a marinating agent in this recipe. The circulating heat and compact space of the air fryer allows the ingredients to reduce into a sweet and slightly sticky sauce as they collect at the bottom, emboldening their flavors.
Air-Fryer Pork Chops
This easy air-fryer recipe creates tasty, effortless pork chops, with the flexibility to season ahead of time or with no notice at all. The sugar-and-spice blend performs double duty, injecting a jolt of seasoning all over while also caramelizing as the pork cooks, forming a delightfully crackly crust that keeps the meat moist. Depending on the size of your air-fryer basket, you may be able to fit more than two pork chops, but the temperature and cook time will stay the same.
Air-Fryer Chicken Parmesan
An air fryer can form a crispy shell on chicken Parmesan while keeping the meat inside juicy. Rebecca Abbott and Jennifer West, the authors of “Air Fryer Beginner Recipes” who run the blog Air Frying Foodie, created this recipe using a crust that combines coarse panko and fine bread crumbs with Parmesan for the most flavorful crunch. It’s delicious served with pasta and tomato sauce for dinner, or sandwiched in a roll for lunch.
Air-Fryer Cheesecake
This recipe for an air-fryer cheesecake shows the potential of the appliance and the creativity of people, who seem willing to try making anything in the machine. Four months after Rebecca Abbott bought her first air fryer, she was stunned when she made a perfect cheesecake in it — no cracks or dips. She created this recipe, along with Jennifer West, for their blog, Air Frying Foodie. (The two included a cookies and cream version in their cookbook, “Air Fryer Beginner Recipes.”) This cheesecake is done in a fraction of the time it would take to bake one and looks beautiful, especially with cherry pie filling on top.
Air Fryer Goat Cheese Fritters
Is there anything better than fried Goat Cheese recipe?? Only if it's made in the Air Fryer and therefore healthy! Make these Goat Cheese Fritters today.
Air-Fryer Brussels Sprouts With Garlic, Balsamic and Soy
Brussels sprouts are quite possibly the best vegetable you can make in an air fryer; the leaves turn brittle and delightfully crunchy. Here they are paired with slivers of garlic, which turn into pungent golden chips as they fry. Then the whole thing is dressed with a mix of balsamic vinegar that’s been simmered until thickened, then seasoned with lime juice for freshness and soy sauce for complexity. Serve this as a side dish, or as snack with drinks; just make sure to have plenty of napkins on hand.
Air-Fryer Broccoli
Broccoli roasts beautifully in the air fryer, and in record time with minimal effort. The air fryer is especially adept at producing the Maillard reaction — the chemical processes that transform sugars and proteins in food when browned and caramelized, deepening their flavor — because the controlled, high heat draws out moisture, creating a lovely char while keeping vegetables tender and flavorful. This recipe gives the broccoli a hit of umami from soy sauce, which is bolstered in the high heat, resulting in nutty, sweet and salty notes. If you’d like more umami, a drizzle of fish sauce or chile crisp will stretch these flavors even further. A sprinkle of sesame seeds adds nuttiness, and some fresh lemon zest provides a jolt of brightness.
Air-Fryer Green Beans
Tossed simply with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, red-pepper flakes and grated garlic, green beans in the air fryer blister beautifully in a fraction of the time without heating up the oven. Equally tasty hot or at room temperature, these green beans can be made ahead and set aside if you want to cook a main dish in the air fryer after they’ve crisped. Green beans will crisp up nicely if left undisturbed in the air fryer, but like an oven, an air fryer can contain hot spots, so it’s worth shaking the green beans at least once for even cooking.
Air-Fryer Chicken Thighs
Simple and satisfying, chicken thighs brown beautifully in the air fryer, maintaining moisture thanks to their fat content. A quick, vinegar-spiked sour cream marinade adds oomph and helps tenderize the chicken. Despite being tossed and coated in a quick wet marinade (or overnight, if time permits), the skin still comes out deeply golden-brown and shatteringly crisp without leaving the meat lackluster. Because thighs vary in size, and air fryers range in size and power, make sure to take the internal temperature before removing your chicken from the air fryer, or pierce the chicken to check that the juices run clear rather than pink to ensure doneness.
Air-Fryer Tofu
Much like air-fryer French fries, tofu becomes perfectly crunchy in the air fryer without the need for deep-frying or an abundance of oil. This recipe takes a cue from Eric Kim’s crispy tofu nuggets, using potato starch to create a crackly exterior. The potato starch and salt coating, as well as the circulating high heat, helps evenly draw out the moisture. Similar to many air fryer recipes, the tofu benefits from being tossed or shaken halfway through to ensure even cooking. If using a smaller air fryer, cooking spray helps prevent the cubes from clumping when piled into the basket. For a full meal, serve with rice and a squeeze of lime for an extra shot of brightness.
