What Can You Make With An Air Fryer?

Gochujang Chicken Wings

Since getting my air fryer, life has become so much easier. Even after a long workday, I can rapidly prepare a delicious and healthy meal.

But what has amazed me the most since getting started with my air fryer has been discovering its versatility.

If you're thinking about getting an air fryer of your own, you may be wondering whether the investment is worthwhile. What types of foods can you cook in an air fryer? How many different cooking functions does an air fryer offer you?

In this guide, I will introduce you to the primary cooking functions of an air fryer, and share some of my favorite recipes with you for meat dishes, veggies, seafood, snacks, baked goods and more.

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Air Fryer Cooking Functions
Foods You Can Cook in an Air Fryer
1. Chicken and other meat dishes
Rotisserie Chicken
Roast Beef
2. Vegetables
​Simple Salted Green Beans
Mexican Corn on the Cob
3. French fries
French Fries
4. Seafood
​Crispy Fish
Popcorn Shrimp
​Toasted Ravioli
Carbonara Mushroom Pasta
5. Seeds, nuts, and snacks
Pumpkin Seeds
Kale Chips
6. Mushrooms
Breaded Mushrooms
7. Eggs
Fried Eggs
Hard-Boiled Eggs
8. Baked goods and desserts
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Bread
9. Other fried foods
​Egg Rolls
Onion Rings
Here Are a Few Foods You Cannot Cook in an Air Fryer
FAQ
Conclusion: A World of Easy, Delicious Recipes Awaits You When You Get Your Own Air Fryer

Air Fryer Cooking Functions

Did you know that you can do far more than fry foods in an air fryer? You can also bake, broil, roast, slow cook, and even dehydrate foods.

That fact means that when you purchase an air fryer for your home kitchen, it can eliminate the need for a variety of other cooking appliances.

In doing so, it can save you counter space while enhancing your culinary life.

It may even become your most frequently used kitchen appliance.

Foods You Can Cook in an Air Fryer

There are dozens upon dozens of different types of foods you can prepare in your air fryer. So, there is no possible way for me to share them all.

But, to give you an idea what an air fryer can do for you, let’s go over a few different recipes in each of these categories:

1. Chicken and other meat dishes

2. Vegetables

3. French fries 

4. Seafood

5. Pasta

6. Seeds, nuts, and snacks

7. Mushrooms

8. Eggs

9. Baked goods and desserts

10. Other fried foods

We will begin with meat dishes.

1. Chicken and other meat dishes

Rotisserie Chicken

Ingredients:

  • Chicken
  • House seasoning blend
  • Ghee

Instructions:

1. Apply the seasoning and oil to the outside of the chicken. Apply as much or as little as you want based on your taste preferences.

2. Set the chicken inside the air fryer (in the rotisserie basket, if you have one). The entire chicken needs to fit inside, and the breast should be situated downward. If it isn’t quite fitting, break a couple of the bones and squish it in the rest of the way. 

3. Cook for 30 minutes. Many air fryers include a setting specifically for making rotisserie chicken. If you do not see a rotisserie chicken setting, look for a “roast” setting. 

4. Turn the chicken over.

5. Cook for an additional 30 minutes.

6. Check the temperature inside the chicken. When your thermometer reads 165 degrees, it should be done. 

There are so many easy ways you can vary this recipe, depending on the spices you choose or the oil you select.

Check here the full recipe and procedure of Air Fryer Rotisserie Chicken. 

Roast Beef

Ingredients:

  • A 2-pound cut of beef such as rolled rib roast, tenderloin, rib-eye, sirloin, or tri-tip
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons rosemary and thyme
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 medium-sized onion

Instructions:

1. Begin by preheating to 390 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Use a paper towel to dry off the beef gently.

3. Coat the beef with the mixture of spices and oil.               

4. Insert the coated beef into your air fryer basket.

5. Peel your onion and slice it into two halves.

6. Add the onion halves to the fryer.

7. Cook for 15 minutes.

8. Adjust the temperature to 360 degrees Fahrenheit. Turn the beef at this point if it is necessary.

9. Cook for another 30 minutes and the beef should be medium-rare. If that is how you like your beef, it is now done. If you prefer it to be more well-done, continue cooking to your liking.

