8 Of The Best Things To Make In Your Air Fryer

Air fryers have been one of the hottest small kitchen appliances on the market over the past few years. The more I use my air fryer, the more I understand why there’s been so much hype around them!

Not only are they easy to use, but they’re better at making food crispy than almost any other cooking appliance. In this post, we’ll explore some of the most delicious things you can make with the help of your air fryer.

Check Out These Air Fryer Resources!

Whether you’re a new air fryer user or use yours several times a week, my free Air Fryer Cooking Times Cheat Sheet can be an incredibly useful resource. It includes cooking time and temperature recommendations for all of your favorite foods — including many of the ones featured in this post!

If you could use a quick refresher on what air fryers are or how they work, check out my intro to air fryers to bone up on all the important details.

8 Of The Best Ways To Use Your Air Fryer

1. Frozen Snacks

Nearly every type of frozen snack food cooks up wonderfully in an air fryer! From chicken nuggets to tater tots, and jalapeño poppers to taquitos, they’ll all turn out perfectly crispy every time (and in a hurry, too!)

2. Meat

But the air fryer isn’t just for snack time—it can come in handy for dinner too! We’ve used ours to cook up all sorts of proteins, including chicken tenderloins, salmon filets, and thinly sliced pork chops.

The nice thing about using it to cook meat is that you don’t need a lot of information to do it. Since you’ll be opening up the basket to flip or shake the food anyway, there are plenty of opportunities to see how it’s coming along.

3. “Hard-Boiled” Eggs

It’s easy to make delicious hard-boiled eggs in your air fryer. Just place your eggs in the basket and cook them at 275°F for about 15 minutes. Transfer the eggs to an ice bath to cool, then peel and enjoy!

4. Chicken Wings

Wing lovers rejoice; people rave about how much they love air fryer chicken wings. Prepare your wings how you like them (breaded or not, seasoned to your liking), then cook them at 400°F for about 20 minutes.

Add about 5 minutes of cooking time if your wings are frozen, and make sure the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Once cooked, toss the wings in your sauce of choice and return to the basket for 1-2 more minutes. Yum!

5. Vegetables

Roasted vegetables have such a great flavor and texture, especially when cooked in an air fryer. Toss green beans, broccoli, or even corn on the cob in a bit of oil, then cook at 400°F, checking every 5-12 minutes, until they’re cooked to your liking.

6. Warm Cookies

Who doesn’t love a warm, gooey, freshly baked cookie? With an air fryer, you can enjoy that warm, gooey goodness anytime you like!

Pop a homemade cookie or two into the basket, then cook for just a minute or two until warm and melty. Mmmmm…

7. Hot Dogs

Some of the best hot dogs I’ve ever eaten were cooked around a campfire! Roasting or grilling hot dogs gives them a deeper, more satisfying flavor that boiling or steaming just can’t beat.

You can replicate that delicious, fire-roasted flavor in your air fryer. Just heat to 385°F, add a few hot dogs to the basket, and cook them for 5 minutes for a quick and delicious hot dog experience!

8. Reheating Leftovers

When it comes to heating leftovers, the air fryer is the undisputed champion of the kitchen. It is capable of working miracles on sad and soggy leftovers, and yes, that even includes leftover French fries! They crisp up beautifully, which means you can genuinely enjoy those leftover fries you brought home yesterday.

It’s also good for heating leftover pizza. A single slice takes just a few minutes to reheat at 400°F, and the crust is deliciously crispy every time (even if it was a bit soggy after being refrigerated!)

Do you own an air fryer? If so, what’s your favorite way to use it?