Here are my favorite air fryer dinner recipes I make over and over again. I included the best of the best air fryer recipes that just make dinner easier and oh so flavorful!
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My Favorite Air Fryer Dinner Ideas
I have owned air fryers for almost 9 years, so I have made my share of air fryer recipes inside them. And, as a food blogger and mom of two kids, I only want to eat downright good air fryer dinner recipes that are easy to make.
I try to eat at home almost every night, but deciding what’s for dinner can be a pain. The same old dinners can get boring so easily, so I needed to create a list of air fryer meals that I could choose from over and over again.
So, I talked to my husband, Ben, and my kids, Connor and Leah, and they helped me put together the best list of easy air fryer recipes that they love when I make them. And, after reading back through the choices, this is the best list out there.
These are truly recipes that make dinner time easier while still packing on a ton of flavor, all thanks to the air fryer. Some can be marinated the night before, while some can be tossed in the air fryer and made last-minute. Either way, making dinner in the air fryer just got a whole lot more delicious!
My air fryer chicken breast has been a staple in my house for years. I use ingredients I always have in the pantry and use the chicken for everything from chicken salads, wraps, and just as a delicious dinner on its own.
Listen, when I think of air fryer dinner ideas, my air fryer chicken wings are always at the top of my list. It's because of how crispy they get. My husband Ben is from Buffalo, and if he is sold on how these are cooked, you know they are that good!
My air fryer salmon is one of my go-to healthy air fryer meals that is really easy to make. I use fresh fillets with seasonings already at home, and the flavor is always on point, and the fish is always nice and flaky. Honestly, making a fish dinner in the air fryer is so underrated.
There's nothing better than marinating chicken thighs all day, tossing them in the air fryer, and having a super flavorful air fryer dinner. Plus, these flavors mesh with virtually any veggie, plus work well in a stir fry!
Oh, pork chops, how I love thee as an air fryer dinner. It's the main way I cook my pork chops because they just always come out juicy and tender every single time. This version with center-cut pork chops is my favorite way to make them!
If you've never made potatoes in the air fryer, you are truly missing out. They cook faster than the oven and get even crispier. And these red potatoes are one of those air fryer dinner recipes I make on repeat because of how versatile it is.
Brussels sprouts may not be the first food that comes to mind when thinking of an air fryer, but they turn out SO good when roasted in it. They actually lose all their bitterness and turn sweet!
I make these air fryer chicken tenders more often than I would like to admit, but they are my kids' favorite air fryer dinner! My daughter Leah even chose to have this recipe included in her school cookbook last year because she loves it so much!
Air fryer french fries were the very first recipe I ever tried making in the air fryer. They turned out awful. I've since did a ton of testing to create that perfect crispy fry so they come out perfectly cooked every time.
Here's another air fryer dinner I make on the regular. I just can't get over how fast they cook up. They taste like they came off the grill, but with less work. This is another favorite of Leah's, loaded up with ketchup on the toasted bun.
There is a big debate if steak should be made in the air fryer. My take? It's an air fryer dinner recipe that should not be skipped. If cooked properly, it can be one of the best steaks you've ever had! Juicy, tender, and perfect. I prefer medium rare for the most flavor, but any doneness is easy to achieve!
I've been trying to get my kids to eat more veggies lately, and my son Connor has been loving sweet potato fries in the air fryer. He loves to dip them in nacho cheese sauce, and honestly, it's actually really good. Plus, these fries get crispy thanks to the cornstarch!
Here's a quick dinner recipe that should always be made in an air fryer. Air frying asparagus literally takes minutes and I think it comes out even better than roasting it in the oven. I honestly only use the oven for these when I need to make a super large batch for the holidays. Otherwise, air frying them is the only way to go.
I will be honest and say my family used to make frozen broccoli in the microwave way too much until I grabbed a fresh head of broccoli from the store and air fried it for dinner. We have not turned back. The broccoli even gets crispy!
Making hamburgers in the air fryer is so easy! My favorite part I that I can melt the cheese on it afterward just by closing the air fryer with it off.
When I tell you cooking cauliflower in the air fryer at dinner time is a lifesaver, I mean it. It literally gets crispy, and somehow this is the only way my son Connor will eat his cauliflower!
This is one of those air fryer dinner recipes I love to make constantly in the winter. It gets juicy chicken every time, and it's just so comforting and warming to me.
I love a good grilled cheese and soup night and I have to say air frying grilled cheese has made it a little easier because I can just set my air fryer for the time and temperature and I know it's good to go!
Let me tell you, my air fried potato wedges are crispy. And, I mean crispy. They've become a go-to side with our BBQ like dinners and honestly it makes me feel like I'm eating at a diner, but instead it's an air fryer dinner.
My house is always overflowing with zucchini in the summer, so I had to get creative with the ways I use it. My favorite? This easy side dish that's healthy and flavorful — and perfect for basically every meal.
