The air fryer is one of my favorite tools for getting dinner on the table quickly without creating a lot of cleanup. They’re especially convenient for smaller portions and the circulating hot air makes a crisp brown exterior without the amount of oil you typically need for deep frying.
They’re also great for when you don’t want to heat up the entire oven just for two servings.
1) Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
Chicken thighs are simply seasoned in the air fryer and cooked all the way through. The skin becomes brown and crisp while the meat stays dark and juicy. Drying the surface of the chicken thighs before seasoning is going to help get that crispy exterior skin.
Chicken thighs are one of the foods that I think really shows what an air fryer is capable of doing. Circulating heat gets the skin super crispy without having the chicken sit in a lot of extra fat that comes off after roasting. For one or two portions I would much rather clean just one basket rather than an entire roasting pan.
I have paired these with every green and vegetable combination imaginable under the sun, but one that I go back to often is bulgur cooked with chicken broth as well as some quick roasted veggies in the oven.
2) Air Fryer Salmon
Salmon fillets cook quickly with a little bit of fat and garlic and then they get finished with fresh lemon. The goal is to have a tender flaky center to the salmon fillets with some browning and crisping on the surface and edges.
I really like using the air fryer for individual salmon fillets because you don’t have to preheat the full oven for such a small amount of food. Salmon is already really naturally rich in fat and so you don’t need to add much additional oil to get good results. Check on it early because thinner portions can cook surprisingly fast and become overdone and too crisp and hard on the edges.
Adding a small piece of parchment paper underneath the fillet is going to help you remove it from the basket without it breaking apart, because once it’s fried in the air fryer it’s going to be so tender and flaky that it will have a tendency to come apart easily.
3) Air Fryer Pork Chops
Give the pork chops a lightly seasoned breadcrumb coating before popping them in the air fryer. This will give the outside some crunch while the meat stays tender inside.
The air fryer is really useful for breaded foods because the hot air is going to reach the coating from several different directions instead of having just one side sitting against a pan or in oil. A very light spray of aerosol oil is going to help with the browning but not need enough oil to actually deep fry the chop.
Make sure to use a thermometer to help you know when to pull the pork chop out so that you know it’s safely cooked without being overdone and dry.
4) Turkey Burgers
Seasoned turkey patties are going to be cooked until brown and then completely cooked through, with ingredients like grated onion or yogurt to help keep the meat moist. This is a really good hands-off alternative to standing over a skillet and flipping burgers while grease splatters all around the stove and gives you a bunch of mess to clean up.
The basket is going to let some rendered fat drip away from the burger while it cooks, making it a little bit leaner and less messy as you bite in for that first bite. For a smaller household I especially like that you can cook just the number of patties you’ll actually need. You can prep more and put them in the freezer and have them done fresh each time.
5) Air Fryer Meatballs
Meatballs made from beef, pork, turkey, or any other combination cook until brown on the outside and then they can easily be added to pasta, sandwiches, or any other meals you want. The convection of the air fryer is going to give room for the hot air to circulate around every single side so you get browning on more than just the side that’s touching the skillet.
This is also great for when you’re batch cooking because you can make extra and put them in the freezer for later. This saves you some time in the future for a very easy dinner. Add some sauce between two slices of bread or some of your favorite pasta.
6) BBQ Chicken
Seasoned chicken is going to be cooked first and then it will get brushed with barbecue sauce for a finishing touch. Make sure you let the sauce become slightly sticky without spending the entire cooking time exposed to the high heat.
I love to use sauces that have a little bit of sugar and a little bit of heat to have contrast, however I feel like they always get burnt to the pan whenever I’m trying to grill with them. Adding sugary sauces toward the end is going to be especially smart in the air fryer because the concentrated heat will quickly darken that sugar and brown it.
You will still get the delicious sticky caramelized finish without having to fire up an outdoor grill. Cleaning up is so much easier if the basket or tray is dishwasher safe.
7) Shrimp Tacos
Season shrimp and cook until it’s opaque and curled and then add it to tortillas with crunchy vegetables and a cool lime flavored sauce. Shrimp is already a very fast cooking protein and the air fryer makes it a genuinely quick dinner.
