The 55 Best Air Fryer Recipes, from Chicken Wings to Brussels Sprouts

Frying food in hot oil: The results are crunchy and delicious, but we need to be in just the right mood (and have the time) to deal with the inevitable messy splattering. Enter the air fryer, the simplest route from zero to French fries—and not a drop of oil is required. That means you can indulge in all your favorite fried foods, minus some of the fat and grease. Here are the 55 best air fryer recipes to try for newbies and pros alike.

RELATED: The 15 Best Rated Air Fryers According to Me, a French Fry Enthusiast

1. Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

Your kids’ all-time favorite dinner just got a whole lot healthier. And thanks to almond flour, the tenders are gluten-free, too.

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2. Air Fryer French Fries

Fries for four in 30 minutes? We had a dream about this once.

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3. Air Fryer Bacon

To reduce the smoke of the bacon grease, put some water, bread or foil at the bottom of the basket.

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4. Clean-Eating Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Just toss them in oil, herbs and seasoning before air frying them until tender.

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5. Sweet Potato Cauliflower Patties

Binding flaxseeds and arrowroot starch keep these cuties both vegan and gluten-free.

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6. Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings

If you’ve been on the fence about getting an air fryer, let this game day essential be the recipe to sway you.

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7. Avocado Fries

Put them on a burger, serve them with eggs or enjoy them solo, dunked in lemony Cajun mayo.

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8. Air Fryer Fried Chicken and Waffles

The frozen waffles and 30-minute wings are easy. Now for the tough part: hot sauce or syrup?

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9. Air Fryer Roasted Asian Broccoli

Complete with garlic, sriracha and salted peanuts.

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10. Low-Carb Whole30 Paleo Salmon Cakes

Yellow curry powder does all the heavy lifting flavor-wise, while coconut flakes give the cakes their crunch.

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11. Air Fryer Pepperoni Pizza

Five ingredients, ten minutes and all the mozz. (Using a whole wheat pita instead of pizza dough saves a ton of time.)

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12. Flank Steak with Homemade Chimichurri Sauce

Want tender steak with an impressive outer crust? Let the meat rest for at least 30 minutes and preheat the air fryer before beginning.

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13. Air Fryer Parmesan Dill Fried Pickle Chips

Cool if we have a whole bowl of these with a side of ranch for dinner?

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14. Air Fryer Parmesan Shrimp

Stick them with toothpicks for a ten-minute party appetizer or serve them over pasta or rice for a complete meal.

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15. Southern-Style Pork Chops

The buttermilk brine is key for ridiculously crispy breading.

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16. Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan

What’s saucy, cheesy and ready in 20? Tonight’s dinner, of course. Serve with a side of pasta or on a roll.

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17. Bacon and Cream Cheese Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers

These handhelds have Super Bowl Sunday written all over them. And since they only take 15 minutes to whip up, you’ll have plenty of time to watch the game.

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18. Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower

When it comes to vegan appetizers, Buffalo cauli is that b**** for a reason.

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19. Air Fryer Roast Chicken

The kitchen appliance of the moment can tackle a 4½-pound bird in less than an hour.

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20. Air Fryer Salmon

Dump some asparagus in the basket with the fish to prepare your veggie and protein in one shot.

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21. Air Fryer Hamburgers

When it’s too cold out to fire up the grill, lean on the air fryer for burgers with juicy centers and crispy outer crusts.

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22. Air Fryer Potatoes

Munch ’em like wedge fries or serve as a side to beef or chicken. (Warning: Your kids will ask for seconds.)

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23. Sicilian Pizza

The air fryer does all the work of a pizza stone in half the time.

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24. Air Fryer Fish & Chips

We’ll take ours drenched in lemon juice and malt vinegar, thanks.

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25. Kofta Kebab

There’s always room on our plate for this Turkish staple. Make the beef in your oven if you don’t have an air fryer, or on the grill if the weather allows.

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26. Air Fryer Hardboiled Eggs

No stinky pot of water required. Who knew you could make breakfast for the week in 22 minutes?

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27. Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp

Hold the vat of oil—but don’t skimp on the shredded coconut or sweet chili dipping sauce.

