The advent of the air fryer re-invigorated how we cook foods that are traditionally fried. Thanks to the air fryer, we can now enjoy crispy French fries that don’t get soft from the microwave. Even better, foods cooked in the air fryer from scratch are much healthier than deep-fried food.
These air fryer dinner recipes make weeknights a breeze. There’s no need to work up a sweat in the kitchen when you have easy air fryer recipes.
After a long day, it’s nice to come home and prepare a nice meal for your family that is quick and easy to get on the table.
Cooking with an air fryer is an exciting and convenient way to make delicious meals that are healthier than deep–fried food. An air fryer uses a combination of hot air, convection, and a small amount of oil to fry, bake, and roast foods. The hot air circulates around the food, cooking it quickly and evenly, while the small amount of oil ensures that the food is crispy and flavorful.
The result is food that tastes as good as deep–fried, but with a fraction of the fat and calories. Air fryers are versatile and easy to use, and can be used to make everything from french fries to fish and vegetables. They also require minimal clean up, making them ideal for busy households. With an air fryer, you can create delicious, healthier meals in no time.
This list has some great air fryer recipes for beginners, from elegant entrees to savory sides. As a special treat, we even have a delicious dessert idea.
Let’s dive in and explore these wonderful air fryer meals.
When Taco Tuesday rolls around, think outside the traditional taco box and whip up these turkey tacos in your air fryer.
Everyone loves taco night and when you’re serving turkey meat in your tacos, you have a heart-healthy meal that everyone will enjoy. You can also use chicken thighs for this recipe.
Tacos cooked in the air fryer are incredibly crispy and warm. It’s similar to making tacos in the oven, but the air fryer gets them even crispier.
Be sure to have all of the usual taco trimmings on hand, including tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, and guacamole.
You can cook a baked potato in the traditional method in the oven. Alternatively, you can cook baked potatoes in the microwave. Then there’s the new favorite way of using a slow cooker to make baked potatoes.
However, if you make baked potatoes in your air fryer, you get a baked potato that is crispy on the outside but tender and fluffy on the inside.
An added benefit is that your baked potato will be ready in about half the time.
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 (zucchini noodles) 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.
We have tons of air fryer meals and air fryer dinner recipes on this list, but you can also make a colorful side with air fry vegetables.
To make this dish, you can use whatever veggies you have in your fridge. This dish calls for tomatoes, bell pepper, zucchini, and garlic, but you can toss in cauliflower and broccoli if you have some.
Be sure to season with salt and pepper, along with Italian seasoning. When done, sprinkle it with some grated parmesan cheese. To make this a full vegan meal, stir in some tofu.
One of the best things about preparing rice for a meal is that you can easily make a double batch.
When you make extra, you can use it the next day to make great recipes like fried rice.
The great thing about fried rice is that you can use any number of things to make it a full meal.
This recipe can be made with frozen, fresh, or even canned veggies. If you want a protein such as chicken or shrimp, go for it! Serve with egg rolls to make it even more delicious.
If you’ve got a roast cooking in the oven or slow cooker, you can use your air fryer to whip up a batch of delicious and nutritious carrots.
This is one of our favorite air fryer recipes for beginners and it takes a classic dish to a whole different level.
If you’ve never thought of using thyme on carrots, you’re in for a special treat! You can also add some garlic powder if your family likes garlicky dishes.
Be sure to have some chopped parsley on hand for garnish.
Chicken tenders are a go-to easy meal for many families. They’re wonderful for dipping and there is a dipping sauce for everyone.
The good news is that you can enjoy these handy little golden strips of wonder without the added oil from frying them.
These chicken tenders are coated in mayonnaise and dijon mustard. Then, they’re dredged in a breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese mixture
Another thing you can try to get the perfect chicken tenders is to marinate them in creamy buttermilk and then coat the tenders in the breadcrumb mixture.
Now that you have all of these amazing air fryer dinner recipes, your family is definitely going to want dessert.
Who doesn’t love s’mores? They’re reminiscent of childhoods spent around a campfire.
But what do you do if you want to make s’mores for a house full of people but don’t have a campfire handy? Well, you make them in the air fryer, of course.
One of the easiest air fry recipes for beginners is the beloved s’mores.
To keep them from blowing around, cut a tiny piece of the marshmallow off at the bottom so that it sticks to the graham cracker.
30+ Air Fryer Recipes For Busy Families (+Air Fryer Baked Potatoes )
These recipes are sure to please. So, gather your family and friends and enjoy. Let us know your thoughts!
Cassie brings decades of experience to the Kitchen Community. She is a noted chef and avid gardener. Her new book "Healthy Eating Through the Garden" will be released shortly. When not writing or speaking about food and gardens Cassie can be found puttering around farmer's markets and greenhouses looking for the next great idea.
