13 Air Fryer Recipes For Beginners

If you like great flavor and minimal clean-up, the air fryer is your friend. It preheats way faster than the oven, makes any breading or coating extra crispy, and is still gentle enough for more delicate recipes like hand pies and desserts.

These air fryer recipes for beginners will make you fall in love with your air fryer and give you plenty of recipes for dinner, snacks, desserts, breakfast, sides, and more!

There’s something here for everyone, whether it’s your first time using your air fryer or you’re already an air fryer pro. You’ll be sure to find a new favorite!

Air Fryer Onion Rings

For the crispiest, crunchiest onion rings, you’ll want to make them from scratch. The dredging and breading process is simple and will result in the most perfectly crispy onion rings of all time.

Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Onion Rings

Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan is a popular option at most Italian restaurants, but it typically requires careful cooking to get that crust just right.

The air fryer simplifies the whole process and will give you the perfect golden coating that’s delicious slathered with your favorite marinara sauce and lots of melty cheese.

Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan

Air Fryer Hand Pies

When you need a little something sweet on the fly, you might think hand pies would be too time-consuming.

Thanks to refrigerated pie crust, canned pie filling, and your trusty air fryer, you can make these sweet treats in less than 20 minutes.

Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Hand Pies

Air Fryer Salmon Bites

The air fryer is the perfect way to lock in moisture when cooking fresh salmon, keeping it juicy and tender while adding a nice bite to the outside.

These bite-sized pieces are glazed in a sweet, smoky honey chipotle sauce that will keep you coming back.

Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Salmon Bites

Air Fryer Hash Browns and Eggs

The air fryer is the perfect way to prepare this breakfast classic because you can crisp up the hashbrowns in the air fryer, press them into little wells, and add the eggs and cheese.

You get a complete breakfast, ready to serve, with almost no effort (and little clean-up).

Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Hash Browns and Eggs

Air Fryer Parmesan Dill Pickle Chips

The hot, rotating air in the air fryer is what sets it apart from a standard oven and crisps up the cheesy parmesan coating on these pickle chips so well.

They’re extremely simple to make and are way lower in fat since you don’t have to fry them in oil!

Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Parmesan Dill Pickle Chips

Air Fryer Bone-In Pork Chops

The secret to the best pork chops is all about infusing lots of flavor. This recipe uses a sweet and smoky homemade rub for incredible flavor, and then you’ll cook them to perfection in the air fryer to keep them moist and tender.

Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Bone-In Pork Chops

Homemade Banana Chips

Yes, you can also use the air fryer for dehydrating! Traditional banana chips are fried to get that crunchy bite, but this DIY version uses the air fryer, bananas, and a little lemon juice instead. Great for granola, trail mix, and so much more.

Get the Recipe: Homemade Banana Chips

French Onion Baked Potatoes

This is another great example of using the air fryer to your advantage. The potatoes are first baked until soft and fluffy on the inside; then, you scoop out the filling, add the creamy onion mixture, and bake again with more cheese and crispy fried onions on top.

They’re a fun twist on regular baked potatoes and would taste amazing with hearty, beefy mains, like steak or pot roast.

Get the Recipe: French Onion Baked Potatoes

Air Fryer Nachos

Think nachos are too messy to make in an air fryer? The secret is to line the basket with aluminum foil, which makes them easy to remove and serve.

This keeps the refried beans, salsa, and cheese in place so you won’t have to worry about losing a single piece.

Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Nachos

Air Fryer Garlic Knots

No knead to worry about making your own dough for these buttery garlic knots. Store-bought pizza dough is the perfect alternative, and you probably already have all the seasonings you need on hand.

Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Garlic Knots

Air Fryer Bang Bang Shrimp

Bang Bang Shrimp is all about giving you a bang of flavor right away. This recipe uses the air fryer to cook the shrimp faster than ever, and then you top them with a creamy, sweet, and tangy sauce infused with sriracha, sweet chili sauce, and mayo.

Serve over rice with a side of veggies and devour.

Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Bang Bang Shrimp

Air Fryer Tofu

If you eat a lot of tofu (or want to), then you need an air fryer. Tofu will absorb whichever flavors it’s marinated in, and this recipe has a sweet sesame garlic marinade that tastes absolutely delicious.

But the real secret is the air fryer, which crisps up the outside to add the most amazing crunch to every single bite.

Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Tofu