10. Take the roast beef out and wrap it in aluminum foil. Wait 10 minutes before removing it, slicing it, and serving it.

Check here the full recipe and procedure of Air Fried Roast Beef. 

2. Vegetables

​Simple Salted Green Beans

Ingredients:

  • Green beans
  • Salt
  • Ghee or oil

Instructions:

1. Your air fryer may have a vegetable setting. If so, you can use that. Otherwise, just reheat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Coat your vegetables in oil or ghee, and add as much salt as you prefer.

3. Add the beans to your air fryer.

4. Cook for around 7 minutes. Make sure that you are attending the beans and moving them around once in a while so that they are evenly cooked.

Note that you can use the same basic approach to prepare a wide variety of simple salted vegetables. For example, this would work just as well with carrots.

Check here the full recipe and procedure of Air Fried Green Beans. 

Mexican Corn on the Cob

Ingredients:

  • 3 cobs of corn
  • Ghee or oil
  • Salt
  • Lemon zest
  • Cilantro

Instructions:

  • To begin, preheat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Coat your corn with ghee or oil along with as much salt as you want.
  • Put the corn cobs into the basket of the air fryer.
  • Cook the corn for 10 minutes. Attend the corn and turn it regularly so that the cobs cook on every side.

The very fact that preparing corn on the cob in your air fryer is so similar to cooking up green beans shows you just how versatile these basic instructions are for making veggies.

Check here the full recipe and procedure of Mexican Air Fryer Corn on the Cob. 

3. French fries

air fryer fries

French Fries

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound of potatoes
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • Salt, pepper, and any additional seasonings you want

Instructions:

  • Start by slicing your potatoes into French fries. Aim to make each of them anywhere from half an inch to three-quarters of an inch in thickness.
  • Fill a saucepan or bowl with water, and soak the potatoes inside. The reason to do this is to get rid of unwanted starch. Skipping this step can lead to French fries that are not crispy.
  • Use a paper towel to mop off the potatoes so that they are dry.
  • Coat the potatoes with oil, salt, and any other spices you want to use.
  • Preheat your air fryer to 380 degrees Fahrenheit, or are simply select the preset for French fries.
  • Put half of your potatoes inside (or all of them, if they fit), and cook them for about 20 minutes. Turn them over and move them around as you cook them now and again so that they become evenly crispy. When you decide that they are crispy enough, you can remove them. Sometimes, this may take a little bit less than 20 minutes, sometimes a little bit more.
  • If you were only able to cook half of your batch, you could cook the other half now the exact same way.
  • Your fries should be ready to eat, but you can always add more spices at this point if you wish.

Check here the full recipe and procedure of Air Fryer Homemade Crispy French Fries. 

4. Seafood

​Crispy Fish

Ingredients:

  • 8 fish fillets, adding up to around 800 grams
  • 1 tablespoon of oil
  • 1 cup of bread crumbs (about 50 grams)
  • About ½ teaspoon of salt
  • About 1/s teaspoon of paprika
  • About ¼ teaspoon of each of the following: dried chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper

Instructions:

  • You can use fresh or frozen fish. If the fish is frozen, begin by defrosting it. Once defrosting is complete, you can continue with the preparation steps.
  • Coat the fish with oil.
  • Mix all of your spices with your breadcrumbs in a bowl.
  • Apply the breadcrumbs and spices to your fish, coating the surfaces as evenly as possible.
  • If your air fryer has a preset for fish, select it. Otherwise, you can preheat it to 390 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Put your fish inside and cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Flip the fish over. Continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes or so. Check to see if the fish is done, and then remove it to serve.

Check here the full recipe and procedure of Air Fryer Crispy Fish Fillet. 