There’s no skillet or oil or butter to clean up afterward, which I really appreciate on a busy night. I would prepare the cabbage and sauce ahead of time because the shrimp might be finished in just a few minutes. Cooking them in the basket makes it easy to check on them to see if they’re done and add just a few more seconds of precise heat if you need it.
Taco shells can be added to the basket afterward for a quick and easy way to warm multiple at once.
8) Chicken Tenders
Chicken strips are going to be seasoned and breaded and then cooked until the center is done and the exterior is crisp. This is one of the clearest examples of using an air fryer instead of traditional deep frying.
I’m always scared of getting oil splashed on me and it being too hot or too cold, and then your color is off and you have food that is soaked with oil. It doesn’t even taste good at the end.
You get that delicious crunchy breaded texture with much less added oil, which reduces the overall fat compared to submerging it in frying oil. One thing that I like to do is add broccoli or another type of vegetable immediately afterward while the fryer is already hot.
9) Falafel
Seasoned chickpea falafel cooks until brown and crisp and then it can be served with pita, fresh vegetables, or a creamy tahini style sauce. Falafel is traditionally associated with frying, so this is another place where the air fryer really reduces the amount of oil that you need. I also like that you don’t have to deal with heating or disposing of a pot of frying oil.
For meal prep I like to make extra falafel and re-crisp them quickly in the air fryer the next day instead of microwaving them, where they can get a little bit steamy and soggy. Preheat your air fryer while you’re getting the rest of your ingredients out and it will take just a few minutes for them to be just as good as the first day that you prepared them.
10) Stuffed Peppers
Peppers are filled with a mixture of cooked meat, rice or cauliflower rice, and tomato based ingredients and then they’re cooked until the pepper softens and the filling is hot all the way through. The air fryer is especially practical if you want to do only one or two stuffed peppers.
Heating a large oven for two peppers can feel excessive, but the smaller cooking basket is much more effective for that quantity. You also get some really nice browning across the exposed filling on the top which you don’t always get in the oven.
11) Steak Bites
Steak is cut into evenly sized pieces, cooked quickly, and then finished with something flavorful like garlic butter. Cutting the steak up much smaller gives more surface area to be browned by the convection of the air fryer.
Two things to remember for this one: make sure you don’t overcrowd the basket because otherwise it will steam rather than brown, and make sure that you preheat before you add your bits of steak to avoid them being overly well done. Use a basting brush or a spoon to drizzle a little bit of garlic butter or herbs on top of them for the last 30 seconds of cooking.
12) Chicken Parmesan
Thinly breaded chicken cooks until crisp before tomato sauce and cheese are added near the end so the coating doesn’t become soggy too early. Air fryer chicken parm is going to give you the crunchy cutlet without having to shallow fry it in a pan of oil and let it cool in between.
I also like that you can melt the cheese directly on top during the last few minutes. For a lighter side I like to pair this with a large salad or some roasted vegetables instead of making pasta every single time. I like to let the chicken and cheese be the star of the show.
13) Chicken Fajitas
Strips of chicken, peppers, and onions are going to be cooked together with oil and fajita seasoning until the meat is cooked and the vegetables develop some brown edges. This is the kind of meal where the air fryer can really replace both a skillet and a sheet pan.
By cutting everything into similar sizes it helps cook all the ingredients at once and finish up roughly at the same time. I also like to line up my tortillas and toppings while it cooks so the actual air fryer portion doesn’t require that much attention. It can be happening in the background while I focus on something else, like not forgetting my avocados and letting them go brown before I turn them into guacamole.
14) Eggplant Cutlets
Eggplant slices are dried, breaded, and then cooked until the coating becomes crisp while the center softens. Eggplant absorbs a surprising amount of oil when it’s traditionally fried, so the air fryer is very useful here.
You can use just enough oil to make sure that the coating is browned rather than soaking the entire eggplant in frying oil. I love to have this in a sandwich with some nice toasted Italian bread, meatballs, tomato sauce, and cheese.
15) Tofu Nuggets
Pressed tofu is cut into small pieces, lightly coated, and then cooked until the outside becomes crisp. Then it can be paired with a flavorful dipping sauce or bowl ingredients.
