• Business Insider asked three chefs about their favorite breakfast dishes to make in an air fryer.
• Air-fried doughnuts can be just as tasty without the added mess of deep-frying.
• The countertop appliance is perfect for making crispy breakfast burritos and home fries. 

Air fryers are surprisingly versatile. Their ability to make food crispy using little or no oil makes them ideal for adding flavor and crunch to a range of breakfast dishes.

Business Insider asked three professional chefs to share their favorite morning meals to cook in an air fryer.

Here are their top suggestions.

Air-frying may be a shortcut to perfect bacon.

Chef Meredith Laurence of Blue Jean Chef told BI that bacon and air fryers are a perfect match. 

"There's no tidier way to cook bacon than in an air fryer," she said. "The air fryer limits the splatter around your kitchen and makes the bacon crispy."

You can air-fry it on a flat tray, but using a wire rack will allow the excess fat to drip away and may result in crispier bacon.

It's a great way to make mini egg frittatas.

Christina Stanco, executive chef at Central Kitchen and Bar in Detroit, told BI that she loves making mini egg frittatas in the air fryer. 

"Mini egg frittatas are quick and easy in the air fryer," she said. "Just pour whisked eggs and diced peppers into cupcake papers, top with cheese, and air-fry."

You can experiment with adding your own favorite toppings to the mini frittatas, like bacon bits or fresh herbs.

Try using an air fryer to make crispy breakfast burritos.

Breakfast burritos are the ultimate portable morning meal, and they're easy to make in the air fryer. 

"Air-fryer breakfast burritos are a favorite of mine," Stanco told BI. "Just roll up scrambled eggs, sausage, and cheese into a flour tortilla and cook it in the air fryer." 

She suggested trying to avoid adding wet ingredients like salsa or sliced tomato before cooking as excess moisture may result in less crispy burritos.

French-toast sticks are usually a hit with kids.

French-toast sticks are a fun breakfast treat that you can throw together with common kitchen staples. 

"Simply cut bread slices into fingers and then soak them in a French-toast egg mixture before coating them in crushed Corn Flakes or other cereal flakes," Laurence told BI. 

Air-fry the sticks at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for eight to nine minutes, so they're crispy but not dry, and serve them with maple syrup or Greek yogurt and berries.

Cinnamon rolls are a sweet way to use the countertop appliance.

For a decadent morning treat, Laurence suggested baking a few cinnamon rolls in your air fryer. 

"Roll out the dough, brush it with butter, and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top," she said. "After forming the rolls and letting them rise, pop them in the air fryer for 10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit."

You can use your own homemade dough or opt for a premade variety to save time. Finish off the cinnamon rolls with a sweet glaze or cream-cheese frosting.

Air-fried home fries are a flavorful breakfast side.

Home fries are seasoned and fried potato chunks often served alongside eggs or meat at breakfast. 

"Home fries are a must in the air fryer," Stanco told BI. "Be sure to season the chopped potatoes with herbs and spices before cooking them."

She suggested using a "floury" variety of potatoes, such as an Idaho russet, for the best texture and flavor.

Eggs in a basket are a fun and easy breakfast dish to try.

Eggs in a basket — also known as egg in a hole — is a quick breakfast dish that looks a lot fancier than it is.

"You can make 'eggs in a basket' very easily in the air fryer by making indentations in a few slices of bread, cracking eggs into the indents, and air frying," Laurence said. 

The chef recommended cooking the eggs for five to seven minutes at about 380 degrees.

For a twist on this recipe, swap the slices of toast for hollowed-out bread rolls.

Breakfast sausages cook up nicely in an air fryer.

Using an air fryer to cook your breakfast sausages can help you avoid excess fat and grease.

"Placing the sausages in a perforated or mesh basket allows the fat to drip away, helping them crisp up faster," Laurence told BI. 

You can also use an air fryer to add a bit of extra crispiness to vegetarian or vegan sausages. The plant-based varieties usually have less fat, so give them a light spray of oil before air-frying. 

