13 Surprising Things You Can Make in an Air Fryer (+ exactly how to do it!) (2024)

Ever been curious what can you make in an air fryer? Perhaps you think it’s only for making french fries or frozen appetizers.

That it’ll be another appliance that doesn’t pull its weight.

Au contraire, my dear!

There are actually a TON of things you can make in an air fryer! Like, for actual meals like dinner!

Meat turns out moist and tender, perfectly done inside and out. Many recipes cook in half the time.

Plus, it’s hands free cooking. No standing by the stove, keeping a close eye on what you’re making.

Just set it and forget it!

It’s also a healthier way of cooking. Instead of needing a ton of oil, you can use as little as a tablespoon (or less).

So if you want some fun and delicious ideas for using this under-appreciated appliance, check out these easy air fryer meals!

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13 Surprisingly Delicious Things to Make in the Air Fryer

First, a few recommended products to air fry like a pro:

What things can you cook in an air fryer?

An air fryer is basically a unique-style oven, so you can make many recipes that you’d make in your regular oven. Without heating up the entire kitchen!

But the secret is that you can also cook things that you’d never dream of making in your traditional oven.

Here are some super easy air fryer recipes to try!

Note: These are cooking times are approximate. Times and temperature may vary depending on your specific air fryer.

1. Whole Chicken

Whole chickens are a very frugal way to feed your family. And you can actually make a delicious, rotisserie-style chicken, right in your air fryer.

(For a chicken 5 lbs or greater, you’ll want to use an extra larger air fryer.)

Here’s how to do it:

Remove giblet packet from chicken
Rub with high temperature cooking oil
Season thoroughly with seasoned salt (or your favorite chicken seasoning)
Place chicken skin-side down in the air fryer
Cook at 350℉ for about 1 hour, (flipping chicken once after 30 minutes), making sure the internal temperature reaches 165℉.

2. Salmon

Like most things, cooking salmon in the air fryer is a no-brainer. You just place it in the basket, and let the air fryer do its magic!

Here’s how easy it is:

Evenly coat 2 salmon fillets (boneless and skinless) with olive oil
Season both sides with salt and pepper (lemon pepper is delicious too!)
Bake for 360℉ for about 10 minutes, or until desired doneness

3. Grilled Cheese

You can totally make super tasty sandwiches in your air fryer. No having to babysit a skillet on the stove any more!

Here’s how to make grilled cheese in the air fryer:

Butter one side of each slice of bread
Place cheese (or your other favorite sandwich ingredients) between slices, butter side out
Bake at 370℉ for about 8 minutes, flipping sandwich halfway through

4. Steak

You can perfectly cook a steak dinner in the air fryer with very simple ingredients.

Believe it or not, steaks stay really juicy in the air fryer!

Here’s how to do it:

Preheat air fryer to 400℉
Lightly spray ribeye or New York strip steak with olive oil
Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder (or your favorite steak seasoning)
Cook steak in the air fryer for about 12 minutes, flipping halfway through
Use a meat thermometer to determine when it’s cooked to your doneness liking

5. Stromboli

Stromboli is easier than you might think, especially if you buy premade refrigerated or frozen dough. Both pizza dough and bread dough work great.

Here’s how to make stromboli in the air fryer:

Roll out dough until about ¼ inch thickness
Layer cheese and your favorite pizza toppings on half
Fold in half and seal dough
Spray with olive oil
Bake at 360℉ for about 20 minutes, flipping every 5 minutes

Quick tip: The air fryer is also a delicious way to reheat leftover pizza!

6. Meatloaf

The air fryer actually cooks meatloaf in about half the time of your traditional oven. And it doesn’t dry out!

Using your favorite meatloaf recipe, here’s how to make it in the air fryer:

Preheat air fryer to 400℉
Place meatloaf in the air fryer basket (lined with foil)
Bake for 35-40 minutes (for a 2 lb meatloaf)

7. Cake

Cake you bake in the air fryer? Yes! You can totally make baked goods in the air fryer. Like a cake!

