The Simple Trick for Perfectly Golden Air Fryer Food Every Time
Updated: Feb. 17, 2023
Miss the golden brown of authentic fried food? Check out this simple tip on how to get better air fryer food ever time.
At first, the air fryer seemed like a bit of a fad (kind of like the George Foreman grills of yore). But the second I saw how well these gadgets crisped up frozen foods and our favorite apps, I changed my tune! Frozen fries, fresh egg rolls and much, much more turned out as crispy and delicious as if they were fresh from the deep fryer. The only thing I really missed about these air fried foods was that perfect golden color that you get from traditional frying. It turns out, getting that just-fried color isn’t hard to do. Food editor Sue Stetzel filled me in.
How to Get Crispy, Golden Air Fryer Food
Air fryers rely on the circulation of hot air instead of oil to produce crispy food. They do use some oil (only a tablespoon or two) but not enough to provide you with that picture-perfect color and crispness. That color is a product of the oil and it’s near impossible to get it without a little fat.
“That’s where Pam saves the day,” Sue says. “A quick spritz will give your air fried food that nice golden color and crispy texture.”
Really, that is it! A simple mist of cooking spray over the top of your food will give your favorite air fryer recipes that just-right color without adding any significant calories or fat.
The Added Bonus of This Air Fryer Trick
Sue adds that while many any air fryers—including our Test Kitchen’s favorite—have nonstick cooking baskets and trays, sticky baked on sugars and cheese can still be a pain to clean. She says, “A light coating of Pam will just give an added layer of protection to keep these messes from becoming troublesome.” Of course, be sure to check with your air fryer manual—some recommend avoiding nonstick sprays.
Armed with this trick, you’re ready to make your best ever air fryer appetizers and dinners. Now get (air) frying!
Here’s our Test Kitchen’s complete guide to air fryers.
Try These Air Fryer Recipes
Air-Fryer Southern-Style Chicken
What's the secret to crispy-on-the-outside, juicy-on-the-inside fried chicken? It's all in the breading, and crushed Ritz crackers give this chicken an incredible texture. If you can't fit a whole chicken into your air fryer, split it up into two batches to ensure each piece crisps up. You can hold the cooked chicken in a 200°F oven to keep it warm while the remaining pieces cook.
Air-Fryer Garlic-Rosemary Brussels Sprouts
This is one of our favorite Brussels sprout sides. The halved sprouts crisp up perfectly in the air fryer, and the herbed bread crumbs add the perfect texture. The cooking time varies depending on your air fryer brand, so check them every four minutes or so to see if they've softened and started to caramelize on the edges. Take a look at these other air-fryer vegetable recipes.
Air-Fryer Pizza
The air fryer is perfect for making personalized pizzas so everyone can make one with their own toppings! A pound of store-bought pizza dough will make four 4-inch pizzas, but you can also make your favorite homemade pizza dough recipe. As a general rule of thumb, two cups of flour makes approximately one pound of pizza dough. If you're making dinner classics like pizza in your air fryer, you'll love our air fryer cooking time guide.
Air-Fryer Garlic Bread
Look to the air fryer the next time you want a quick and easy side for soup, salad or pasta. You can use any sturdy, crusty bread for this recipe, like ciabatta, baguette or sourdough. Feel free to coat the bread with the topping in advance and store it in the freezer until you're ready to cook. By the way, if you're looking to maximize your air fryer's cooking space, these stackable racks are just what you need. (You can get them on Amazon.)
Air-Fryer Meatballs
These meatballs are fantastic, but the real star of the show is the sweet-and-spicy sauce. The combination of orange marmalade, honey and brown sugar brings the sweet, while hot sauce, Worcestershire and soy sauce provide an umami-rich heat. Serve these meatballs over rice or mashed potatoes, or try serving them on a toothpick as an appetizer.
Air-Fryer Asparagus
It's impossible to have too many asparagus recipes, especially in the spring when this vegetable is abundant. It might seem odd to coat the asparagus with mayonnaise before it cooks, but trust us; the mayonnaise combines with the olive oil to create a smooth marinade, and it helps the asparagus caramelize to perfection.