To get that really good crispy surface takes a little bit of time and effort to make sure you remove as much moisture as possible from the tofu. The inside will keep its original chewy texture, but if you take a few paper towels and set the tofu blocks on top of them with something heavy on top, it’s going to draw out a lot of extra moisture and then it’s much easier to coat each individual piece before popping it in the air fryer.
Adding a very light coating of cornstarch and a little bit of salt and pepper will make each individual piece taste delicious, and it also can be used as a vessel for whatever dipping sauces you love.
16) Veggie Bowls
A grain bowl will get extra texture from seasoned crispy chickpeas along with fresh vegetables and a creamy acidic dressing. Air fryer chickpeas are a great way to add a crunchy element to a bowl without the extra fat of croutons or fried toppings.
Chickpeas are also going to give you a lot of fiber and plant protein, so they’re more nutritional than just adding texture. If I have a little bit of rice or quinoa that’s already finished in the refrigerator, this is a really easy way to make it a complete meal with a few veggies on the side.
17) Sausage And Peppers
Sliced sausage cooks with peppers and onions until everything is hot and the edges begin to brown, then it can be served in several different ways. Because sausages are already fully cooked, the air fryer mainly just has to heat them and create a browning effect, which makes this extremely fast.
The sausage will also release some of its own fat during cooking, so I wouldn’t automatically add very much extra oil. This is another meal where everything can essentially cook in one basket all together and then be ready to go.
Put it between two slices of bread or on its own in a bowl. This will be a delicious and filling meal with minimal cleanup.
18) Chicken Bowls
Chicken with warm seasonings is going to be sliced and served over rice with fresh cucumber and a creamy garlic yogurt sauce, plus something acidic for brightness. Chicken thighs work especially well in the air fryer because their higher fat content is going to help them stay juicy when the outside browns and the inside stays tender and rich.
I like to cook several portions at once because they can fit comfortably, and use the leftovers for lunch bowls. Just make sure that there’s still space around each individual piece for the air to circulate if you want to get that nice crispy skin.
A little bit of carrots or sweet potato can cook at the same time and temperature as the chicken if you want a little more rounded meal.
19) Mini Meatloaves
Individual portions of seasoned ground beef can be shaped into small loaves and cooked until finished. Finish with a glaze for that classic meatloaf style dinner.
Making the meatloaf smaller is a really clever use for the air fryer because you get more brown exterior and a much shorter cooking time than with one larger loaf. It’s really easy to portion exactly what you need and to save more for leftovers.
If I’m cooking for just two people, this makes much more sense to me than running the oven for one full-size meatloaf and waiting for it to be finished in the middle while the edges start to dry out.
20) Pesto Chicken
Cook chicken on its own until it’s tender and brown and add pesto at the very end to make sure that it doesn’t scorch under the heat. The air fryer makes cooking a plain chicken breast really convenient because it can cook basically unattended while you prepare everything else.
I like to make thicker pieces a little bit thinner, either with a mallet or by butterflying them, so that you don’t end up with a really dry crispy end and an unfinished larger portion. Make sure to check with a meat thermometer, and then any leftovers can also be really easily sliced into a salad the next day.
21) Stuffed Mushrooms
Mushrooms are filled with a creamy savory mixture and then cooked until the tops are brown while the mushrooms underneath stay tender and juicy. This is another recipe where I think the small cooking chamber makes sense because stuffed mushrooms don’t need an entire oven on their own.
The circulating heat is going to really brown the exposed filling and the mushroom itself is going to hold moisture underneath. Add soup or a salad, and a tray of these could easily become dinner rather than just a small appetizer.
22) Fish Tacos
Any mild flavor white fish is going to be lightly seasoned and cooked until flaky, then you can add it to tortillas with cabbage or a tangy sauce. Fish fillets are really good for the air fryer because they already have a very short cooking time and you’re going to get a very even heat from the convection of the air fryer.
You get a crispy light brown surface on all sides of the fish, not just the one that’s the most even when you’re putting it in the pan to fry. Keep a close eye on it and check frequently because very delicate fish can go from tender to dry very quickly.