Oh, when I say air frying corn on the cob is the best, I'm serious. It gets those little brown roasted bits that add so much flavor. My daughter Leah has become literally obsessed with me making it this way, and I feel the same honestly.
The people who say you can't make fried food in your air fryer have not tried my air fryer fried chicken. It has so many 5-star ratings because it's everything you love about fried chicken, but without the extra oil. It's a favorite of mine too.
I made my recipe so easy I literally pour it all in a Ziploc bag, pour it in the air fryer, and let it cook. It can't get much easier than that! And of course, I packed on the lemon pepper flavor because that's what an air fryer meal does.
I've made my share of microwaved sweet potatoes, but they do not stand a chance against the air fried ones. They just get sweeter, fluffier, and the skin gets so crispy that I actually eat it!
I created this recipe to be filled with flavor from everything from the pork to the Parmesan coated on it. Honestly, every time I see this picture again, I have to make it again because it's so good.
I love a good spaghetti and meatball night, and the air fryer has made that so much better for me. I rarely made homemade meatballs before I created this way, but now I make them constantly!
I love putting together super easy air fryer dinner recipes, and that is how my pork tenderloin one came in. It's marinated in a Ziploc bag and dropped into the air fryer when I'm ready to make dinner. That is my kind of dinner.
I once had someone ask me, "But why salmon bites?" and it's because they get crispy, work well by themselves, in dishes like salad, wraps, stir fries, and just dipped in my sriracha dip.
Air fryer carrots were one of the first recipes I made in my air fryer. I've since evolved my recipe to be the best I've ever made. They're sweet, flavorful, and just an all-around great veggie side for dinner.
I created these specific chicken tenders to replicate the classic ones found at restaurants. They're crispy, breaded, and super flavorful! And, yes, both of my kids love them!
Steak bites are one of those versatile dinner recipes that go with anything. Stir fries, wraps, salads, and on their own. The fact that they're fantastic in the air fryer makes them even better!
Making a whole chicken in the air fryer for dinner got so much easier thanks to the air fryer. I am obsessed with this recipe because of just how easy it is. It's literally only 5 ingredients!
I may have figured out how to air fry frozen salmon when I forgot to take dinner out of the freezer. Either way, I make this all the time for last minute dinners because it's so good!
When I want a crispy chicken recipe, I turn to my air fryer at dinner and make my chicken Parmesan in it. The breading gets crispy, and the cheese melts so perfectly.
I just love how flaky fish gets in the air fryer, and the same goes for tilapia. If you're using your air fryer for dinner, I recommend trying this one at least once.
Air fryer pork loin has become a go-to in my house because of how easy it is. I grab it at the store, rub a dry rub on it, and air fry it! It comes out juicy and tender every time, too.
I like to call this my secret recipe for butternut squash. It tastes like candy and I make it all fall and winter every year. It turns everyone into a squash lover.
This may be the most decadent recipe I make for dinner in my air fryer. But sometimes I just need to splurge by buying filet mignon, and enjoying a nice date night with my husband Ben when the kids are gone.
I rarely used to make onion rings before I got an air fryer, but now I make them constantly. They just get so crunchy, and they're so much better than the ones I get at restaurants.
This recipe is one of my favorites to make when I'm making chicken for dinner. The brown sugar in the rub just adds the right amount of caramelization and sweetness to it!
Oh, baby back ribs are amazing in the air fryer. I toss them in BBQ sauce toward the end and they are fall-off-the-bone. I just can't say enough great things about them.
Not to brag, but I got my kids to start liking green beans by air frying them. I love to roast them, but they take forever, so the air fryer does the trick in a quarter of the time.
I’ve always had a love of cooking and creating new recipes, so it only made sense to create a food blog so I could share those recipes with you. This site is designed to provide easy and flavorful recipes with as little ingredients as possible. That means you still get great flavor combinations without all that extra time and effort. Read more...
10 thoughts on “50 Air Fryer Dinner Recipes”
Thanks so much for including one of my recipes! So many delicious and easy dinners here!
Thank you for this! I’m WFH but still having a hard time disengaging from work to create dinner for the family. Got myself an air fryer and looking forward to trying some of these easy recipes!
Thanks so much for including one of my recipes! So many delicious and easy dinners here!
just got air fryer i am ready to get started
You’ll love it, Darryl! I have a whole section of air fryer recipes you can find here.
I love the onion and bell pepper with the chicken for even more delicious flavor. Yummy and easy!
Love how quick these dinners are!
Thank you so much for sharing this dinner recipes! It’s really helpful!
Thank you for this! I’m WFH but still having a hard time disengaging from work to create dinner for the family. Got myself an air fryer and looking forward to trying some of these easy recipes!
It’s crazy how much we still work through lunch even at home?! The air fryer will help out a lot! Even just to heat up some frozen foods too!
I can’t wait to try all of these. They look amazing!
wowser you;ve gpt some great recipies and we’re new to air frying but enjoying it. Thank You