There is no doubt that air fryers are handy for making quick leftover reheating and finger foods for game night. But, this practical cooking gadget has much more to offer than just stale mozzarella sticks and French fries. Perhaps you’re wanting to have dinner on the table throughout the week without taking up your full evening. Or perhaps you have unexpected dinner guests coming over, so you need to prepare a delicious meal before they arrive. When time isn’t on your side, turn to these 12 excellent air fryer dishes for a fast and flavorful lunch.
Papa’s Air Fryer Tacos
A crunchy potato taco is impossible to refuse. They are widely used in Mexico for good causes. After batch frying, top them with a ton of cotija cheese and salsa verde, or whatever your family likes for taco night. Moreover, this is an excellent way to use up any untouched homemade mashed potatoes.
Air Fryer Beyond Meat Bratwurst, Onions, and Peppers
The typical traditional German sausage made from a pig is given a Meatless Monday makeover. For an even quicker supper, pre-cut onions and peppers are available in the vegetable section. When purchasing, check for products like Impossible and Beyond Sausage. Serve with grainy mustard on the side and rice for a substantial meal that is reminiscent of a ballpark, or pair with hoagies and beer.
Mahi Mahi Air-Fried in Panko.
Use your air fryer to offer up delightfully flaky fish filets with a delicious panko-crusted crunch. Mahi-mahi is a wise (i.e. sustainably managed and ethically obtained) fish option, and it’s also reasonably priced.
Hamburger Patties Air-Fried
Why use an air fryer to prepare hamburgers? I don’t believe so—cue the air fryer!” Give the patties a wonderful grilled color using the butter and bouillon mixture, and adjust the cooking time to achieve the desired level of doneness. You successfully hosted burger night without using a single charcoal briquette.
Calzone of air-fried chicken
Start your air fryer meal off with readymade pizza dough; you can find it in many grocery shops already created, or you can try creating the dough from scratch. Use a fork to firmly crimp the edges after adding fresh baby spinach, marinara, mozzarella, and chicken to the dough rounds. Regardless of either side of the “Is it a pizza? We can all agree that this air-fried variant makes for a filling supper (Is it a sandwich?).
Stuffed Chicken Breasts in the Air Fryer in Mexican Style
Prepare these spice-filled stuffed chicken breasts for a quick and simple weeknight meal. Make sure to soak toothpicks in a small dish of water before cooking to prevent them from burning. Serve with tortillas and fresh pico de gallo, or for a definite hit at your next tailgate.
Air-fried pork chops with breading
We refer to these breaded pork chops, which just take 10 minutes to air fry and only need common cupboard ingredients, as a weeknight victory. Pork chops cooked in an air fryer for the first time may have been the juiciest chops ever. Definitely going to do it again! To ensure that everything is warm when you’re ready to serve, keep cooked chops in the oven on the lowest heat while air frying.
Chicken Tenderloins in a Crunch (Air Fried)
Try this homemade air-fried version of chicken nuggets instead of frozen ones. To achieve the best crispiness, make sure the chicken pieces aren’t touching the basket. Remember to use dipping sauces!
Salmon in Air Fryer
In this dish, the traditional Cajun spice blend of paprika, cayenne, garlic, and oregano comes together. A side of risotto and your guests’ preferred vegetables should be served with the salmon. Be careful not to overcook the salmon because this will dry out the filets.
Thanks to your air fryer, properly cooked salmon may be achieved in less than 10 minutes. While shopping, look for center-cut filets that are about an inch thick.
Shrimp Tacos
These incredibly easy air fryer shrimp tacos with creamy cilantro sauce make taco night even simpler. Soup Love is the recipe author. To save time, Nicole suggests purchasing a pre-shredded coleslaw mix rather than a whole head of cabbage. Don’t overlook the creamy cilantro sauce either; it perfectly balances the taco seasoning’s heat.
Chicken Thigh Schnitzel in the Air Fryer
The traditional Austrian meal gets a modern spin with this simple air fryer rendition. Although chicken breasts would do if that’s what you have on hand, the recipe’s author Yoly loves chicken thighs. Just make sure to pound them nice and thin before frying. For a “company-worthy supper,” serve with basmati rice and asparagus.
Brussels Sprouts
Brussels Sprouts in the Air Fryer With Preserved Lemon-Caesar With tremendous success, dress up this side dish of Brussels sprouts. For a more complex flavor and variety of textures, it combines raw Brussels sprouts that have been thinly shaved with wonderfully crisped and browned ones. Together with that, there are crunchy toasted breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese that has been shredded, and a creamy Caesar dressing with preserved lemon flavoring. For a dish that is as simple as it is wonderful, the entire thing is covered with additional toasted breadcrumbs and grated cheese.
Air-Fryer French Toast
This recipe for air-fried French toast uses an air fryer to produce a crispy outside and delicate interior. Fresh strawberries and a drizzle of maple syrup enhance the traditional flavors.
Chicken Taquitos Fried in the Air
These air-fryer taquitos are crunchy on the outside with a warm and zesty chicken-and-bean filling on the inside. Sour cream, fresh cilantro, and pico de gallo complete this simple dish that is ideal for a crowd on game day.