Air-Fryer Grilled Cheese
This easy air-fryer grilled cheese recipe yields an evenly toasted exterior, crisped frico edges and a perfectly melted middle — in record time. As Julia Moskin points out in her stovetop recipe, some patience and attention are required to ensure that the outside doesn’t burn before the cheese melts. But the air fryer’s convection heat results in the ideal grilled cheese with minimum effort. Like Ali Slagle’s sheet-pan recipe, this version is flexible: You can use any sliced bread or melting cheese. A schmear of your favorite condiment is also welcome here; try gochujang, kimchi or sauerkraut. If you have a larger air fryer, this recipe can easily be doubled to fit more than one sandwich.
Soy-Braised Tofu With Bok Choy
This Chinese-style braised tofu is an ideal midweek dinner over rice or noodles. Shallow frying the tofu first makes it sturdier and prevents it from breaking apart in the sauce. (You could also deep-fry or use an air fryer.) Cutting the tofu into thicker pieces means that each mouthful is crisp yet plump, with a soft interior. This is an adaptable dish; when adding the bell peppers, you could add more vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, snow peas or whatever you have on hand. Those familiar with restaurant-style braised tofu may expect more sauce, but in this homestyle version, the seasoning sauce delicately coats the tofu and vegetables without drowning them. That said, double the sauce if you prefer.
Air-Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Like air-fryer French fries, air-fryer sweet potatoes achieve similar success, utilizing less oil and requiring less time than deep-fried versions. While sweet potato fries won’t crisp up as much as their potato counterparts, that’s part of the appeal, offering textural contrast of creamy centers and charred tips. Oomph from any of your favorite spices would work well here, along with the paprika. Sumac could add a punch of brightness or a dash of cayenne can impart some heat. If your air fryer basket is larger, try a bigger sweet potato for a higher serving — but don’t overfill it with sweet potatoes, or they’ll steam rather than crisping in spots.
Air-Fryer Salmon
Salmon cooks perfectly in the air fryer because the device’s circulating high heat keeps the fish moist and crisps skin-on fillets. Here, tomatoes and lemon slices provide a bright boost to the dish, but feel free to forgo or vary the recipe with seasonings like brown sugar and mustard or simply try out other salmon recipes. Keys to This Recipe How Long It Takes to Cook Salmon in the Air Fryer: The cook time depends on the thickness and temperature of the fillets. To test for doneness, insert a metal cake tester or thin paring knife into the middle of a fillet to see if the fish is warmed all the way through. If the metal feels cold, continue to cook for an additional minute or two. Generally, 6-ounce fillets take about 10 minutes. To cook frozen salmon, place unthawed fillets in the machine and add an extra 5 to 7 minutes. How to Double the Recipe: Use a larger air fryer and double the quantities below, but keep the cooking time the same. How to Use Leftover Salmon: Leftover salmon can be refrigerated for up to 2 days and would work well as a substitute for tuna in Eric Kim’s tuna rice recipe if you happen to have rice on hand. Or, toss flaked salmon into a salad for a hearty complete meal. How to Clean an Air Fryer After Cooking Salmon: To get rid of any lingering fishy smells, be sure to clean your air fryer right away, following these tips from Wirecutter.
Air-Fryer Bacon
Bacon crisps up in the air fryer in a fraction of the time it would need on the stovetop or in the oven — and air-fryer bacon is ideal for a quick, solo breakfast, or when you need just a small batch. (If you’re cooking bacon for a crowd, we’ve still got you covered with our oven bacon recipe.) Cooking bacon in the air fryer results in extracrisp slices, since the excess bacon fat drains as the bacon cooks. The quantity of bacon here will depend on the size of your air fryer basket (or really, how hungry you are) and won’t affect the time or temperature called out below. To add to this recipe’s convenience, you can even start with frozen bacon without needing to adjust the cook time or temperature.
Air-Fryer French Fries
Being able to cook French fries with a lot less oil is one of the reasons air fryers were invented. While air-fryer fries may not be quite as deeply crunchy as their properly deep-fried cousins, they are nonetheless crisp, golden and satisfying in their own right — and a lot easier and less messy to prepare. Here, they’re served with mayonnaise spiked with mustard and smoked paprika, for dunking. But for traditionalists, ketchup works just as well. Note that you can double the recipe, but you may have to cook the fries in batches, depending on the size of your fryer; consult the manual for specific instructions for your model.
Air-Fryer Potatoes
The air fryer creates crispy, tender potatoes without having to parboil beforehand, cutting much of the cooking time. Thanks to the compact space of the air fryer, the circulated high heat blisters the skins, creating crunchy edges, but also steams the potatoes, resulting in creamy centers. These potatoes taste as if they had been slow roasted over a long period of time, but cook in about 15 minutes. If dried parsley is unavailable, or you prefer fresh herbs, the recipe works just as well by tossing the potatoes with a tablespoon of freshly chopped parsley along with the lemon zest before serving.