Air-Fryer Coconut Shrimp
A restaurant-style coconut shrimp recipe that tastes just as good when you make it at home? Sign us up! Look for large shrimp, or packages labeled anywhere from 26 to 35 shrimp per pound. These shrimp will stay juicy and moist on the inside in the time it takes to crisp up the coconut coating.
Air-Fryer Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
These tablespoon-sized cookies bake to chewy perfection in less than 10 minutes in the air fryer. Make sure to flatten the cookies with the bottom of a glass or bowl before adding them to the basket, as they won't cook through properly if they're too thick.
Air-Fryer Chicken Legs
The barbecue sauce used to coat these crispy chicken legs may become your new favorite. It has the perfect balance between sweet, tangy, salty and spicy that will keep you digging back in for bite after bite. Create a feast by serving this air fryer chicken recipe with your favorite barbecue sides, like coleslaw or baked beans. With this air-fryer grill pan, you can turn your favorite kitchen appliance into an indoor barbecue, too. (Find it on Amazon!)
Air-Fryer Pickles
The key to extra-crispy air-fried pickles is all in the preparation. Remove the pickle slices from the jar about 15 minutes before you're ready to cook, patting them dry and allowing the excess liquid to drain before cooking. Then, bread the pickles just before cooking them, and be sure to use a naturally crunchy breading like panko bread crumbs.
Air-Fryer Fish and Fries
We love fish and chips, and it's all the better when cooking them doesn't make a mess in the kitchen! If you're hot-holding the fries in the oven while you cook the fish, keep them from getting soggy by placing an oven-safe rack inside a baking sheet to promote airflow. Store-bought tartar sauce works just fine here, but it's also really easy to make a classic tartar sauce at home.
Air-Fryer Mini Nutella Doughnut Holes
This five-ingredient dessert recipe takes refrigerated biscuit dough to the next level. It will take some time to assemble the 32 Nutella-filled doughnuts, but you can prepare them in advance and store them in the refrigerator. When you're ready to serve, let the dough come to room temperature and pop these tasty treats into the air fryer. Or make these classic air-fryer doughnuts!
Air-Fryer Ground Beef Wellington
Elevate meat loaf night with this fancied-up version that turns regular ground beef into an elegant Wellington preparation. The crescent roll dough becomes buttery and flaky in the air fryer, and the meat loaf filling stays super juicy inside. The real star here is the mushroom cream sauce, which is almost good enough to drink!
Air-Fryer Calamari
This recipe turns out just as crispy as the deep-fried calamari you get at your local restaurant, and it's fantastic served with a side of marinara sauce. When shopping to make this dish, look for cleaned, raw calamari rings. It's not difficult to clean and cut the calamari yourself, but prepared rings save you from extra prep.
Air-Fryer Ravioli
Ravioli are delicious when served swimming in a buttery sauce or rich marinara, but air-frying them creates a perfect snack or filling appetizer. To keep the ravioli from drying out and help them crisp up, make sure to use a healthy spritz of cooking spray when they go into the air fryer, and again when you flip them.
Air-Fryer Bread Pudding
You'll need a couple of 8-ounce ramekins to make this decadent air-fried dessert, but the investment is worth it. Once you have them, you open to door to so many fantastic air-fryer dessert recipes! This dish is so easy to put together, and it's the perfect dessert for two.
Air-Fryer Crispy Curry Drumsticks
The key to this recipe is brining the drumsticks in salted water for 15 minutes, locking in moisture and ensuring the chicken won't dry out as it cooks. From there, the legs are tossed with a curry powder-infused oil that adds an unforgettable earthy, savory flavor. Don't miss these addicting air-fryer appetizers.
Air-Fryer Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Stuffed sweet potatoes are one of our go-to healthy weeknight dinners, but we also love them as a potluck appetizer. It's so easy to bake the potatoes in the air fryer, and you can customize the stuffing for your personal preferences. Need ideas? Try one of these ways to boost your baked potato game.
Popcorn Shrimp Tacos with Cabbage Slaw
This recipe takes shrimp tacos to the next level by coating them in a spiced panko breading, making their texture stand out from the soft tortilla shells. Small shrimp (like 41 to 50 per pound) will cook up the quickest, but you can substitute larger shrimp and adjust the cooking time.
