Healthy air fryer recipes make healthy eating taste great! Check out 30+ healthy air fryer recipes and download your free printable air fryer recipes cookbook!
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My air fryer has quickly become one of my favorite kitchen appliances. I love to use it to make easy weeknight meals.
Chicken was one of the first things I air-fried. Chicken recipes are still one of the most popular things to make in the air fryer.
Getting started can result in so many questions! Is air frying healthy? Do you put oil in it? Does it deep fry food? What can I cook in an air fryer?
If you're curious about these air fryer questions, looking for the best air fryer to purchase, or looking for some healthy air fryer recipes, keep reading!
Top Healthy Air Fryer Recipes You Will Love!
Make this in the air fryer or on the grill!
Juicy and delicious marinated chicken bursting with Greek flavors.
A low-carb alternative to breaded chicken tenders.
Versatile chicken tenders that you can eat in a salad, in a wrap, on a sandwich, or with a side dish.
Flaky fish and a creamy sauce make a delicious and easy seafood meal.
A delicious white fish that feels fancy but is so easy to make.
Make a whole squash or cut it in half for stuffing with meat and veggies.
A low-carb pasta replacement that tastes so good!
Make store-bought sausage in just 10 minutes!
Great for stirring into pasta, casseroles, or eating alongside a veggie side dish.
Juicy salmon bites with a tasty teriyaki sauce.
Great for eating in a salmon sushi bowl!
Make this recipe in the air fryer or Ninja Foodi in about 1 hour!
Juicy rotisserie chicken you can make at home and meal prep for so many recipes.
Fun and easy to make at home!
The joy of an apple cider donut with a fraction of the fat and calories!
Crispy fried chicken with Panko breadcrumbs at a fraction of the fat and calories!
Crispy panko breading and juicy chicken make this recipe a winner!
Make this recipe with only two ingredients!
Delicious in fish tacos with mango salsa or with a healthy veggie side dish.
A great choice when making breakfast for dinner!
Crispy coating thanks to pancake mix and cereal!
ASIAN MARINATED PORK TENDERLOIN
Enjoy the taste of citrus and soy with this juicy pork recipe.
Marinated pork tenderloin that is super easy to make in just a few minutes.
The closest to restaurant-quality wings you will find at home!
Easy to make in the air fryer or the Ninja Foodi and perfect for game day.
Lump crabmeat and other simple ingredients make these crab cakes so easy. Great to freeze and make ahead straight from the freezer to the table in less than 15 minutes!
Make for an appetizer, a full dinner, or on top of a salad!
Salmon with skin is the best tender and flaky salmon with crispy skin! Seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper and air fried to perfection in less than 15 minutes!
Versatile and may be served with veggies, over a salad, or in seafood tacos.
Simple ingredients and perfect to meal prep and freeze! Super crispy and kid-friendly.
Kids will love these as much (if not more!) than Chick Fil A or their favorite brand.
SWEET POTATO HASH BROWN PATTIES
Easy to make with only five ingredients!
Crunchy and delicious and made with only four ingredients! Done in less than 20 minutes!
Perfect side dish or a base for a delicious and hearty salad.
Cook turkey in less than 1 hour with this crispy and easy recipe.
Super juicy and tender, and bursting with flavor. Faster than traditional turkey making it perfect for Thanksgiving or any weeknight dinner.
Tender and juicy inside and a crispy outside coating make these irresistible! Less oil and healthier than their fried competitor.
Perfect kid-friendly meal to make ahead and freeze!
Crispy tortilla and yummy filling for this easy recipe done in about 20 minutes!
This meal is a weekly guarantee for us! Mix it up by adding in diced chicken, pulled pork, or your favorite protein.
Easy to air fry for spicy & flavorful cauliflower wings. Topped with sticky sauce and makes a delicious side dish!
Delicious to eat alone or mix up into a stir-fry!
Zucchini fries are an easy and healthy side dish your family will love!
Light and delicious zucchini sticks coated in crispy breading and air fried to crisp perfection.
Healthy, easy, and bursting with flavor! On the table in less than 30 minutes.
The perfect recipe for the winter when grilling season is not an option.
Simple yet SO flavorful! Done in less than 10 minutes.
The best crispy air-fried chicken with tons of 5-star reviews!
Super crispy, healthy, and 100% a crowd-pleaser. Done in only 20 minutes!
Delicious in a bowl, in tacos or a wrap, in a sandwich, or over a salad.
The juiciest bbq chicken recipe you will find!
Easy to make with rotisserie chicken and dip into Greek yogurt ranch. On the table in less than 20 minutes.
Picky eaters will love eating these with no idea they have hidden veggies!
Crispy wings with yummy flavors are great for gameday, parties, or any night of the week.
Easy to make from scratch and taste even better than restaurant-quality.
Sweet potato slices are a great side dish for any protein. These are fun to make and eat.
Great veggie side dish for picky eaters!
Better than Totino's and so fun to make and eat. You can add your own pizza toppings.
Only three simple ingredients - the whole family can make these!
Better than mall pretzels and super fun to make at home!
Another fun snack or appetizer for gameday or to make with your family.
Cauliflower buffalo wings are a super yummy and spicy side dish or appetizer. Serve with celery and ranch dressing.
