You may already have heard of the new kitchen wonder that is the air fryer.

It is really amazing to know that you can almost cook everything in your air fryer from the side dishes, snacks, main course to dessert.

Especially for fried dishes, cooking them in the air-fryer requires less oil making the food healthier and for some dishes, the result is even tastier.

Related post: The Best Rated Air Fryers – Our In-Depth Guide and Reviews

An air fryer can also be a substitute for your grill if the weather is not up for grilling outdoors. In some instances, it works better than your oven as well.

So, what is there not to be awed by this amazing kitchen appliance?

In this article, we listed some of the best dishes that can be cooked in the air fryer. You can choose from our choices of Vegetarian, Healthy, World Cuisine, Family and Sweet/Dessert recipes.

We tried to give you great-tasting recipes from the most common to healthy ingredients so meal planning is never bland and boring.

These handpicked recipes will surely be a hit with your kids and best of all, using your air fryer will save you time as well.

The Best Air Fryer Recipes – Start Cooking Now

Vegetarian/Vegan Recipes

Go vegan/vegetarian with our selection of delicious recipes that can easily be cooked using your air fryer.

You get to choose if you want a load of carbohydrate, then try the sushi roll and cheesy potato wedges or if it is protein you are after then the crispy falafel will become your go-to recipe.

Crunchy Air Fryer Sushi Rolls

Who would have thought that you could make sushi in an air fryer?

Try something new and fun with your air fryer with this vegan sushi roll recipe.

You will be surprised to know that you can actually enjoy your home-made sushi roll in minutes after you have your white rice cooked and cooled.

Check out the vegan recipe here. All you need is (rice of course), nori plates, kale, and avocado for the filling and you are all set.

Watch the video on how you can do the rolling and for more details.

You never know the next time you make your sushi roll, you can already do it like a pro.

Extra tip: you could swap the fillings for vegetables of your choice, e.g. crispy carrots, or cucumber. Be creative!

Air Fryer Cheesy Potato Wedges

Potatoes are being considered as one of the most popular ingredients globally.

And this mouthwatering recipe should not miss our list for the best air fryer recipes.

Check out this cheesy potato wedges recipe here and enjoy your potato staple that not only tastes delicious but is also a good source of energy, calcium, iron, and vitamins.

What is also great about this dish is that the cheese sauce is also purely vegan.

Total prep and cooking time of this cheesy potato wedges is only 35 minutes so you can enjoy it in no time.

This dish is a great side dish and snack and we actually think this is more fun to eat than the traditional French fries.

Air-Fried Crispy Falafel

I don’t know about your kids but my family loves these crispy, tasty little balls of chickpea goodness.

If you need your dose of protein while staying vegan, this air-fried crispy falafel is your answer.

Falafel has already become a popular vegan/vegetarian dish in most countries.

This chickpeas-based dish is also loaded with herbs and spices. You can experiment with different flavors and choose the best combination to suit your needs.

There are different ways to cook falafels by deep-frying or by baking but to get the balanced taste that is crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and oil-free, you will definitely want to use an air-fryer.

Check out the recipe here with detailed explanation on the technique so you can perfect your air-fried falafel the next time you are in the kitchen.

Healthy Air Fryer Recipes

Getting a healthy lifestyle should always be the norm for life-loving people like us.

Eating healthy is really a great practice. In our healthy recipe list, we choose those recipes that have the healthiest ingredients and yes, they taste delicious as well in case you are wondering.

And, of course, it is easier to cook healthy food using an air fryer because as already mentioned earlier, little to minimal oil is needed during cooking.

Cilantro Ranch Sweet Potato Cauliflower Patties

photo credit: CotterCrunch.com

Sweet potato and cauliflower are few ingredients out there that are both easy to add in our diet and are overwhelmingly rich in healthy nutrients.

So, combining them in one delicious dish will surely hit the spot for most health-enthusiasts out there.

