Easy Air Fryer Recipes for Beginners (2024)

We’ve got you covered with these delicious and easy Air Fryer recipes!

These are the best recipes for beginners because they are fail proof, easy and help you learn exactly what your air fryer can do!

Simple recipes with great flavor!

Easy Air Fryer Recipes for Beginners (1)
Table of Contents
  1. Air Fryer Recipes for Beginners
  2. Tips For Beginners
  3. How to Use an Air Fryer
  4. What Else Can You Cook in an Air Fryer

Air Fryer Recipes for Beginners

The collection of air fryer recipes below are great starter recipes. Our beginner recipes are:

  • easy to make
  • fail-proof, these are the tried and true favorites
  • selected to show you exactly what you can do with an air fryer
  • tried, tested, and true so they’ll work perfectly in almost any model

Tips For Beginners

  • Add a touch of oilto get a nice crust on most items.
  • Ensure foods are not wet or they will steam instead of crisp. Use a kitchen towel or salad spinner to dry washed veggies.
  • Don’t overcrowd the basket or the air won’t circulate properly.
  • Shake/Flip as needed, this helps to ensure that items cook evenly.
  • Check foods early because air fryers (and even a different shape of meat) can cook at a different rate.

How to Use an Air Fryer

An air fryer is essentially a small convection oven that circulates air. The circulation of the air cooks quickly and creates crispy food and great color in a fraction of the time of baking or roasting. With just 3 easy steps you can have crispy air-fried dishes to enjoy!

  1. Preheat the air fryer if needed.
  2. Prep the food and place it in the air fryer basketensuring there is space for air to circulate each piece.
  3. Set the time and temperature on the air fryer and let it work its magic!

Air Fryers can come in many forms now, from those that are compact countertop versions, to toaster oven-style air fryers, and even new full-sized ranges with an air fryer feature. Find our top air fryer choices here.

How to Preheat an Air Fryer

An air fryer should be preheated if you’d like to get a nice crisp or color on the outside of your food.

  • If your air fryer has a preheat button, press it and you should be able to adjust the temperature. Allow the air fryer to preheat for approximately 5 minutes or until the air fryer indicates it is preheated.
  • If your air fryer has no preheat button, set the air fryer to the desired temperature and let it heat for 5-7 minutes. Add the food and reset the timer to the correct time as indicated by the air fryer recipe.

5 Beginner Air Fryer Recipes

Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes

Side Dishes

Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings

Air Fryer

Air Fryer Chicken Breasts

Air Fryer

Air Fryer Eggs (Boiled Eggs)

Air Fryer

Frozen Air Fryer Tater Tots

Air Fryer

Air Fryer Chicken Recipes

Hoisin Air Fryer Chicken Thighs

Air Fryer

Air Fryer Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Air Fryer

Air Fryer Fried Chicken

Air Fryer

Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

Air Fryer

What Else Can You Cook in an Air Fryer

Almost anything and everything that isn’t liquid! Meats, eggs, casseroles, potatoes, leftovers, muffins, breads. Here are our favorites:

Air Fryer Appetizers

We love cooking air fryer appetizers because they’re easy, quick and come out as crispy as deep fried without the mess. Make appetizers from scratch or buy prepared appetizers and serve with your favorite sauces.

Crispy Popcorn Shrimp

Appetizer Recipes

Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Brussels Sprouts

Air Fryer

Air Fryer Onion Rings

Air Fryer

Fried Wontons

Air Fryer

Air Fryer Stuffed Mushrooms

Air Fryer

Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower

Air Fryer

Air Fryer Dinner Recipes

Dinner is ready in a fraction of the time in an air fryer. Meats come out tender and juicy with a nice crust, crumbs and coatings crisp up beautifully and clean up is a breeze.

Air Fryer Pork Chops

Air Fryer

Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin

Pork

Air Fryer Chicken Thighs

Air Fryer

Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan

Air Fryer

Air Fryer Salmon

Air Fryer

Juicy Air Fryer Meatballs

Air Fryer

Air Fryer Whole Chicken

Chicken

Sides in the Air Fryer Recipes

The air fryer is great for potatoes and fries but we also love it for roasting veggies. If you have meat drippings in the bottom of your air fryer (especially from chicken skin) toss it with your veggies before you cook them for an extra boost of flavor.

Garlic Butter Air Fryer Mushrooms

Air Fryer

Air Fryer Home Fries

Air Fryer

Air Fryer Asparagus

Air Fryer

More Easy Air Fryer Recipes

Did you know you can brown beef in the air fryer, make nachos, desserts, or even boil eggs? Here are a few things you probably didn’t know you could make in the air fryer.

Air Fryer Nachos

Appetizer Recipes

Air Fryer Grilled Cheese

Sandwiches

Crispy Air Fryer Bacon

Air Fryer

Air Fryer French Toast

Air Fryer

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About the author

Holly is a wine and cheese lover, recipe creator, shopping enthusiast and self appointed foodie. Her greatest passion is creating in the kitchen and making deliciously comforting recipes for the everyday home cook!
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Easy Air Fryer Recipes for Beginners (41)

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Easy Air Fryer Recipes for Beginners (2024)

FAQs

What is the first thing I should cook in my air fryer? ›

Make homemade sweetcorn and spring onion fritters in the air fryer for easy, energy-efficient cooking. These would be perfect as a veggie lunch, starter or side.