Popcorn Shrimp

Ingredients:

  • 12 ounces of shrimp
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 1 cup bread crumbs
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • Oil 

Instructions:

  • In a large bowl, coat your shrimp with flour.
  • Break an egg into another bowl.
  • In a third bowl, combine your breadcrumbs with your spices.
  • One by one, dip each of the shrimp into the egg. Immediately after doing so, place each shrimp into the mixture of spices and breadcrumbs. Turn the shrimp over so that they are evenly coated in all of the ingredients.
  • Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and wait at least 5 minutes after you finish coating your shrimp before proceeding to the next step.
  • Grease the basket before placing the shrimp inside. 
  • Cook the shrimp for 4 minutes.
  • Flip the shrimp over and cook for an additional 4 minutes.

Check here the full recipe and procedure of Air Fryer Popcorn Shrimp. 

​Toasted Ravioli

Ingredients:

  • 10 ounces of ravioli
  • 1 cup of bread crumbs
  • Seasoning to taste
  • 3 eggs
  • ½ teaspoon garlic salt
  • ¾ cup Parmesan cheese
  • Marinara
  • Parsley 

Instructions:

  • First, boil your ravioli as you usually would. This process should take about 5 minutes on the stovetop. Drain the ravioli and set it aside for now.
  • In a separate bowl, beat your eggs and add the garlic salt.
  • In a third bowl, stir the Parmesan cheese together with the breadcrumbs and any other spices you would like to add to the mixture.
  • Dip each piece of ravioli into the egg, and then immediately into the breadcrumb spice mixture, turning it over so that both sides are evenly coated.
  • Preheat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Once you have enough ravioli to fill the bottom of the air fryer basket, do so.
  • Cook the ravioli for 9 minutes. About halfway through, you might need to turn them over.
  • Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook several batches in this fashion.
  • Once all your ravioli are cooked, you can serve them with marinara and parsley dipping sauce.

Take note that you will probably want to serve this as an appetizer or hors d'oeuvre rather than as a main course.

Check here the full recipe and procedure of Air Fryer Toasted Ravioli. 

Carbonara Mushroom Pasta

Here is a recipe that really demonstrates the impressive versatility of the air fryer. It turns out you can cook almost anything and in an air fryer, even sauce.

Ingredients:

  • 300 g spaghetti
  • 250 g white button mushrooms
  • 150 g water
  • 350 g carbonara sauce
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 5 g butter (or oil)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Any other spices you want to add

Instructions:

  • You’ll need a saucepan (not a basket) in your air fryer, ideally measuring 6 inches. Preheat it at 140 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes.
  • Use butter or oil to grease the saucepan.
  • Chop up your garlic, and put it inside. Stir it around to cook it evenly for 5 minutes.
  • Put the mushrooms inside, and keep cooking for 3 minutes.
  • Pour in the sauce, water, and salt and pepper. If you have other spices you want to add, you can do so now. Raise the temperature to 150 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 18 minutes. Now and again, stir the sauce.
  • Once all your ravioli are cooked, you can serve them with marinara and parsley dipping sauce.

Wondering why you need to add water to the mix? Doing so prevents the sauce mixture from getting dry.

  • Separately, prepare your spaghetti by boiling it in water as usual. There is no way to cook it in the air fryer. Usually, it takes about 8 minutes on the stovetop.
  • Remove the spaghetti from the stovetop and drain it.
  • Stir together the spaghetti with the sauce.

Check here the full recipe and procedure of Carbonara Mushroom Pasta. 

5. Seeds, nuts, and snacks

Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients:

  • 1 ¾ cups pumpkin seeds
  • 2 teaspoons oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Any other spices you want

Instructions:

  • Rinse your pumpkin seeds and dry them off on paper towels. Wait an additional 15 minutes after you have pressed as much water out of them as possible so that they finish drying completely. 
  • Preheat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Put the seeds in a bowl together with the oil and spices. Stir them up so that the seeds are evenly coated.
  • Add the seeds to the basket in your air fryer.
  • Cook the seeds for 35 minutes. Regularly stir them around or shake the basket so that they cook as evenly as possible. Remove them when they start to brown.

Check here the full recipe and procedure of Air Fryer Pumpkin Seeds. 

Kale Chips

Love kale chips, but tired of buying them at a premium at the grocery store? With an air fryer, you can prepare them quickly and easily at home and save much money in the process. 