Bacon-Wrapped Avocado Wedges
Avocado fans, rejoice! Your favorite buttery, creamy fruit gets a serious upgrade when it's wrapped in salty, smoky bacon. Serve these wedges as a low-carb, keto-friendly appetizer, or add them to salads, sandwiches or wraps.
Air-Fryer Steak Fajitas
There's something about a platter of sizzling fajitas that makes our mouths water, but this dish isn't exactly friendly on cleanup in the kitchen. Using the air fryer keeps the mess to a minimum by cooking everything in a single basket. If you're feeding a crowd, try serving this dish with your favorite Mexican side dishes so there's enough to go around. Ready for a healthy crunch? You can make air-fryer tortilla chips with way less oil than deep-fried tortilla chips!
Air-Fryer French Fries
You could certainly pick up a bag of frozen french fries and toss them in the air fryer, but this from-scratch recipe is easier than you'd think. Just be sure to soak the cut potatoes in ice water for 15 minutes before cooking. The water keeps the potatoes from oxidizing and turning brown, and it also pulls out some of the excess starches to help them crisp up as they cook. Here's our Test Kitchen's complete guide to air fryers.
Air-Fryer Sweet and Sour Pork
If you're looking for a date-night recipe that looks as good as it tastes, whip up this pork tenderloin recipe. The sauce contains of pineapple, vinegar, soy sauce, ketchup, Dijon mustard, garlic and sugar, the perfect balance of ingredients to create a sweet and sour glaze over the pork as it cooks.
Air-Fryer Wasabi Crab Cakes
This recipe had us at "crab cake," but the addition of wasabi certainly piqued our interest. Prepared wasabi is added to the cakes and to the dipping sauce, infusing the whole dish with wasabi's signature sinus-clearing spice. Of course, there's a good chance the wasabi you buy at the store isn't actually real wasabi (it's probably horseradish), but the addition still makes these crab cakes taste fantastic.
Air-Fryer Caribbean Wontons
These dessert wontons are a delightful way to end a meal. You can prepare the wontons in advance, storing them in a single layer in the refrigerator while you eat dinner. When you're ready for dessert, preheat the air fryer and the wontons cook in only 12 minutes.
Air-Fryer Apple Fritters
Air-fryer desserts are our favorite, especially when they taste as good as these apple fritters! If you happen to end up with leftovers, reheat them in the air fryer in the morning for a tasty breakfast treat.
Air-Fryer Keto Meatballs
Most meatball recipes use bread crumbs, but you won't miss the carbs with this keto-friendly recipe. Three types of cheese come together with eggs to bind the ground beef into a meatball that holds its form while tasting tender and light. Serve these with zucchini noodles to create a filling low-carb meal.
Air-Fryer Taco Twists
These tacos have a literal twist: Instead of using corn or flour tortillas, crescent roll dough is twisted around the filling and baked in the air fryer. We use ground beef, cheddar cheese, green chilies, onions and salsa in our recipe, but you could easily swap in your favorite taco fillings instead.
Air-Fryer Potato Chips
After trying this recipe, you may never buy store-bought potato chips again! We recommend using a mandoline (one of our top air-fryer accessories) to cut very thin potato slices. Thick-cut potatoes won't crisp up the right way, so try to get them as thin as possible.
Air-Fryer Spicy Ginger Beef Skewers
Did you know that you can make kabobs in the air fryer? They turn out so well! Before you start, measure your air-fryer basked to make sure to find the skewers will fit. Wooden skewers are great here because you can cut them down to size if they're too big. Just be sure to soak them before cooking so they don't burn.
Air-Fryer Carrot Coffee Cake
An air fryer is basically a countertop convection oven, so it makes sense that you can bake a whole cake in there (even if you never thought to do it before). A greased 6-inch cake pan fits in most air fryers, resulting in a perfect sized cake for you and a few guests.
Air-Fryer Greek Breadsticks
This recipe uses store-bought puff pastry to make breadsticks that taste a lot like spanakopita, but without the extra work. These breadsticks are wonderful as an appetizer with a side of tzatziki, but they're also great when served with traditional Greek foods like lamb or a tomato and cucumber salad.
