A plate of glazed barbecue chicken drumsticks garnished with small parsley leaves. The chicken is coated in a shiny, dark sauce, suggesting a rich, flavorful marinade. The dish is arranged to highlight the crispy, caramelized skin.

17 Air Fryer Recipes That Make the Whole Kitchen Smell Like Something Worth Waiting For

The air fryer gets everyone interested before dinner reaches the table because garlic, herbs, bacon, and barbecue sauce start working quickly in a small space. These 17 air fryer recipes cover chicken, beef, pork, turkey, shrimp, vegetables, potatoes, corn, bacon, and shareable appetizers. Some are ready in less than 20 minutes, while the larger turkey breast and whole sweet potatoes handle meals that need a little more time. The range keeps the appliance useful from breakfast through dinner without repeating the same breaded snack.

Close-up of a cooked chicken wing with a bite taken, showing juicy and tender meat covered in dark barbecue sauce.
Air Fryer BBQ Chicken. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu

Air Fryer chicken cordon bleu on a plate.
Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Three simple ingredients give Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu the familiar combination of breaded chicken, deli ham, and melted Swiss cheese. The recipe serves 4 with 2 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of cooking at 380°F. Heating the patties first keeps the coating crisp before the ham and cheese go on for the final minute. Serve it with green beans, rice, roasted potatoes, buttered noodles, or tomato salad.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Chicken Cordon Bleu

Air Fryer Beef Empanadas

Four pieces of Air Fryer Beef Empanadas on a black rectangular slate.
Air Fryer Beef Empanadas. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Flaky pie dough surrounds beef, cheese, potato, refried beans, and onion in Air Fryer Beef Empanadas. The 36-minute recipe makes 8 servings, with chipotle powder adding warmth to the filling before the pastries cook at 375°F. Crimping the edges and brushing the tops with egg help each turnover stay sealed and brown evenly. Serve them with salsa, pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole, soup, or a crisp salad.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Beef Empanadas

Air Fryer Pork Chops

A close-up of a seasoned pork chop slice garnished with herbs, held by a fork, with asparagus spears in the background.
Air Fryer Pork Chops. Photo credit: The Bite Stuff.

Sage and brown sugar season Air Fryer Pork Chops with a sweet and savory coating before the bone-in meat cooks. The 15-minute recipe makes 2 servings with garlic powder, black pepper, salt, and oil. A single layer at 380°F helps both chops brown, while a short rest after they reach 145°F keeps the juices inside. Add skillet potatoes, rice pilaf, coleslaw, applesauce, pasta, or salad for dinner.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Pork Chops

Air Fryer Twisted Bacon

Crispy twisted strips of cooked bacon garnished with chopped parsley, displayed on a white surface.
Air Fryer Twisted Bacon. Photo credit: The Bite Stuff.

Spiral shaping gives Air Fryer Twisted Bacon crisp ridges and a thicker center in only 10 minutes. The recipe makes 3 servings from nine bacon slices, which cook in one layer at 400°F for about 5 minutes. Tight twists hold their shape better, while thick-cut bacon may need a few additional minutes. Serve the strips with eggs and pancakes, tuck them into sandwiches, or crumble them over burgers, salads, potatoes, and pasta.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Twisted Bacon

Air Fryer Wings with Alabama White Wing Sauce

A pile of air-fried chicken wings on a black slate platter with a bowl of creamy dipping sauce in the background.
Air Fryer Wings with Alabama White Wing Sauce. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Drying the chicken first helps Air Fryer Wings with Alabama White Wing Sauce develop a browned exterior before the creamy sauce is added. The 38-minute recipe serves 4 with two pounds of wings plus mayonnaise, cider vinegar, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, chives, garlic, and cayenne. A final 400°F burst adds more crispness after the initial cook. Serve the sauce lightly tossed with the wings or on the side with celery, carrots, pickles, or fries.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Wings with Alabama White Wing Sauce

Air Fryer Steak Bites

A plate of cooked steak bites garnished with herbs, served with pieces of yellow bell pepper.
Air Fryer Steak Bites. Photo credit: Dinner by Six.

Ribeye cubes pick up browned edges in Air Fryer Steak Bites before melted butter and parsley finish the meat. The 18-minute recipe serves 4 with Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cooking oil. Patting the steak dry and arranging it in one layer improves browning during the short 400°F cook. Bring the bites out with toothpicks and steak sauce, or serve them with potatoes, mushrooms, broccoli, fries, or roasted vegetables.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Steak Bites

Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Yellow Beans

Lemon pepper yellow beans on a black plate with lemon wedges.
Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Yellow Beans. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Fresh yellow beans take on garlic, onion, and citrus seasoning in Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Yellow Beans. The 8-minute side serves 4 with olive oil and four simple seasonings, making it one of the quickest recipes in the list. Drying the beans before tossing them helps the coating cling, while a single layer encourages tender-crisp results at 375°F. Pair them with chicken, fish, pork, steak, sandwiches, or another air fryer main.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Yellow Beans

Air Fryer Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs

Three pieces of Air Fryer Honey Garlic Chicken garnished with sesame seeds and chopped green onions on a white rectangular plate.
Air Fryer Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Soy sauce, honey, garlic, rice wine vinegar, sriracha, and sesame oil glaze Air Fryer Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs. The 20-minute recipe serves 4 with bone-in, skin-on thighs that begin skin-side down at 375°F. Flipping the chicken and adding more sauce near the end builds caramelization while keeping an eye on the honey prevents burning. Serve the thighs with rice, noodles, broccoli, green beans, potstickers, or cucumber salad.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs

Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs

Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs in a bowl.
Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, parsley, garlic powder, and onion powder form Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs. The 18-minute recipe makes about 16 meatballs and serves 4, with each portion cooking at 375°F until it reaches 165°F. Keeping the pieces close to the same size helps the batch finish together without drying out smaller meatballs. Add them to pasta, subs, grain bowls, soup, or a snack platter with sauce and vegetables.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs

Sweet Potatoes in Air Fryer

A sweet potato on a plate with a fork.
Sweet Potatoes in Air Fryer. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Whole sweet potatoes become soft and easy to fluff in Sweet Potatoes in Air Fryer with only 2 minutes of prep. The recipe makes 4 servings from two potatoes and lists up to 40 minutes of cooking at 375°F. Checking after 20 minutes accounts for differences in size, with additional five-minute intervals used as needed. Split them before serving with butter, cinnamon, savory toppings, leftover meat, or a main dish such as pork chops or turkey.
Get the Recipe: Sweet Potatoes in Air Fryer

Air Fryer Chicken Fries

Air fried chicken fries with dipping sauce on a wooden cutting board.
Air Fryer Chicken Fries. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Frozen chicken fries go from the freezer to a crisp snack in Air Fryer Chicken Fries. The 9-minute recipe serves 4 from one pound of chicken fries, which cook at 400°F for 5 minutes before being flipped for 2 more. Leaving space between the pieces allows hot air to reach the coating instead of trapping steam. Set them out with barbecue sauce, honey mustard, ranch, garlic aioli, ketchup, vegetables, or fries.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Chicken Fries

Air Fryer Corn on The Cob

Air Fryer Corn on the Cob with slices of butter on top.
Air Fryer Corn on The Cob. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Shucked ears develop browned kernels in Air Fryer Corn on The Cob without heating a grill or pot of water. The 20-minute recipe serves 4 with olive oil, salt, and pepper, keeping the ingredient list focused. Rubbing oil over every cob and turning the corn halfway through helps it roast evenly at 400°F. Serve it with burgers, ribs, chicken, seafood, or sandwiches, then add butter, chili powder, lime, herbs, or cheese.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Corn on The Cob

Air Fryer Irish Nachos

A platter of Air Fryer Irish Nachos topped with melted cheese, sour cream, bacon bits, and chopped green onions.
Air Fryer Irish Nachos. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Thin potato rounds replace tortilla chips in Air Fryer Irish Nachos, a 22-minute appetizer with 4 servings. Olive oil, garlic salt, smoked paprika, cheddar, bacon, green onions, sour cream, and parsley build the loaded layers. Cutting the potatoes to an even quarter-inch thickness helps them crisp before the cheese and bacon go on. Serve the finished nachos for game day, parties, or casual dinners with burgers, bratwurst, salad, jalapeños, avocado, or ranch.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Irish Nachos

Air Fryer Seasoned Shrimp

A close-up of a seasoned, cooked shrimp on a fork, held in front of a bowl of dipping sauce.
Air Fryer Seasoned Shrimp. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Paprika and garlic give Air Fryer Seasoned Shrimp plenty of flavor without covering the seafood. The 16-minute recipe serves 4 with one pound of peeled shrimp, cooking oil, salt, and black pepper. Patting the shrimp dry and placing them in one layer prevents steaming during the brief 350°F cook. Serve them with lemon over rice, pasta, tacos, salads, quinoa, or grain bowls, or add cocktail sauce, sweet chili sauce, or garlic aioli.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Seasoned Shrimp

Air Fryer Sweet Potato Cubes

A white bowl filled with seasoned roasted sweet potato cubes, garnished with chopped herbs, with a metal serving spoon on the side and a printed napkin partially visible.
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Cubes. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

One-inch pieces give Air Fryer Sweet Potato Cubes enough surface to brown while the centers turn tender. The 18-minute recipe serves 4 with cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and cooking oil. Even sizing and a single layer help the potatoes finish at the same rate during the 400°F cook. Serve them with eggs, turkey, roast beef, seafood, pork tenderloin, chicken, tacos, or a cool dipping sauce.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Sweet Potato Cubes

Air Fryer Turkey Breast

Sliced turkey breast on a white plate with sprigs of thyme.
Air Fryer Turkey Breast. Photo credit: Keto Cooking Wins.

Herb butter scents Air Fryer Turkey Breast as the bone-in, skin-on roast cooks at 375°F. The 55-minute recipe serves 4 with thyme, marjoram, parsley, oregano, or tarragon mixed into softened butter. Brushing on half before cooking and the rest halfway through keeps the herbs distributed across the skin. Rest the turkey for 10 minutes before slicing, then serve it with stuffing, potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, or roasted vegetables.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Turkey Breast

Air Fryer BBQ Chicken

Close-up of a cooked chicken wing with a bite taken, showing juicy and tender meat covered in dark barbecue sauce.
Air Fryer BBQ Chicken. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Smoky spices and caramelized sauce make Air Fryer BBQ Chicken a 35-minute drumstick dinner for 6. Ten to twelve drumsticks get coated with avocado oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper before cooking at 375°F. Barbecue sauce goes on after the chicken is cooked, followed by a short 400°F finish that thickens the coating. Serve the drumsticks with slaw, corn, baked beans, potato salad, mac and cheese, or rolls.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer BBQ Chicken

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