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups of fresh kale (be sure to remove the stems first)
  • 2 teaspoons of oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions:

  • To successfully cook kale in an air fryer, it is critical that you thoroughly coat the kale in oil. If you do not, it will fly about like loose spices would. The oil weighs it down. The best approach to thoroughly coating the kale is to add it to a closed bag or container with some oil and salt. Then, just shake it around. 
  • Preheat the air fryer to 330 degrees Fahrenheit. 
  • Put the kale into the air fryer.
  • Cook the kale for 2.5 minutes. Then shake it, and cook it for another 2.5 minutes.

The same approach that you used here to coat the kale in oil also works if you want to cook other greens in your air fryer.

Check here the full recipe and procedure of Air Fryer Kale Chips. 

6. Mushrooms

Breaded Mushrooms

Ingredients:

  • 250 grams of button mushrooms
  • 1 egg
  • 80 grams of Parmigiana Reggiano cheese
  • Breadcrumbs
  • Flour
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

  • In one bowl, beat an egg.
  • In a separate bowl, mix the cheese and the breadcrumbs.
  • Pour some flour into a third bowl. Around half a cup should do it.
  • Preheat to 360 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Wash the mushrooms thoroughly. Use paper towel to dry them.
  • Coat each of your mushrooms in flour, then dip them into the egg, one after the next. After you dip each mushroom into the egg, you can dip it into the breadcrumbs and cheese. Coat it evenly on all sides.
  • Deposit the mushrooms into the fryer. Cook for about 3.5 minutes, then shake, then cook an additional 3.5 minutes. 

Check here the full recipe and procedure of Air Fryer Breaded Mushroom. 

7. Eggs

hard boiled eggs

Fried Eggs

Ingredients:

  • Eggs
  • Butter or oil
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions:

  • Coat the pan inside the air fryer with butter or oil.
  • Preheat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Crack your egg into the fryer and cook it until it is done. If you want the egg over-easy, you can flip it just as you would on the stovetop. Otherwise, it will be sunny-side-up.

Check here the full recipe and procedure of Air Fryer Fried Eggs. 

Hard-Boiled Eggs

Ingredients:

  • Eggs
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions:

  • You will want a wire rack for this recipe to facilitate the easy removal of your eggs once they are ready. If you do not have one, you may want to buy one first. Once you have obtained it, set it up in the fryer basket. 
  • Set your eggs on the rack. If you skipped the rack, just put the eggs in the basket.
  • Cook at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 16 minutes.
  • Remove the eggs promptly and transfer them to cold water.
  • Peel your eggs, add salt and pepper, and enjoy. 

Check here the full recipe and procedure of Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs. 

8. Baked goods and desserts

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 260 g flour
  • 40 g coconut sugar
  • 80 g brown sugar
  • 150 g butter or oil
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
  • 3 tablespoons whole milk
  • 4 tablespoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 100 g chocolate chips

Instructions:

  • Preheat to 360 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Put the brown sugar, coconut sugar, and butter in a bowl and mix it all. You will need a mixer to get the fluffy consistency that you need.
  • Once you achieve the fluffy consistency, you can pour in the milk, flour, honey, vanilla extract, and cocoa powder. Use a fork to continue mixing.
  • Add in the chocolate chips and mix them in with the rest. You may need to do this by hand. If so, you should apply flour to them first as the mixture is sticky.
  • Shape the cookie mix into balls and set them on your air fryer grill pan or baking sheet. You can make them as large or small as you want, but this recipe should be able to produce roughly a dozen cookies.
  • Cook the cookies for 15 minutes.

Check here the full recipe and procedure of Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies. 

Bread

Ingredients:

  • 450 g flour
  • 227 ml whole milk
  • 75 g butter
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 5.5 g yeast
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

  • Begin by mixing the flour and butter.
  • In a saucepan, heat the milk together with the coconut oil and olive oil. Stir them together. They should be lukewarm, not hot.
  • Pour in the butter and flour together with the yeast so that everything is in the saucepan. Mix them to create the bread dough.
  • Knead for 5 minutes.
  • Place the dough in a bowl and cover the bowl so that the dough has a chance to rise. Wait for one hour.
  • Return to the dough and knead it again.
  • Cover the dough once more and let it rise for another 30 minutes.
  • Shape dough into bread rolls.
  • Preheat the air fryer to 365 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Place the rolls in the air fryer.
  • Cook for 15 minutes.

