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Wendy McAvene best air fryer recipes

What To Cook In An Air Fryer

On first glance, you’re probably thinking, “Why do I need another $100 kitchen appliance that will take up a ton of countertop space?” And normally I’d tell you that you don’t. But this time, you kind of do. The air fryer can cook so many things well: chicken wings, mozzarella sticks, artichokes, Brussels sprouts, fried chicken, green beans, pigs in a blanket, and sweet potato fries. Anything that you’d normally put in a deep-fryer is fair game. But there are so many things that you wouldn’t think to deep fry, like shrimp scampi, toast, tacos, and turkey sandwiches, that you can cook in the air fryer.

Shopping For An Air Fryer

The marketplace is pretty crowded with air fryers at various price points, so how do you find the best one? Let me start with my favorites: The Instant Vortex is sold by the Instant Pot brand of appliances. It rings it at under $100 and has a six-quart capacity, which is ideal for large families and big-batch recipes. This one does take up a lot of space, so I’d only invest in it if you know you’re going to use it frequently and need to cook large portions. For something a bit smaller, I’d recommend the Ninja 4-Quart Air Fryer. It’s a bit more expensive than the Instant Vortex (it’s about $80), but it takes up less space, which is ideal for smaller families and cramped kitchens. It offers more customization options than other air fryers, which is nice if you like to manually control the cooking time and temperature.

Best Air Fryer Recipes

1. Pasta With Mascarpone Mushrooms

No, you're not cooking the pasta in the air fryer. But you are making the creamy mushroom sauce from start to finish in it. Winner, winner!

Pasta With Air-Fryer Mascarpone Mushrooms

2. Shrimp Scampi

Lemony, garlicky shrimp cooks up extra quick in the air fryer—perfect over a bed of noodles.

Air-Fryer Shrimp Scampi

3. Gochujang Chicken Wings

Sweet, spicy, and sticky, these wings star my favorite Korean chile paste, gochujang.

Air-Fryer Gochujang Chicken Wings

4. Indonesian-Style Chicken Wings

Chicken wings crisp up beautifully in the air fryer, and taste even better once tossed in kecap manis and sambal.

Air-Fryer Indonesian-Style Chicken Wings

5. Korean-Style Beef Tacos

I like to use thinly sliced beef here, but you could also go for fatty pork shoulder. In any case, meat loves this marinade, which is punchy and umami-packed, perfect for taco night.

Air-Fryer Korean-Style Beef Tacos

6. Chile-Cheese Toast

I grew up eating this toast as an afternoon snack. (It's an Indian thing.) And yes, the air fryer is great at toasting bread.

Air-Fryer Chile-Cheese Toast

7. Crispy Brussels Sprouts With Garlic-Chile Butter

Who doesn't love crispy-crunchy Brussels sprouts?! (Crickets) Thought so. Pop them in the air fryer for an irresistibly snackable side. The garlic chile butter is a great touch (and the garlic can be roasted in a regular oven, FWIW), but you can eat these sprouts with just about any dipping sauce of your choosing.

Crispy Brussels Sprouts With Garlic-Chile Butter in a Multi-Cooker

8. Cheesy Potato & Broccoli Croquettes With Ranch Dipping Sauce

This recipe was made with a multi-cooker in mind, but there's no reason you can't steam the broccoli the old-fashioned way, then form the croquettes and stick them in the air fryer for maximum crispiness. While they're working, don't sleep on the zingy, herby ranch-inspired sauce.

Cheesy Potato & Broccoli Croquettes With Ranch Dipping Sauce in a Multi-Cooker

9. Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos

Community member Foodlover 12 says of this recipe: "When I tried these, I could not beleive they were cauliflower. The air fryer gives them the most delightful light, crispy consistency that's better than any fried chicken."

Need we say any more? We think not.

Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos

10. Air Fryer Smoky Tempeh Sandwich

Tempeh can eat a little bitter if it's not prepared with care—luckily, this recipe is chock-full of the stuff (both tempeh and care). Pile smoky, crispy slices of the air-fried fermented soybean cakes onto your favorite grainy, seedy bread and dig in.