As a trained cook, it might surprise you to hear that the air fryer is my favorite kitchen tool. It all started when I was living in a tiny flat without an oven and working for a healthy recipe box company, writing air fryer recipes. I became obsessed with what I could cook in the air fryer – starting with roasted veggies and even attempting a full English roast dinner. It became my go-to for just about everything.
If you've recently bought one of the best air fryers and aren’t sure where to start, let me show you how versatile it can be. Air fryers are the ultimate solution for quick, easy meals. They heat up in seconds, use minimal oil, and are incredibly energy-efficient. Best of all, they deliver perfectly crispy results every time. A study by Instant revealed that air fryers are 70% faster than ovens and use 95% less oil than deep frying.
From egg bites to salmon teriyaki and 'smores, here are my favorite dishes to cook in the air fryer. The possibilities are endless!
Breakfast
Crispy bacon
Air-fried bacon is crispy and cooked in a fraction of the time it takes on the stove. I recommend placing the strips in a single layer in the air fryer and cooking for 5-8 minutes. The bacon will be perfectly browned and crispy, without swimming in grease.
Egg bites
Make your own protein-packed egg bites by mixing eggs, vegetables, and cheese in small molds, and air-frying them. These are ideal for an easy and nutritious breakfast – without turning on the oven.
Baked oatmeal
I've seen air-fried oatmeal recipes trending all over TikTok, so I had to try it out for myself. You don't have to do anything special, just add all the ingredients to the basket (oats, bananas, cinnamon, eggs, milk and chocolate) and mash everything together. Fifteen minutes later you have a warming sweet breakfast. I used my air fryer liners for hygiene and the easiest clean-up.
Frozen pastries
Frozen pastries like croissants and pain au chocolat can be cooked in the air fryer in minutes, giving them the crispiest, fresh-from-the-oven texture without heating your whole kitchen.
Snacks & Side Dishes
An air fryer is ideal for cooking frozen food quickly on days when you're particularly tired or rushed off your feet.
French fries
I haven't cooked French fries in the oven or deep fat fryer for years – they are quicker, crispier and less-oily in the air fryer.
We put together a guide to cooking French fries in the air fryer here, including top tips for making homemade chips too. If you want an a healthier option, you can make homemade sweet potato fries instead, seasoned with a little paprika for smoky spice.
Roasted vegetables
Again, I can't remember the last time I used my oven to roast vegetables. I toss tomatoes, courgettes, peppers and broccoli into my Ninja Double Stack – which preheats instantly. I spritz them with olive oil, using this glass oil sprayer from Amazon. Once they're soft and charred, I serve the vegetables as a side dish, or stir them into pasta sauces for a veggie-packed dish.
Frozen goujons
Frozen fast food items like chicken goujons, fish fingers, breaded or battered vegetables can all be air fried from frozen and like all the other foods: no waiting time for your oven to pre-heat.
Chicken goujons or tenders are a delicious option, and should take around eight to 12 minutes at around 400°F/205°C to get nice and crisp from frozen. You can often find air fryer instructions on the back of the packaging these days.
Protein
Teriyaki salmon
This is my favorite dish to order at a restaurant and it's so easy to make at home in the air fryer. I make a quick teriyaki marinade, pour it over the salmon fillets and my Ninja air fryer takes 12 minutes to bake them. The salmon is fall-apart tender with a sticky glaze.
Chicken
I use my air fryer to roast chicken thighs and breasts in a fraction of the time it takes to oven bake them. I make a smoky paprika marinade to make them extra juicy and tender inside.
Zoe McClean, the senior home economist at Breville, says 'A small whole chicken can roast beautifully in 60 minutes in the air fryer,' she says. You'll be left with a delicious roast chicken that's got a crispy skin. Our top tip? Use the juices that gather at the bottom of the oven to prepare a gravy. '
We put this to the test with the Paris Rhône air fryer. At 2.2 lbs, we chose the smallest chicken we could. We brushed it with an oil and stock cube glaze and roasted it at 250 degrees for an hour. It worked beautifully.
Instant's marketing manager, Laura Wilkinson, says the brand have found that 'cooking chicken in an air fryer can save you more than 80% of energy and therefore cost compared to an electric oven.' This is from an independent study with researcher Dr. Ximena Schmidt Rivera, a sustainability researcher, and lecturer at Brunel University London
Tofu
Air fryers use 95% less oil than deep frying, so that you can achieve a crispy, but healthy finish. I take advantage of this to make crispy tofu bites, with soy sauce, sesame oil and seeds. If you choose an air fryer with a window, you can keep track of its cooking process and remove your tofu when it is the perfect color for you.
Burgers and patties
This summer, I did a deep dive into whether you can grill in the air fryer. Chefs and BBQ experts answered with a resounding yes – you can sizzle burgers in the air fryer, no charcoal needed.
Many modern models, like the Ninja Foodi Indoor Grill and Cuisinart TOA-70, come with dedicated grill settings and griddle plates to create chargrilled effects. You can also find griddle plate accessories on Amazon, which help to mimic the look and feel of traditional grilling. Ideal for grilling indoors in the autumn or winter.
Dessert
If you're craving a sweet treat, but no one else is, you can easily make a single-serve dessert without having to waste energy heating the whole oven for one portion. I've also made small batches of cookies, cakes and even air fryer 'smores!
Air fryer cookies
You can make air fryer cookies in less than 10 minutes, without having to wait for the oven to preheat. My favorite is peanut butter and chocolate chip. I don't think they get quite as crispy and delicious as oven cookies, but they still hit the spot.
Baked bananas
Healthy desserts are effortless in the air fryer. When I'm craving a sweet treat after dinner, I air-fry banana halves, studded with cinnamon, honey and raisins. I serve it with a dollop of Greek yogurt or ice cream. If your air fryer has a dehydrate function, you can also make banana chips or any kind of fruit crisps, for that matter.
'Smores
Not so healthy, but an ideal midnight snack for kids and grown-ups. This recipe is trending on TikTok, so you're sure to find some inspiration over there. The general gist is adding chocolate and marshmallows to toast in the air fryer, then scooping up the gooey goodness with a graham cracker. Just keep an eye and careful not to burn the top!
Reheated leftovers
Pizza slices
Home economist at Breville, Zoe McClean, suggests: 'Use the air fryer for re-crisping or reheating takeaway leftovers, like fried chicken or pizza, and enjoy your meal for a second time.
You might ask: Why air fry leftover pizza when you can microwave it? Air frying keeps the base of your pizza nice and crisp, whereas microwaving tends to soften the base. Zoe says, 'I like to wrap leftover pizza in aluminum foil before air frying as this helps to prevent the topping from drying out.'
What's best food to cook in an air fryer? If I had to choose, it would be breakfast. The egg bites are so easy and bacon comes out crispy, perfectly cooked, and less fatty than when cooked under a grill or in a pan. You could even air-fry some hash browns for a full brunch.
That said, I couldn't live without my air-fried banana dessert. It's the healthiest after-dinner treat I've tried. Tempted to invest? You can shop for the best air fryer deals below.