Check here the full recipe and procedure of Air Fryer Pull Apart Bread. 

9. Other fried foods

​Egg Rolls

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 3 sliced green onions
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 1 teaspoon oil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 3 cups of coleslaw mix
  • Egg roll wrappers

Instructions:

  • Place a saucepan over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Add oil to simmer, along with the sliced green onions and the ginger. Continue cooking for 1 minute.
  • Add the pork and the salt. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, making sure to brown the pork evenly.
  • Put in the coleslaw mix next, and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. You may decide to add a little extra salt at this point.Finally, add the oyster sauce, and then immediately take the mixture off the stove.
  • Stuff the mixture you just made into the egg roll wrappers. When you fold the wrappers, you can use a dab of water to close them.
  • Preheat the air fryer to 390 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Use oil or butter to grease the egg rolls before placing them inside the air fryer.
  • Cook for 4 minutes, then flip the egg rolls over. Cook for another 4 minutes.

Check here the full recipe and procedure of Air Fryer Egg Rolls. 

Onion Rings

Ingredients:

  • 1 onion
  • ½ cup flour
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • Breadcrumbs
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • Oil

Instructions:

  • Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees Fahrenheit.
  •  Slice the onion to create rings.
  • In a bowl, mix the flour with the baking powder and the salt.
  • Separately, beat the eggs in another bowl along with the pepper.
  • In a third bowl, deposit the breadcrumbs. 
  • Take each onion, dip it in the flour mix, next the egg, and lastly the breadcrumbs. Try and cover each one as completely as possible.
  • Grease the inside of the air fryer basket.
  • Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Put the rings inside the air fryer. Make sure that they each have enough space, and just cover the bottom. Don’t add additional layers. Dab a bit of oil on top of them.
  • Cook for 5 minutes and remove them.
  • Repeat steps 9 and 10 as many times as required to finish cooking all of your onion rings. 

Check here the full recipe and procedure of Crunchy Onion Rings. 

Here Are a Few Foods You Cannot Cook in an Air Fryer

  • Anything with a wet batter, i.e., beer batter. Why not? Because it won’t stick to the food, and won’t form a coating as you expect. This is the reason why most crispy recipes in air fryers use breadcrumbs.
  • Grains—unless you just want to make them crispy. You can cook pasta and rice in an air fryer (like the ravioli recipe shared above), but only if they have already been boiled as usual first. If they do not have liquid to absorb, they will not turn out, and it is impossible to boil water inside a fryer.
  • Fresh cheese. Frozen cheese works fine. But fresh cheese melts and makes a total disaster. Have fun cleaning afterward.

FAQ

  • Can you cook frozen foods in an air fryer?

Yes, you can cook frozen foods using your air fryer. Just remember that the settings required for frozen foods and fresh foods are different.

  • Why are loose spices a problem in the air fryer?

It is fine to put spiced foods in your air fryer, but ideally, you want the spices to adhere to your food, i.e., as part of a breadcrumb/egg coating, or just apply some oil first to your foods so that the spices stick. If the spices are loose, they are too lightweight to do anything but flutter around.

  • Can you cook vegetables effectively in an air fryer?

This seems to depend on whom you ask. Some people complain that raw vegetables come out soggy, but it seems to rely on the recipe you use and the preparation steps that you take.

  • Will the food actually be crispy?

If you are correctly preparing the food following all instructions, it should come out crispy and delicious. There can be a bit of a learning curve when you are a beginner, so expect some trial and error before you start achieving the crispy textures you are after every time. 

Conclusion: A World of Easy, Delicious Recipes Awaits You When You Get Your Own Air Fryer

An air fryer’s functionality goes far beyond merely making fried foods at home. With it, you can also bake, roast, broil, and more.

You now have some simple recipes to get started with to make bread, rotisserie chicken, roast beef, toasted ravioli, egg rolls, and so much more. Enjoy discovering the full capabilities of your air fryer!

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