7 Air Fryer Recipes: Simple and Healthy Entrees, Snacks, and Treats

Whether you’re on the fence about buying an air fryer or breaking your new air fryer in, I’ve got seven air fryer recipes to show you how simple and awesome air frying can be. I’ll be the first to admit, I was skeptical about how useful an air fryer could be. And to be honest, if Simple Living Products hadn’t been kind enough to send me one of their air fryers, I don’t know if I would’ve ever taken the plunge.

My last kitchen tool experiment was an Instant Pot. And while I found it useful and unique, I think 99% of Instant Pot recipes can be prepared in a slow cooker, stovetop, or oven. And in some cases, the other methods may even be faster than the Instant Pot with all its unaccounted for pressure building time.

This is where the air fryer stands out, in my opinion. It truly does something unique that’s difficult to replicate. Just wait until you try the fried rice. Not to mention, it’s fast. We’re talking hash browns from frozen to fried in minutes fast.

My Early Experiences with Air Fryer Recipes

The air fryer recipes you’ll find below are some of my first experiments. They range from breakfast to dinner, with a snack and sweet treat here and there. And in case you’re new to my blog, I typically specialize in higher protein recipes. So when you see a high protein chocolate peanut butter dip with the air fried bananas, that’s why.

One last note: Like I mentioned above, I’m using Simple Living’s 5.2L XL Air Fryer which you can find on Amazon here. If you’re using a different air fryer for the recipes below, know that times may vary slightly. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that there is a bit of trial and error involved with air frying. But once you have a recipe pinned down, you’re good to go!

Update July 2021: These days I’m in love with the all-in-one options like the Instant Pot Duo Crisp and Ninja Foodi. If you have one of these or want to see them in action, check out my Instant Pot Air Fryer Recipes or Ninja Foodi Recipes.

Cooking Breakfast in the Air Fryer

Does it get any better than hash browns, eggs, and bacon for breakfast? This air fryer recipe really shows off its speed and simplicity. It’s seriously as easy as pouring ingredients into the basket and pushing two buttons. Bada-bing-bada-boom.

One note I would add here is that you can probably see I didn’t use the barrel pan and opted to fry everything straight in the vented basket. Be sure the cheese and hash browns are pushed together in the center enough before adding your egg. Otherwise, your egg will probably run through the basket.

Making Fried Rice in the Air Fryer with Teriyaki Edamame and Pineapple

The photo below probably does the talking for me. Air fried rice is the best air fryer recipe I’ve made to date. This recipe isn’t the highest protein or lowest calorie recipe on the blog by any means, but you could add grilled chicken to fix that.

I’ve yet to try cauliflower fried rice yet, but it’s only a matter of time. If you’d like some ideas for cauliflower fried rice, check this out: 7 Cauliflower Fried Rice Recipes

Air Fried Zucchini and a Low Carb Cheeseburger Skillet

Now we’re getting to the good stuff. Air fried veggies are magical. In this recipe, you’ll notice I don’t add any breading or seasoning to the zucchini and it turns out crispy and delicious!

Oh, and if you notice a different format for this recipe it’s because I developed it for Stronger U Nutrition as their Chief Deliciousness Officer. Stronger U is a leader in nutrition coaching and just an awesome company. Be sure to follow their Instagram for more recipes like the one below.

If you’re a veggie chopping pro you may not find this helpful, but the video below highlights a super easy way to cube zucchini.

 

A post shared by Flexible Dieting Recipes (@mason_woodruff) on Apr 24, 2018 at 8:50am PDT

How to Make Cauliflower Wings in an Air Fryer

There are lots of ways to make cauliflower wings, but this is the easiest I’ve tried. Instead of worrying about breading and seasoning, why not simply buy the packaged seasoning and be done with it?

More low carb side dish options: air fryer brussels sprouts or garlic parmesan carrot fries

Shrimp Fried Rice in the Air Fryer

Did I mention the air fried rice is amazing? This recipe packs more of a protein punch. You could always add shrimp to the edamame and pineapple recipe from above as well.

A Healthy, Low Carb Pizza Alternative: Air Fried Tomato Pizza Crust

After publishing a massive low calorie personal pizza roundup, I decided I hadn’t consumed enough pizza for the week and made these. You’ll be amazed at how much they taste like a pizza with crust, even without a crust. I’m telling you, the air fryer can do some unique things.

Air Fried Bananas and a High Protein Chocolate Peanut Butter Dip

Let’s wrap things up with a sweet treat. I’ll say up front this recipe can be tricky. The ripeness of your banana and type of air fryer you’re using can cause quite a bit of variance. I guess I just got lucky on the first try!

You may want to start with half the noted time and then go from there. I really like my fried banana chips crispy and slightly brown, but you may not want them the same way.

If you’re looking for PB2 for the dip, I’ve added it to my recommended products and tools list on Amazon.

More Air Fryer Recipes

If you’re looking for more goodies to air fry, here’s a handful of my favorite recipes on the blog: 

• copycat Wingstop fries
• air fryer taquitos
• loaded air fried chicken and potatoes
• air fryer buffalo tuna cakes
• air fried cheesy bread
• mustard balsamic chicken thighs
• the best air fryer green beans