Air-Fryer Crumb-Topped Sole
We love fried fish, but it can turn out greasy and underwhelming. This recipe uses mayonnaise and bread crumbs to create a crispy coating that's simultaneously light and rich. It may be your new favorite way to cook fish!
Air-Fried Radishes
Radishes aren't usually the star of the show, but they really shine in this five-ingredient air-fryer recipe. Cooking them smooths out the root's harsh, spicy edge and turns it into a mild and creamy bite. If the radishes come with their tops, don't throw them away; saute them in a little oil and serve them with the roots.
Air-Fryer Ham and Egg Pockets
We promise that this recipe will exceed any frozen pocket you can get at the store! Feel free to cook the filling in advance (substituting your favorite breakfast meats or vegetables for the ham, if you wish). Then, fold it into the crescent dough just before cooking.
Air-Fryer Turkey Croquettes
This recipe is perfect for Thanksgiving leftovers, transforming leftover mashed potatoes and chopped turkey into a cheesy, crunchy bite. They turn out great with any kind of leftover poultry, if you're looking for ways to use up extra rotisserie chicken.
Air-Fryer French Toast Sticks
Looking for an easy way to feed a crowd when you have guests in town? Make up a batch of these French toast sticks, freeze them on a baking sheet and toss them in a pre-heated air-fryer basket when everyone wakes up. You can store them in an airtight container or freezer bag so you always have this crowd-pleaser on hand.
Garlic-Herb Fried Patty Pan Squash
You could make this recipe with thick-cut zucchini or summer squash, but it looks so much cooler when it's made with baby patty pans. You can usually find them at the farmers market or in the produce section at a specialty grocery store.
Air-Fryer Quinoa Arancini
Arancini are deep-fried rice balls that are traditionally made with leftover risotto, but this protein-packed version uses nutty quinoa instead. When forming the quinoa balls, make sure the mixture sticks together without falling apart before you shape it around the cheese. Otherwise, the cheese can spill out, making quite a mess in your air fryer.
Air-Fryer Chicken Tenders
Who needs frozen chicken tenders when they're this easy to make at home? The breading for this recipe is made with more than just bread crumbs: Crushed potato sticks, cheese crackers and crumbled bacon are added to give these tenders a burst of flavor with each bite. It's easiest to make these with chicken tenders, but you can substitute chicken breasts cut into 1-inch strips if you can't find them.
Cheesy Breakfast Egg Rolls
You'll fall in love with this fun breakfast take on wontons. They're like mini breakfast burritos, but with a crispy shell instead of a soft tortilla. If you end up with extra wonton skins, try making some of these wonton recipes for snacking.
Air-Fryer General Tso’s Cauliflower
General Tso is pretty famous for his chicken, but this plant-based recipe may have you thinking twice about whether the meat is necessary. The sauce contains a ton of ingredients, but it's definitely worth making. It tastes almost exactly like the restaurant version of this recipe!
Air-Fryer Beef Wellington Wontons
Looking to upgrade the appetizer game at your next potluck event? These mini beef Wellingtons look amazing, and they taste even better. If you don't need the whole batch, freeze the leftovers and save them for your next event.
Air-Fryer Pork Chops
Pork chops can dry out and become chewy when they're not cooked properly. Luckily, the bread crumb topping on this air-fryer recipe seals in moisture, protecting against tough chops. To ensure you don't overcook them, try using an instant-read meat thermometer. Our Test Kitchen loves the Thermapen from ThermoWorks.
Air-Fryer Nacho Hot Dogs
Hot dogs aren't just for kids, especially when you stuff them with cheese sticks and wrap them in a tortilla chip-infused dough. Serve these hot dogs with sour cream and guacamole instead of the traditional mustard and relish to amp up the nacho vibes.
Air-Fryer Raspberry Balsamic Smoked Pork Chops
Regular-old pork chops get a serious upgrade with this sweet and smoky sauce. Unlike other vinegar, balsamic boasts a mild tart flavor instead of a bright, acidic one. It's aged in barrels, creating a smoky flavor that pairs perfectly with the raspberry and orange juice in this sauce.