Switch things up with some sweet-potato fries for breakfast.

Chef Hayato Yoshida, cofounder of Wagyu Beef, told BI that an air fryer can easily turn sweet potatoes into a tasty morning meal. 

"Instead of throwing them in the oven or microwave — which might make them soggy — put them in the air fryer instead," he said.

You can also shred your sweet potatoes and air-fry them as hash browns or nests.

Doughnuts are surprisingly easy to make right at home.

Skip the line at the coffee shop and make your own fresh doughnuts at home. 

"Instead of going through the hassle of deep-frying, consider air-frying a couple of fluffy doughnuts," Yoshida told BI. "They're delicious and will definitely help satisfy your morning sweet tooth."

Try using canned biscuit dough shaped or cut into rings if you're short on time. 

You can add a glaze to your doughnuts by dipping them in a mixture of powdered sugar and water or milk, but be sure to wait until they've fully cooled before glazing. 

Air-fried egg rolls are a quick and portable breakfast.

If you're looking to break out of a breakfast rut, consider using an air fryer to make breakfast egg rolls.

"Breakfast egg rolls are a great handheld breakfast option for those on the move," Yoshida told BI. "I love air-frying egg rolls and enjoying them as a treat in the morning."

To make them, scramble eggs with your choice of chopped vegetables or meats, portion the mixture into egg-roll wrappers, fold and roll them up, and air-fry until golden.

This story was originally published on January 6, 2021, and most recently updated on January 10, 2025. 

Read More:

• Chefs and bakers share 10 of their favorite desserts to make in an air fryer
• Chefs share 16 of the best foods to make in an air fryer
• 7 things you should cook in an air fryer and 7 things you shouldn't
• 10 of the best air fryer recipes you should know

• As a chef, I use my air fryer often to make easy, delicious meals.
• Some of my best air-fryer meals are grilled cheese, chicken Parmesan, and crispy tofu.
• I also like to air-fry salmon, steak, or a whole chicken for an impressive meal.

As a trained chef, I keep my air fryer on the counter at all times and use it for everything from toasting bread to re-crisping leftovers.

Air fryers work like tiny, mighty convection ovens, which makes them highly versatile and efficient for many dishes you know and love.

If you're considering investing in a new countertop appliance or just looking to expand your repertoire beyond wings, these are some of my favorite things to make in an air fryer.

Air-fried halloumi can be the star of a salad.

I can't get enough halloumi.

Yes, it tastes like salty rubber. To me, though, it's the best, most satisfying rubber — especially when it's crispy on the outside and gooey in the center, fresh from the air fryer.

For lunch or a light dinner, I'll slice up a loaf of halloumi, spray it with cooking spray, and air-fry it for five or six minutes until it has some color on the edges.

I'll toss the hot cheese on a salad made with anything in my fridge for a fast vegetarian meal.

Salmon fillets cook nicely in an air fryer.

Cooking salmon in an air fryer is ideal because the fish's higher fat content makes it better insulated and, therefore, harder to overcook than more delicate options like cod or bass.

I recommend air-frying individual fillets of similar sizes rather than a larger side of salmon, as these cook faster and more evenly.

Top your fillets with anything from fresh lemon wheels to a dry spice rub, then air-fry for seven to nine minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until the fish is flaky and firm in the center.

As a bonus, toss a quick-cooking veggie like broccoli, cauliflower, or asparagus into the air-fryer basket alongside the salmon.

There are so many ways to dress up a grilled cheese.

There's no better lazy dinner than a gooey grilled cheese. Plus, when you make it in an air fryer, you get to skip the flipping and babysitting.

Just assemble your sandwich as you like — don't hold back on spreads and add-ins like fig jam, pesto, thinly sliced apples, hot sauce, or asparagus.