Check out the recipe for air-fried the cilantro ranch sweet potato cauliflower patties on CotterCrunch.com packed with helpful nutrients such as Vitamin A, Vitamin K, fiber, omegas, and many others.

Best of all, they are quick and easy to make and even the pickiest eater will love them.

Serve with a crunchy salad on the side and a yummy garlic sour cream dip. Great for lunch or a light dinner.

Low Carb Whole30 Paleo Salmon Cakes

If you are craving for some seafood, here is a healthy fish recipe for you, low carb whole 30 paleo salmon cakes.

Salmons are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, protein, Vitamin B and many others if you are wondering. By the way, this recipe requires fresh fish.

Enjoy your salmon cakes as a main course fused with curry, cilantro and coconut crunch layered on the pile of arugula and spinach with coconut oil.

Best of all, these yummy fish cakes are gluten, dairy, and grain-free. Perfect as a healthy lunch or a quick dinner meal.

Here’s the link to this tasty and fresh goodness recipe.

Air-Fried Apple Chips

Bring your chips to a category of healthy by cooking simply.

Go back to the age-old mantra that an apple a day keeps the doctor away and prepare these air-fried apple chips for yourself and your family.

Even your kids will love this healthy snack. You only need apple, cinnamon, avocado or olive oil and your air-fryer to get this snack done in half an hour.

This simple snack is rich in fiber, potassium and Vitamins A, B and C.

You can check out this hearty recipe at ProjectMealPlan.

World Cuisine List

In this list, we especially choose the best recipes for air fryer from the top 3 most popular world cuisines all over the world and that includes Italian, French and Chinese.

Air Fryer Pizza – Italian Cuisine

So you are craving suddenly for pizza but did you know that you can prepare this Italian cuisine faster than your usual pizza delivery using your air-fryer?

You can even make it better-tasting than delivery. You only need pizza dough, pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and your own toppings to make it your own.

Pizza has been in this world since like way back in the olden days and today it is still as modern as the new times.

So, a trendy air fryer will not miss it for the world. Try making your own version of pizza on it and enjoy all your pizza’s goodness in minutes.

You can check out this quick and easy recipe here for your reference.

Air-Fried Mushroom, Onion, And Ham Quiche – French Cuisine

How about trying a French cuisine in your air fryer? Originated from France, quiche is a savory dish that can be made of the most common ingredients, egg, milk, cheese, and vegetables, meat or seafood: it is your choice.

You can check out this homemade recipe in full here. Use mushrooms, onions, and ham as the main ingredients and impress friends and family with this nourishing meal.

You can get this French classic dish done in less than an hour using your air-fryer.  So in no time, you can have the household munching your chef-tasting French dish.

Air-Fried Char Siew – Chinese Cuisine

Char Siew is one popular Chinese dish that has an increasing popularity in most Asian countries and even the world.

This cuisine is traditionally cooked in an oven or over a fire but with the emergence of air fryers, it didn’t escape home chef’s experimentation and no wonder this tasty food can now be cooked on it. And the result is better-tasting char siew finished at an even faster cooking time.

Char Siew uses pork belly as its main ingredients fused with tasty oriental seasonings.

If you are a barbeque or a meat lover then you will surely love this savory Chinese cuisine. The recipe is available here.

Family Friendly Dishes

Our family recipe list includes dishes that are especially great for family gatherings and are especially kid-friendly.

Air Fryer Cheddar Bacon Chicken Tenders

There are a lot of recipes out there on air-fried chicken, but I especially like this chicken tender and bacon combination recipe over at KitchenDreaming.

This is a perfect family meal that all members of your family will surely love especially the kids.

With this dish, the family can enjoy all the goodness of chicken, bacon, and cheddar in just 12 minutes.

Enjoy it with your favorite side dishes and a refreshing glass of beer. Perfect for larger gatherings as well.