Here’s how to do it:

Prepare cake mix according to package or recipe instructions
Spray an air fryer safe cake pan with cooking spray
Pour cake batter into cake pan and place inside air fryer
Bake cake at 320℉ for 20-25 minutes, checking doneness with a toothpick

8. Turkey Breast

If you want that delicious Thanksgiving flavor some other time of year, look no further than the ease of making a turkey breast in the air fryer.

It’s also perfect to use on Thanksgiving for extra white meat, or if you’re only cooking for a few people. Or if you prefer to just fill your regular oven with amazing side dishes.

Here’s how to cook a turkey breast in the air fryer:

Preheat air fryer to 350℉
Rub 4 lb turkey breast with butter or olive oil
Sprinkle with salt and pepper (or your favorite poultry seasoning)
Place skin side down in the air fryer, and bake for 30 minutes
Turn over and cook for another 30-40 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 160℉

9. Burgers

Whether you buy premade fresh burgers from the butcher counter, like to use frozen patties, or have a favorite homemade recipe, burgers come out delicious and juicy in the air fryer!

Here’s how to do it:

Season burger patties with some delicious burger seasoning
Cook burgers at 360℉ for 8 minutes, then flip
Bake for another 3-4 minutes, or until desired doneness

Quick note: A frozen burger patty will need a few extra minutes.

10. Bacon

Breakfast in the air fryer? You bet! Cooking bacon in the air fryer is an excellent way to prevent that annoying stove-top splatter.

Plus it comes out perfectly! Whether you’re eating the bacon with eggs, on a BLT, or as a garnish to potato soup, here’s a mess-free way to make it!

How to cook bacon in the air fryer:

Preheat air fryer to 400℉
Layer bacon in a single layer in the air fryer basket (it’s ok if they’re not completely flat)
Bake for about 10 minutes, or until desired crispiness
Check halfway through to see if anything needs to be flipped
Drain on a paper towel to remove any excess grease

Pro-tip: If you find that your air fryer smokes a little while cooking bacon, you can add a little water to the inside tray!

11. Hard Boiled Eggs

Making hard boiled eggs in the air fryer might be the most surprising one on the list!

Here’s how to do it:

Place 4-6 eggs in the air fryer basket
Cook at 250℉ for 15-17 minutes, depending on how ‘done’ you like your yolks
Run cold water over eggs once cooked (or place in bowl of ice water), and peel

12. Cookies

Believe it or not, you can actually make cookies in the air fryer. Perfect for a hot summer day when you don’t want to heat up the entire kitchen.

Using your favorite cookie recipe, here’s how to make them in the air fryer:

Preheat air fryer to 350℉
Line air fryer basket or rack with aluminum foil or parchment paper liners
Spray foil or parchment with cooking spray
Place cookies onto foil or parchment, 2 inches apart
Bake for 5-8 minutes, or until desired crispness
Transfer to cooling rack or plate until completely cool

13. Bread

There are actually a ton of different kinds of bread you can make in the air fryer! From garlic bread, to dinner or crescent rolls, to cinnamon rolls.

Using refrigerated crescent rolls, bake on parchment paper at 300℉ for 10 minutes, flipping once.

For refrigerated cinnamon rolls, bake on parchment paper at 325℉ for 10-12 minutes, flipping once.

Here are some other air fryer bread recipes:

In conclusion

Did some of these easy air fryer recipes surprise you? As you can see, there are a TON of fun things you can make in it!

Even though frozen foods turn out fabulous too, the recipes above are actually some of the best foods to cook in the air fryer.

From keeping your kitchen cleaner and cooler, to cutting your cooking time almost in half, you can see that there are so many benefits to using an air fryer.

It really does make dinner time faster and easier!

Which of these air fryer recipes will you make first?