Add plenty of your favorite melty cheese (my pick is sharp cheddar), and smush everything between bread. The cheese should get nice and gooey, and the bread should turn golden in about 10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Chicken Parmesan turns out nicely in an air fryer.

The key to juicy and tender air-fryer chicken Parmesan is using thinly sliced boneless chicken breasts that have been cut in half horizontally.

Dip each piece in flour, beaten eggs, and panko breadcrumbs to coat. (For a lighter version, skip the breading.)

Air-fry your chicken for about five minutes per side at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, then add a spoonful of marinara sauce and a few slabs of fresh mozzarella to each piece. Cook for another few minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

I like to serve chicken Parmesan with garlic bread, but pasta also works.

Prepare all components of your steak frites in an air fryer.

If you want the experience of an elegant French bistro without the price tag, your air fryer is your best friend.

Using an air fryer is the best way to make fries at home — plus you can take a shortcut and use frozen ones.

Start by cooking your steaks to your desired doneness. It can take about six minutes per side at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for a 1-inch New York strip to become medium-rare.

While the steaks rest, toss your fries into the basket and cook them at the same temperature for about 10 minutes or until they're golden and crisp.

It's easy to make shrimp rice bowls.

Shrimp cook quickly with most methods, but the air fryer frees up your hands so you can prepare other elements for a rice bowl.

Although you can use any seasonings and toppings, I like to go for a burrito-inspired dish.

First, I toss shrimp with taco seasoning or a homemade spice blend of cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Large peeled and deveined shrimp can cook in about five minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

While they cook, I dice tomatoes and avocados, mince fresh cilantro, and slice a lime. Once everything is ready, pile it onto white or brown rice. I like to flavor mine with lime.

I make crispy tofu in my air fryer.

For a delicious tofu dish that will turn skeptics into fans, use your air fryer.

The key is to remove as much moisture from the tofu as possible before cooking it.

Slice the tofu into planks, wrap them in a clean dish towel, and press them under something heavy, like a can of tomatoes, for at least 30 minutes. Then cut the planks into cubes and toss them in a light dusting of cornstarch — this really helps the tofu crisp up.

Before air-frying, coat them in a sauce. I like teriyaki, either store-bought or made with soy sauce, brown sugar or honey, garlic, ginger, and rice vinegar. You could just as easily use barbecue, Buffalo, or chimichurri sauce.

Your tofu should become crispy and golden in about eight minutes in a 400-degree Fahrenheit air fryer. After cooking, you can add more sauce for extra moisture and flavor.

It's possible to cook a whole chicken in an air fryer.

It's impressive to cook a whole chicken in an air fryer, and I think it's easier than using an oven. Most 6-quart basket-style fryers can hold a 4-pound chicken.

After patting your bird dry, rub it with your preferred spice mix, and be sure to use plenty of salt. I like to use garlic, rosemary, and olive oil. You can stuff the cavity with fresh herbs and a halved lemon for extra moisture and flavor as well.

Air-fry the bird for half an hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, flip, and cook for another 20 to 25 minutes, increasing the temp to 400 degrees for the last 10 if you like a crispy skin.

The chicken is ready when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Let it rest for five to 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

• I've lost 70 pounds, but keeping weight off has been tough. Luckily, my air fryer makes it easier.
• I use my air fryer to make lighter alternatives to dishes I love, like chicken tenders and chips.
• Even foods I once disliked, like Brussels sprouts, have become reliable air-fryer snacks.

Growing up, managing my weight was a challenge. Years later, I'm 70 pounds lighter and have much to thank for the transformation.

My calorie-tracking app helps keep me accountable and my gym workouts have been great for helping me create balance in my life.

However, my air fryer has been my unsung hero throughout my journey. I love using the appliance to prepare lighter versions of indulgent dishes and make vegetables taste better.

Here are my go-to meals and snacks to make in the air fryer when I'm hungry but looking for something light.

Buffalo cauliflower is great for spicy-food lovers.