Air-Fryer Chickpea Fritters with Sweet-Spicy Sauce
Chickpea fritters make a fabulous appetizer for mixed company because they're naturally vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free (except the yogurt dipping sauce, of course). To turn them into a main dish, try wrapping them up in pita with hummus and chopped tomatoes, or use them instead of falafel in a Mediterranean Cobb salad.
Air-Fryer Crispy Sriracha Spring Rolls
These spring rolls take a departure from the classic takeout variety by packing the filling with softened cream cheese. The texture is incredible! Plus, the combination of shredded chicken, sweet-and-spicy Sriracha and sesame-infused coleslaw mix comes together in a really fun way.
Air-Fryer Pork Schnitzel
German-style schnitzel is typically pan fried in oil, but the air fryer does an incredible job while using a fraction of the fat. Pork cutlets are ideal here because they've been pounded thin and cook through by the time the breading crisps. Boneless loin chops can be used instead, but you'll want to butterfly them or use a meat mallet to create the right size.
Air-Fryer Green Tomato Stacks
Fried green tomatoes taste great on their own, but they're even better when these cornmeal-crusted gems are turned into the "bread" for BLT sandwiches. The combination of red and green tomatoes is delightful, and the addition of bacon really brings the flavors together.
Air-Fryer Pretzel-Crusted Catfish
Adding coarsely crushed pretzels in the breading for catfish is brilliant. It adds the perfect texture to the fish while also boosting the flavor. We use honey mustard miniature pretzels, but you can use any flavor you have on hand.
Air-Fryer French Toast Cups with Raspberries
These French toast cups are a fun twist on the original, elevating a plate of toast into a meal worth of a special occasion. You'll want to plan ahead and let the bread soak for about an hour before cooking to make sure it finishes with the right texture.
Air Fryer Ham and Cheese Turnovers
Take all the elements of an incredible Roquefort pear salad and turns it into a pizza pocket! We stuff refrigerated pizza dough with ham, blue cheese, pears and walnuts, creating a dish that's perfect for a light lunch. Serve it with a side salad to make the meal complete.
Air-Fryer Shrimp Po’Boys
A classic po'boy sandwich features roast beef, oysters or fried shrimp stuffed inside flaky French bread. We make the classic even more delicious by filling the sandwich with air-fried coconut shrimp instead. The combination of coconut and homemade remoulade works surprising well!
Air-Fryer S’mores Crescent Rolls
Who says you need a campfire to make s'mores? Instead, sprinkle crushed graham crackers, chocolate chips and marshmallows onto crescent rolls and bake them in the air fryer. We add a little Nutella to the mix to make sure these rolls have a creamy, chocolaty consistency inside.
Air-Fryer Fish Tacos
Baja-style tacos feature breaded, fried fish served in a tortilla with a creamy white sauce. This recipe has all of those components, but the air fryer reduces excess oil while producing the same crispy result. Tilapia is an inexpensive choice for these tacos, but you can use any white fish, like cod or rockfish.
Air-Fryer Quesadillas
Sure, you can make quesadillas in the microwave, but they have a tendency to turn out a little soggy. Air-fryer quesadillas are light and crisp, and the cheese still melts to perfection. Feel free to customize these quesadillas, leaving them as cheese-only or adding beef, chicken, pork or vegetables.
Air-Fryer Peanut Butter Cookies
This air-fryer dessert recipe only requires three ingredients. Seriously! You can jazz the cookies up with melted chocolate, chopped toffee or candy like M&M's, but they taste great with pure peanut flavor, too. To make them look fancier than they are, use a fork to create a crisscross pattern on the top before baking.
Air-Fryer Taquitos
Taquitos are deep-fried or baked tortillas that have been rolled around fillings like meat or cheese. They're similar to flautas, but taquitos are usually made with corn tortillas (whereas flautas are made with flour tortillas). You can use store-bought tortillas, but if you have time, make your corn tortillas from scratch.
Air-Fryer Herb and Cheese-Stuffed Burgers
Burgers are incredible in the air fryer. They taste just as good as the ones you make on the grill, and they make less of a mess than stovetop skillet burgers. Cooking time varies depending on your air fryer model, so make sure to check the temperature with an instant-read thermometer to hit that perfect burger temp.