23) Chicken Wings
Well dried and seasoned wings can cook in a single layer until the skin becomes crispy, with sauce added afterward or near the end of cooking time. Wings are probably one of the foods that air fryers are best known for because the rendered chicken fat can drip away while the hot circulating air makes a really crispy skin.
You don’t need to submerge them all the way in oil to get that fried exterior. For a small batch especially, this is much less messy than traditional frying.
24) Gnocchi
Gnocchi is lightly coated in oil and then air fried until the outside becomes golden while the inside stays pleasantly chewy. This is delicious with vegetables to cook alongside it in the air fryer.
I love that this cooking method completely changes the texture of the gnocchi compared to boiling it or frying it in the pan. Instead of something that’s uniformly soft, you get a really crisp edge and a chewy center.
This makes it almost a one basket dinner if you choose to add vegetables with a similar cooking time, such as root vegetables like carrots or potatoes.
25) Veggie Quesadillas
Tortillas are filled with vegetables and cheese and then cooked until the outside is crisp and golden and the cheese has melted. You only need a very light coating of oil to make a crispy tortilla and cleanup is really minimal with this method.
One thing I would watch for is lightweight tortillas lifting up from the circulating air, so make sure to secure them down or check your particular air fryer instructions to help make sure that they stay together when frying.
26) Buffalo Cauliflower
Slabs of cauliflower can be cooked and browned before being coated in buffalo sauce to finish. Air frying is really going to help the texture and the flavor of the cauliflower.
It’s going to get roasted and crispy edges much faster than by steaming or boiling, so it’s going to feel much more substantial as a main ingredient. It also avoids needing to deep fry a breaded vegetable just to get some texture.
For my family I would add chickpeas or chicken or another protein if I wanted to turn this into a more complete meal.
27) Loaded Baked Potatoes
Whole potatoes are cooked in the air fryer until the center becomes fluffy and the seasoned skin develops a crisp exterior. Then they can be cut open and loaded with toppings.
When you’re going for convenience, this is definitely a place where I prefer the air fryer versus the microwave because the skin is going to get genuinely crispy instead of just softening and peeling away from the potato. If you’re really in a time crunch you can use a combination of both.
Microwave the potato a little bit first until it’s mostly tender, and then finishing it at a higher temperature in the air fryer is going to give the same effect of having that nice crispy skin. This is going to give you the best of both methods without wasting as much time.
Set it and forget it in the air fryer while you work on your toppings, and when you add a little bit of cheese give them a broil on a high setting for just a few minutes.
28) Rice Balls
Leftover rice can be shaped around a variety of fillings, breaded, and then cooked until the outside becomes crispy. Add a tomato dipping sauce to make an easy accompaniment.
This is a really smart use for leftovers because the air fryer can make yesterday’s rice feel like a completely different meal without the extra work. Traditional rice balls are often going to be deep fried, so the circulating hot air is going to give you a similar crispy breadcrumb effect with substantially less oil.
I would make them fairly small so that the center heats all the way through before the outside gets too dark.
29) Chicken And Broccoli
Chicken and broccoli cook until the chicken is done and the broccoli is brown on the edges while still retaining some bite. Then everything gets coated in a flavorful sauce.
What I really like with this method is that the air fryer is going to hold the soft texture of the broccoli without letting it be boiled or steamed for too long. The brown crispy edges on the florets are going to also add flavor as well as texture.
Because the protein and vegetable can cook in the same basket, it’s minimal cleanup for a high reward. You only really need some rice or some noodles to go on the side to finish the meal.
30) Nachos
Tortilla chips are layered with cheese, beans, and other warm toppings and then cooked until the cheese is melty and the exposed edges become toasty, before fresh toppings are added after. Nachos are a really good example of why an air fryer works well for smaller portions.
If one or two people want nachos, then you can make exactly enough without heating a full pan in the oven. Same thing for toppings. If one person likes beans and the other person doesn’t, it’s really easy and convenient to do a small portion at the same time, add your toppings, and re-crisp them for just a few short minutes.
The concentrated heat is going to melt the cheese and re-crisp the chips quickly, so this can be useful to revive leftover nachos as well from takeout.
