While you can cook a host of fresh and frozen foods in an air fryer, some are more suited to this style of cooking than others. Since one of the biggest pulls of the popular cooking gadget is its ability to make deliciously crispy food, the best air fryer meal ideas for lunch and dinner centre on meats and vegetables you like to enjoy at their crispiest. Therefore, fries, chicken wings, and roasted vegetables are among the most popular air fryer ideas. We discuss these and many other good options in more detail below.
When talking about the very best air fryer ideas, we would be remiss not to mention how excellent the kitchen marvel is at reheating leftovers, too. Unlike a microwave, you can use your air fryer to reheat food while maintaining its crispiness. This is especially great news if you are looking for an easy way to warm up yesterday's pizza, fries, or breaded vegetables and do not want to compromise on the satisfying crunch they provide.
If you are looking for more nifty tips on how to get the best out of the machine, have a look at our guide for how to use an air fryer and our simple oven to air fryer conversion chart.
Chips, fries, and potato wedges
Some of the most popular foods to cook in an air fryer are different iterations of potato; fries and potato wedges turn out nice and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Meanwhile, thinly sliced potatoes, sweet potatoes, or beets turned into crunchy chips make for great air fryer snack ideas to serve a crowd. All three options are suited to air fryer cooking as they are easy to prepare evenly and in batches. While they cook, you can whip up a delectable dip to pair with them.
Chicken – wings, tenders, and drumsticks
Collections of easy air fryer ideas always include cuts of chicken. While there are many to choose from, the best ones to cook in an air fryer include smaller ones like wings, tenders, and drumsticks. Air fryers can create chicken wings with a mouth-wateringly crispy exterior without the mess and greasiness of deep frying. Tenders and drumsticks come out crunchy on the outside and tender inside. Depending on the size of your air fryer you can also cook a whole chicken in an air fryer. If you have a small air fryer, opt for smaller cuts like chicken thigh fillets or chicken nuggets.
Various vegetables
A list of easy foods to air fry must, of course, include vegetables. Choices like Brussels sprouts, courgette, and broccoli can be roasted to perfection and served as side dishes to other air-fried delights or as the star of vegetarian meals. Root vegetables also work well in air fryers as they can caramelise wonderfully. While you can toss your vegetables of choice with oil and fry them up, great vegetable-centred air fryer ideas also include stuffed ones. Peppers and mushrooms filled with spiced meat, cheese, or couscous are tasty suggestions that can be cooked beautifully in an air fryer.
The dehydrating effect that an air fryer has can make vegetables especially tasty. The process concentrates the natural sugars and flavours in the vegetables, making them more robust and flavourful. Dehydrated or semi-dehydrated vegetables also take on that satisfyingly crispy texture many enjoy.
Fish fillets or breaded fish
Several types of fish also count as air fryer-friendly food. Especially fresh fillets, frozen fish sticks, or breaded fish are good options. The reason is how easy they are to cook evenly and crisp up. Commonly air-fried fish varieties include cod, tilapia, salmon, and halibut, as they are not too delicate to cook in this fashion. If you want to steam rather than fry your fish, you can wrap them in foil to keep them moist. This method is also useful for more delicate or flaky fish.
Other ideas for air fryer food that you can serve as a restaurant-worthy appetiser include air-fried breaded seafood like shrimp. The small delights come out crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside, making them perfect for snacking with a well-selected dipping sauce.
Favourite breakfast items
While lunch and dinner recipes might dominate lists of air fryer ideas, you can also use it for breakfast. If you enjoy hearty, savoury selections like bacon and boiled eggs, you can easily use the air fryer to cook them. The result? Deliciously crispy bacon and perfectly cooked eggs that are easy to peel. It also works well for sweet options like waffles, pancakes, and French toast that are certain to brighten your morning. Read more about our tasty air fryer breakfast ideas.
Baking and dessert recipes
With breakfast, lunch, and dinner covered, you may be wondering: can I use it to make sweet treats too? And the answer is yes. Air fryers are versatile and can be used for baking, meaning you can add small baked goods and desserts to your list of potential air fryer party food ideas. Why not try your hand at using it to make delicious air fryer cookies or doughnuts that are not too greasy? For a different yet crowd-pleasing dessert, try our recipe for air fryer s’mores. If using your air fryer this way sounds right up your alley, we suggest having a look at our selection of air fryer baking and desserts.