Air-Fryer Breaded Shrimp
Air-fried coconut shrimp is one of our most popular recipes, but not everyone loves that coconut flavor. This "fried" shrimp recipe uses savory seasonings instead, spicing the bread crumbs with seafood seasoning and dill weed. If you're watching your salt intake, make your own salt-free seafood seasoning.
Air-Fryer Nashville Hot Chicken
The beauty of making Nashville hot chicken in an air fryer is that you can customize the heat level. Sensitive palates may find this dish too spicy to be palatable at a restaurant, but at home, you can reduce the amount of cayenne pepper to tone it down.
Air-Fryer Salmon with Maple-Dijon Glaze
Grilled salmon is one of our favorite quick-and-easy weeknight dinners, but the grill isn't our top choice when the weather decides not to cooperate. It's easy to pivot and turn to the air fryer instead. Salmon tastes just as good when cooked inside, especially when you brush it with this incredible glaze just before serving.
Air Fryer Tortellini with Prosciutto
Elevate that bag of store-bought tortellini by "frying" it in the air fryer. The pasta shells turn golden brown and crunchy while the cheesy filling stays warm and melty. We make a decadent from-scratch tomato sauce to serve on the side, but you can use jarred pasta sauce if you're running short on time.
Air-Fryer Cumin Carrots
Roasting carrots deepens their flavor, turning them into tender bites with a rich and sweet flavor. Adding cumin to the mix enhances the carrot's naturally earthy flavor, creating a side dish that's perfect alongside bold meats. They also taste great when added to vegetarian quinoa or rice bowls.
Air-Fryer Mini Chimichangas
Deep-frying a burrito turns it into this Tex-Mex staple, but the air fryer works just as well. To create an extra-crispy exterior, we use egg roll wrappers instead of the classic choice of flour tortillas. That makes them miniatures, so you might want to eat a couple if you're enjoying this dish for dinner.
Air-Fryer Loaded Pork Burritos
Pulled pork like slow-cooked carnitas typically takes hours, but this air-fryer loaded pork burrito takes a shortcut by using pork loin instead of pork shoulder. Thinly sliced pork loin cooks up in about 10 minutes, resulting in juicy meat that tastes great inside a burrito.
Air-Fryer Honey Cinnamon Roll-ups
If you love baklava but don't want to go through all the trouble of layering all the ingredients, try making these phyllo dough roll-ups. Each sheet is rolled with cinnamon, sugar, walnuts and butter before being cut into four pieces so it fits inside the air fryer. It's a simple, but absolutely delicious dessert.
Air-Fryer Acorn Squash Slices
One of the things we love most about acorn squash (other than its sweet, roasty flavor) is that you don't have to peel it. The peels soften as the slices cook, and are totally safe to eat. That said, if anyone is anti-peel, it will separate easily from the meat after it cooks, so your guests can remove it on the plate.
Best-Ever Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Most people make grilled cheese sandwiches on the stovetop, but we've found the air fryer works just as well. After building the sandwich, slather a thin layer of butter on the outside of each piece of bread, and the air fryer will transform it into golden-brown deliciousness. If the fan blows around top piece of bread, secure it with a toothpick.
Air-Fryer Beefy Swiss Bundles
Crispy puff pastry stuffed with spiced ground beef, creamy mashed potatoes, savory mushrooms and ooey-gooey cheese? Yes, please! It gets even better: You can make these bundles in advance, freeze them and cook straight from the freezer without thawing.
Air-Fryer Chicken Wings
The air fryer was made for chicken wings! The skin crisps up perfectly in the high heat, so there's no need to add a breading or batter coating to your wings. We recommend using fresh wings for this recipe, as frozen wings will take a lot longer to cook.
Air-Fryer Latkes
These crispy potato pancakes are delightful, but they can turn out heavy and greasy when pan-fried in oil. Luckily, the air fryer resolves that issue. If you're looking for something more than the classic sour cream or applesauce accompaniment, try one of these tasty latke topping ideas.