Yummy low-carb appetizer your guests will love!
Grab your favorite potato and make these for a delicious side dish or a base for hash.
Paleo and Whole30-friendly with a few simple ingredients.
Sweet potato wedges are a great side for your meal! Kids will love dipping these in ketchup.
Simple to make from fresh potatoes and you can use any variety of potatoes you like.
Flavorful and tender shrimp make a great base for bowls, tacos, pasta, and more!
Give these highly-rated shrimp a try in your favorite seafood recipe.
Air Fryer Pros and Cons
Air fryers are a convenient kitchen appliance that provides a healthy alternative to deep frying. While they offer many advantages, they also have a few drawbacks. Here are some pros and cons of air fryers:
Benefits of Air Fryers
Healthier cooking method. Air fryers provide healthier cooking methods, reducing the amount of fat and calories compared to deep frying.
Versatile. They can cook many different types of foods including meats, vegetables, starches, and more. Many models have multi-cooking options for grilling, roasting, baking, and pressure cooking.
Quick and easy. Air frying is much faster than using a conventional oven. Since hot air circulation cooks the food, air fryer cook times are shorter.
Easy to use. Many have preset user-friendly controls to help cook with minimal preheating and an automatic shut-off.
One pot, easy cleanup. Air fryers are easier to clean than other appliances.
Drawbacks of Air Fryers
Capacity is limited. Even with larger models, it is hard to air-fry large batches of food.
Potential uneven cooking. Overcrowding or model type may impact the uniformity of cooking.
Storage. Air fryers require storage and some models are quite bulky, making it inconvenient for storing in a cabinet or on the countertop.
FAQs
Air fried food can be very healthy! It uses a fraction of the oil of deep frying making it lower in fat and calories.
Unlike traditional deep fried food, air fried food is cooked similar to a convection oven using heat and circulating hot air to cook the food.
You can create healthy air fryer recipes like delicious and nutritious vegetable side dishes, lean protein, and healthy grain dishes.
Generally you coat the food with oil, rather than putting oil in the air fryer. You can also spray the basket with coconut oil spray.
To avoid damaging your basket, coat the food or use coconut oil spray rather than cooking spray.
You can use olive oil to coat and marinade your food, but you do not deep fry it. How much oil to use in an air fryer will depend on the recipe you are making.
I use two different models for two different reasons. When I am looking for a quick an easy job, I use the Ultrean. I got it on Amazon and it's super easy to use and clean up. It's also small which makes it easy to store.
When I'm looking to make a larger amount of healthy air fryer recipes or I'm doing more meal prep, I use the Ninja Foodi multi cooker. It is a multi cooker with the crisp function that works wonderfully. It also has a pressure cooker and slow cooker function which cuts down on the amount of appliances you need!
You can use aluminum foil, parchment paper, or silicone molds in air fryers, however, you do not need any of these for most recipes.
Using aluminum foil in an air fryer helps to create easy cleanup, especially if you are making a recipe that has cheese (like this cheese quesadilla recipe.)
However, if you have concerns about foil, parchment paper or silicone are both great alternatives for air frying.
You can purchase pre-cut parchment paper for air fryers or reusable silicone air fryer liners on Amazon that make cooking so much easier.
One of the benefits of air frying is the ability to air fry frozen food straight from the freezer.
Many pre-cooked convenience foods like Tyson Dino Nuggets, frozen pizza, soft pretzels, or french fries can be cooked straight from frozen.
Air frying straight from the freezer is a great way to meal prep recipes for freezer meals that can be eaten during busy weeknights. Homemade chicken taquitos and turkey burgers are two of our favorite recipes to meal prep for easy freezer meals.
Get a book of healthy air fryer recipes by downloading your free copy of my Healthy Air Fryer Cookbook and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Crispy Air Fryer Frozen French Fries
Ingredients
- 1 16 oz bag Shoestring french fries See notes for cook time for other fry types
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Spray your basket with cooking spray (I like to use coconut oil spray so it does not damage the basket.) Air fry at 400F for 13-15 minutes for shoestring fries (additional fry cuts time and temperature listed in recipe card), shaking a few times during cooking.
- Carefully remove hot fries from basket and drizzle with 2 teaspoon olive oil and salt to taste. Use a spatula or tongs to carefully coat the fries and serve immediately.
Notes
- If you do not have a rotating basket be sure to shake the basket a few times (at least once, halfway) during cooking.
- Oil & season fries after they cook and serve immediately for ultimate freshness, texture and deep fried (but healthier!) taste.
- Adjust the cooking time as needed for thicker fries (they make take longer) or thinner fries (they make take less time).
- Salt fries after air frying to maintain crispiness.
- Serve hot with ketchup, fry sauce or your favorite dipping sauce!
- Recommended cooking times for other types of fries:
Generally follow this guide: shoestring: 13-15 minutes, crinkle: 15-17 minutes, steak: 17-20 minutes.
Lori
Are the times and temperatures the same with the air fryer function on my range?
Lyndsey
They would be a general guideline as each model is different. I would start with the temperature as written in the recipe and then start watching toward the end of the recipe to see how your air fryer oven matches up.