If your air fryer has been sitting on the counter doing nothing but toast, this page is for you. These air fryer recipes cover the dinners our readers ask about most — juicy chicken thighs, crispy pork chops, salmon bites, even baked potatoes — all with that golden, crackly finish you usually only get from a deep fryer, and none of the oil mess.
The trick to great air fryer cooking is simple: don't crowd the basket, flip halfway, and trust the timer over your instincts. Air fryers run hotter and faster than conventional ovens, so recipes written for the oven usually need about 25°F less heat and 20% less time. Every recipe below has been written specifically for the air fryer, so the temperatures and times are ready to go as-is.
Start with the bone-in chicken thighs if you're new to air frying — they're nearly impossible to overcook and the skin comes out shatter-crisp. From there, the frozen french fries and frozen meatballs are the best 'no plan, no problem' weeknight saves we know.