Air-Fryer Bourbon Bacon Cinnamon Rolls
Elevate the humble cinnamon roll with this air-fryer recipe. The bacon is soaked overnight in bourbon, infusing it with rich notes of caramel and vanilla. Combine those flavors with maple syrup, pecans and ginger, and you have a cinnamon roll that's fit for a king.
Air-Fryer Bone-In Pork Chops
Boneless pork chops get all the love, but we prefer cooking chops with the bone intact. The bone acts as a heating rod, cooking the meat from the inside out while keeping it juicy and moist. If you're adjusting this recipe for boneless chops, keep in mind that they won't take as long to cook.
Air-Fryer Fiesta Chicken Fingers
There are dozens of chicken finger recipes out there, but this one combines crushed corn chips and a packet of taco seasoning to create a burst of festive flavor. They taste great with a side of sour cream, but you can never go wrong with serving them with a creamy ranch dip.
Air-Fryer Everything Bagel Chicken Strips
You can create incredible flavor by using everything bagel seasoning, but this recipe goes one step further by using the everything bagel itself. We recommend using a day-old bagel, which has less moisture and will turn into coarser bread crumbs than a fresh bagel.
Air-Fryer Green Tomato BLT
If you've never had a BLT made with fried green tomatoes, you're in for a real treat. These unripe tomatoes are full of acidity, but their sour flavor mellows to a pleasantly, tangy character when they're cooked.
Air-Fryer Brownies
We typically make these brownies in a 6-inch square pan, but you may have to get creative depending on the size of your air-fryer basket. A 6-inch round pan also works, or you can divide the batter into 8- or 10-ounce ramekins. The center have a gooey consistency that's reminiscent of a lava cake.
Air-Fryer Roasted Green Beans
Roasted green beans are one of our favorite side dishes that go with any meal. This recipe toasts the green beans with onions and mushrooms, but you can leave the extra vegetables out if you're cooking for picky eaters.
Spicy Air-Fryer Chicken Breasts
Chicken breasts can sometimes turn out dry and lifeless, but the buttermilk in the marinade provides enough acidity to tenderize the meat. Combined with the soft bread crumb coating that traps moisture inside, this dish turns out juicy and moist, every time.
Air-Fryer Reuben Calzones
Some calzones prioritize cheese over all other toppings, but this recipe uses Swiss cheese instead of stringy mozzarella. That puts the focus on the corned beef and sauerkraut, so the dish tastes almost exactly like your favorite deli Reuben.
Air-Fryer Lemon Slice Sugar Cookies
Every bite of these sugar cookies has a full-flavored, lemony taste, thanks to the addition of lemon pudding mix in the cookie batter. If you want to have some fun and experiment with this recipe, try using other pudding mixes to customize the flavor.
Air-Fryer Scotch Eggs
If you really want to nail this air-fryer scotch egg recipe, start with learning how to boil eggs to the perfect consistency. You may prefer a soft-boiled egg with runnier yolk, but keep in mind that it may be more difficult to shape the sausage around the egg. Next, learn how to make a poached egg in the air fryer.
Air-Fryer Peppermint Lava Cakes
Lava cakes are the perfect dinner party dessert. They're deceptively easy to make, but that rich, gooey center makes them seem fancy enough to be a restaurant dish. Feel free to swap out the peppermint extract, replacing it with the other flavors like orange, coconut or rum extract.
Air-Fryer Brats
Beer brats are one of our favorite summertime grilling recipes, but we think this air-fryer bratwurst recipe tastes just as good. Instead of starting by boiling the brats in beer, we finish them with a gravy made with non-alcoholic beer instead.
Air-Fryer Rosemary Sausage Meatballs
These meatballs are packed full of flavor between the bulk sausage, tangy pimentos, earthy curry powder and herbaceous rosemary. We like serving these with pretzel sticks as "toothpicks," making them easy to pick up as an appetizer bite.
Air-Fryer Meat Loaf
This meat loaf recipe makes two adorable mini loafs, which is perfect when you don't want to end up with leftovers. Of course, if you want to have extras on hand, double the recipe and whip up this recipe for meat loaf gyros.
Originally Published: February 07, 2019