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28. Air Fryer Meatloaf

It doesn’t get more old-school than meatloaf rocking a brown sugar-ketchup glaze.

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29. Pickle-Brined Chicken Tenders

In case you needed another reason to have a jar of pickle juice on deck at all times.

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30. Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries

The key to consistently crispy fries? Cutting the sweet potatoes identically so they cook evenly.

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31. Air Fryer Carrots

Make them savory with a mix of herbs and Parmesan cheese, or sweet with butter and brown sugar.

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32. Taco Calzones

Face it: Your taco Tuesday menu has gotten a tad stale. Don’t worry, store-bought pizza dough can save the day.

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33. BBQ Pork Tenderloin

Your favorite store-bought barbecue sauce will turn extra sticky and caramelized in the air fryer.

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34. Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks

Treat yourself to a second coating of egg and breadcrumbs: It’ll keep the mozz sticks from dripping right through the rack as they melt.

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35. Air Fryer BBQ Ribs

To the age-old question of rub or sauce, this recipe says: ¿Por qué no los dos?

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36. Air Fryer Baked Potatoes

Cheddar cheese, bacon bits and sour cream are totally optional (though strongly encouraged).

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37. Stuffed Baby Artichokes

They’re bursting with what’s basically the easiest, cheesiest spinach dip to ever grace your table.

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38. Air Fryer Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Switch up the fillings to your heart’s content, be it sliced apples or caramelized onions.

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39. Juicy Air Fryer Meatballs

They’re prime for dousing in marinara or pesto sauce…if you don’t eat them all straight out of the basket first, that is.

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40. Herb Butter Dinner Rolls

We’ve never seen a quicker glow-up than these butter-brushed frozen rolls dusted with Italian seasoning.

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41. Steak Kebabs

Make sure to stack the baby bella mushrooms, red onions and green peppers evenly so the skewers cook at the same speed.

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42. Easy Air Fryer Turkey Legs

Odds are the only ingredient you'll need to buy for this 35-minute main is the turkey legs. Pantry staples have the rest covered.

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43. Air Fryer Zucchini Fries

Cooking spray, breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese make these dangerously crispy (and snackable).

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44. Easy Air Fryer Potato Skins

These spud boats topped with cheese, scallions, bacon and ranch dressing are just the pairing for your famous game day wings.

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45. Air Fryer Sausage, Peppers and Onions

Whether you plate it atop pasta, rice or a soft hoagie roll, this half-hour recipe will quickly become part of your weekly rotation. Might we suggest topping it with melted provolone cheese?

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46. Air Fryer Garlic Bread

A buttery, garlicky, cheesy piece of Texas toast is the ultimate side for ribs, brisket, pulled pork and all the barbecue foods you can think of.

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47. Air Fryer Pork Belly Bites

We'll be dunking ours in gochujang mayo and chile crisp, thank you very much.

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48. Air Fryer Tortilla Chips

Use 'em for nachos, crumble them over taco salad or pair them with air fryer roasted tomatillo salsa for dipping.

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49. Air Fryer Scallops with Lemon Cream Sauce

Yup, even this fancy shellfish is fair game. Simply sear them in the air fryer and prepare the sauce while they cook.

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50. Air Fryer French Toast Sticks

It's already your picky kid's favorite breakfast, but just wait until they taste this extra crispy version. Pass the syrup, please.

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51. Easy Air Fryer Doughnuts

Can you believe these cuties only take 15 minutes to make from start to finish? You can thank store-bought biscuit dough for that. Finish them with velvety vanilla glaze or cinnamon sugar.

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52. Air Fryer Brownies

BRB, hunting down the biggest ice cream scoop we own.

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53. Air Fryer Apple Pie Chimichanga

It’s basically a fried dessert burrito stuffed with caramel and cinnamon-sugar apples. Need we say more?

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54. Air Fryer Oreos

Forget about fussing with drippy batter. These carnival gems are made with store-bought Crescent roll dough.

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55. Maple Pecan Bars with Sea Salt

Hellooooo, autumn. Scratch your itch for pie in a fraction of the time it takes to roll out a traditional crust.

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