Garlic Parmesan Air Fried Shrimp Recipe

Is there anything not to love about shrimp? Shrimps are rich in omega-3 fatty acids as well as in calcium, iodine, and protein.

They are especially low in carbohydrates hence a great addition if you are following the keto diet.

This mouthwatering recipe lacks the usual breading and uses grated parmesan cheese instead.

The high heat of your air-fryer can take care of this dish so you will get your desired crunchiness still.

This simple and easy to cook shrimp dish will surely not disappoint your family.

It is great as an appetizer, light lunch or, served with rice and your favorite vegetables a delicious dinner meal.

The recipe is available at SweetcsDesigns. 

Air-Fryer Roast Beef

Family meals are more celebratory when you have roasted beef and potatoes in your table.

Yes, I was surprised as well to know that air-fryer is very capable to cook roast beef. All you need is the right technique and yes your kitchen wonder, the air-fryer.

You can get the full recipe here.

In a few easy steps, you can have your air fryer roast beef for the family to enjoy for dinner.

Air Fryer Italian Meatballs

We all know meatballs are popular with kids and they are a fantastic addition or toppings to pasta, rice or even soup.

So, we give you this easy to cook recipe here and it is great to know that meatballs are much easier and faster to prepare using an air fryer.

The taste is better as well.

Classic Fish And Chips With An Air Fryer

This pub-identified meal is easier to make at home if you have an air fryer. Plus, because it is not deep-fried, it is much healthier as well.

It is especially easy to prepare and can be done in less than an hour. Just a tip, always eat it with a dipping sauce or a dash of malt vinegar for a more enjoyable munching.

We do love our fish’n chips served with a green salad or red cabbage slaw on the side.

The recipe is available here at CookingLight.

Air-Fried Lasagne

We cannot finish this list of air fryer recipes without adding some pasta for all ages and we found an air-fried lasagne recipe for you here.

Enjoy this age-old pasta yet deliciously timeless dish with your family using your air-fryer in just half an hour of cooking time.

Sweets/Desserts

Everybody loves dessert, hence we have included a few recipes showcasing some dishes that will quickly become family favorites.

It is actually surprising that you can cook a lot of desserts using the air fryer.

Midnight Nutella Banana Sandwich

photo credit: BlueJeanChef.com

Who doesn’t love Nutella? The combination of Nutella and banana sounds even more appetizing.

With 8 minutes cooking time, you can enjoy this simple Nutella banana sandwich with just 4 easy to find ingredients including butter, bread, Nutella spread and banana.

This is a great every day or midnight snack. The kids will love it when they are coming home from school.

Find the recipe at BlueJeanChef.

Air Fryer Chocolate Souffle

The chocolate souffle comes originally from France and is now a popular dessert all over the world.

It is surprisingly easy to prepare using your air-fryer and can be easily perfected as well.

This is a great treat for your kiddos and also a delectable addition for occasional dinner and celebratory parties.

Check out the recipe here.

Air Fryer Cinnamon Cardamom Cheesecake

Cheesecake is another well-loved dessert all over the world why not try cooking it in your air-fryer.

We found a great recipe for you at SavorySpin of an air fryer cinnamon cardamom cheesecake that you and your family will surely love.

You can experiment putting your own toppings on it together with whip cream, so you can make it your own.

Boxed Brownies In The Air Fryer

We are not having enough of chocolate so we have this recipe for you. Once known to be a food of socialites, brownies are becoming popular especially for the kiddos.

This boxed brownie is especially easy to prepare because you only need a brownie mix for this.

Make it more fun to eat by adding some nuts and choco chips on it.

The recipe is here for your easy reference. Happy Baking!

Wrapping It Up

There you have it, our selection of some of the best air fryer recipes.

Surely, you were awed by how much the air fryer can do.  I certainly was astonished by the variety of recipes that will make dinner and lunchtime so much easier.

So, get the best out of your air fryer machine and enjoy these delicious, mouthwatering dishes for the family and friends to share.