What is the easiest thing to cook in an air fryer? ›

Here are all our favourite easy air fryer recipe ideas, from simple scones to the best crispy homemade potatoes.
  • 10Air fryer Filipino lumpia. ...
  • 11Crispy air fryer Italian frittole. ...
  • 12Air fryer Crunchy Nut French toast. ...
  • 13Air fryer chicken satay. ...
  • 14Air fryer coccoli. ...
  • 15Air fryer little potato pancakes.

What are the top 10 foods to cook in an air fryer? ›

Start air frying these 13 foods and watch your cooking time drop and your satisfaction in healthy meals skyrocket!
  • Chicken Breasts. ...
  • Tofu. ...
  • Zoodles. ...
  • Cauliflower Gnocchi. ...
  • Salmon (chopped) ...
  • Chickpeas. ...
  • Personal Pizzas. ...
  • Frozen Cauliflower.
Feb 18, 2020

What I wish I knew before I get an air fryer? ›

6 things I wish I'd known before I bought an air fryer
  • Air fryers do not fry. Deep fried foods: not like air fried ones. ...
  • The air fryer parts you use most are easy to clean but the outer parts… not so much. ...
  • There's a war going on in the air fryer community! ...
  • Air fryers can be quite large.

Can you put aluminum foil in an air fryer? ›

Foil is safe to use in an air fryer so long as you follow three basic rules: never let foil touch the heating element; make sure the foil is weighted so it doesn't blow around the basket; and avoid contact with acidic ingredients, which can cause the foil to leach onto your food.

How to use an air fryer for dummies? ›

How to Use an Air Fry Oven
  1. SET UP YOUR AIR FRYER. Before you dive into your first recipe, take a few minutes to properly prepare your air fryer for use. ...
  2. PREPARE FOOD. ...
  3. SELECT SETTINGS. ...
  4. PREHEAT. ...
  5. SELECT AIR FRYER COOKING TIME. ...
  6. SHAKE OR FLIP FOOD. ...
  7. REMOVE FOOD. ...
  8. CLEAN YOUR AIR FRYER OVEN.

What 5 foods should you not put in an air fryer? ›

Take a gander of this list of top foods that should never make their way into your air fryer.
  • Wet Batters. ...
  • Cheesy Items. ...
  • Large, Bone-In Meat Cuts. ...
  • Baked Goods. ...
  • Greens. ...
  • Raw Rice and Other Grains. ...
  • Too Much of Anything.
Apr 14, 2023

What is the easiest meat to air fry? ›

Those cuts include Top Sirloin, KC Strip, Ribeye, Tenderloin and Tri Tip. Ground beef also can be easily prepared in an air fryer. Because an air fryer works much like a convection oven, what you are cooking tends to dry out.

Why are people getting rid of air fryers? ›

Summary. In conclusion, while air fryers offer certain benefits such as reduced calorie intake and faster cooking times, they are not without their limitations. Size constraints, limited cooking options, and concerns about crispiness are driving some people to look for alternatives.

Can you put raw meat in an airfryer? ›

It is safe to cook raw meat in the air fryer if it is fully defrosted, seasoned, and monitored. Some fully cooked foods, including chicken tenders or fries, can be placed frozen in the air fryer. However, with raw meat, it's recommended to thoroughly defrost to allow more even cooking and a tasty final product.

What are the best foods to throw in an air fryer? ›

It's great at heating frozen foods, but it's also fantastic for from-scratch foods, like chicken wings, potato chips, donuts, and extra-crisp cookies. Here, we've rounded up 81 air fryer recipes to show just how versatile the appliance can be.

What foods taste good in the air fryer? ›

From a crispy cob loaf, to fluffy lemonade scones – there's really nothing the air fryer can't do!
  • 1Air fryer cob loaf dip. ...
  • 2Air fryer chicken rissoles. ...
  • 3Air fryer chicken breast with prosciutto. ...
  • 4Air fryer quiche Lorraine. ...
  • 5Air fryer Japanese chicken tenders. ...
  • 6Crispy air fryer chow mein with Mongolian chicken.

What is the downside of an airfryer? ›

Cons of Air Fryer

These include stews, rice and pasta, batter and more. This means that Air Fryers are not completely versatile and cannot cook as many things as a traditional oven. If you're feeding a large family, you may find that the Air Fryer's capacity just won't do.

Which air fryers should be avoided? ›

The worst performing air fryers in our tests
  • The Kitchen Couture 3.4L air fryer received the lowest score in our air fryers test.
  • You get what you pay for with the cheap Kmart Anko 9L Twin Air Fryer AFD2906.
  • This Sunbeam oven and airfryer didn't shine in our testing.
Apr 23, 2024

What should I do for my first time air fryer? ›

It is important to clean the basket and perforated tray prior to the usage for the first time. Additionally, before you begin cooking in a new air fryer just start it off for about 10 minutes before any food item is placed into the basket, to put off any chemical smell emitted by a new appliance.

Do you put oil on food before Airfryer? ›

While you would typically add oil to a pan before adding your food, the case is not the same when using an air fryer. In a bowl, toss your food in a few teaspoons of vegetable oil or olive oil along with your seasoning before putting it in the air fryer. This method works best for cooking fresh meats and vegetables.

How do you arrange food in an air fryer? ›

Don't overcrowd the fryer basket. In fact, the results are best when you arrange foods in a single layer if possible. This ensures foods like Trader Joe's shrimp pops (an employee favorite), come out with a light and crispy, non-soggy exterior.

What is the general rule for cooking in the air fryer? ›

When taking a recipe from oven to air fryer, the general rule is to reduce the temperature by 20ºC – 30ºC, and cook for 20% less time.

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