From habanero wings to ghost-pepper chips, I'm always looking to test my tastebuds, and I love food with a bit of heat.

Buffalo cauliflower lets me indulge that craving without consuming anything too heavy or calorie-dense. It's also surprisingly easy to make.

Coat some florets with a tablespoon or two of oil, season with salt and pepper, then toss in your hot sauce of choice. Cook in the air fryer until crispy.

I enjoy breaded chicken tenders in the air fryer.

When I frequented the drive-thru, I always got chicken nuggets. It's fitting, then, that the day I decided to get in shape, I bought a 20-piece as my "last supper" before driving straight to the gym.

Although I still grab fast food on occasion, I now make crispy chicken tenders at home. This way, I can use less oil and control the ingredients.

First, I use a knife to remove any tendons from the chicken. Then, I season the strips and coat them with flour, egg wash, and breadcrumbs. They go in the air fryer until golden.

French fries are a classic air-fried snack.

Fries are easy to prepare in an air fryer and even easier to enjoy. Plus, you can season them with any spices you want.

I alternate between making regular fries and sweet-potato fries. The sweet potatoes require some muscle to chop — and take extra time to crisp up — but the effort is worth it.

To make these, I coat my potato strips in oil, air-fry them until crispy, then salt and season to taste.

Fish is another excellent protein to make in an air fryer.

Haddock, cod, and salmon all turn out great in the air fryer.

When cooking a white fish, I like to coat it in breadcrumbs — just like the tenders — and air-fry until golden brown. For a better bite, make sure to season your flour and breading.

I love pairing my crispy fish with air-fryer fries for a lighter version of fish and chips.

I always have some fun with air-fried pizza.

An oven is great for heating up frozen pies, but an air fryer excels if you're making your own pizza. You can really be creative with your crust by using English muffins, naan, or other bases.

On this day, I made air-fryer pizza using a baguette as my base. In an oven, that bread would have toughened up, but after a few minutes in the air fryer, it became flaky and crispy.

I topped my pizza with turkey pepperoni and basil, though it's also super easy to customize.

I went from hating Brussels sprouts to loving them, in part because of my air fryer.

I couldn't stand Brussels sprouts growing up. The smell was offputting, the texture was slimy, and other vegetables were simply more appealing.

Now, they're my favorite green alongside broccoli — and the secret is preparing them well.

Although I enjoy sprouts baked, roasted, or sautéed, I love them air-fried. Season them generously, air-fry them until crunchy, and you have a great midnight snack.

Try banana chips for a novel snack.

Plantain chips are one of my favorite snacks to get at the grocery store. I wouldn't call them healthy, but I find them to be a slightly lighter alternative to potato chips.

To make my own version at home, I started air-frying banana slices.

First, thinly slice a firm banana. Toss the slices in oil and salt, then air-fry them until they brown up. Set them aside to cool, and you'll have a sweet-and-savory snack that resembles chips.

• I made seven dinners in an air-fryer and found a few easy recipes I'd make again. 
• Though most of the recipes I tried can be made in an air fryer, some shouldn't be cooked this way.
• The chicken thighs were my favorite because they came out with crunchy skin and juicy, tender meat.

I'm obsessed with my air fryer, and I've used it to cook dishes from chocolate-chip cookies to corn riblets.

To put the appliance to the test, I decided to try making a week's worth of dinners in my air fryer.

Here's what I will and won't be making again. 

First, I tried making air-fryer eggplant

The eggplant recipe I found from food blogger Melanie Cooks couldn't be more straightforward.

First, I chopped the eggplant into 1-inch cubes. Then, I tossed them in olive oil, garlic powder, red pepper, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

I placed my seasoned cubes into the preheated air fryer at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes, shaking halfway through.

I'd make this again as a side dish 

This was my first time cooking eggplant, and I thought the dish turned out surprisingly well.

The bites were flavorful and a bit crispy — not overly mushy, which can happen often with eggplant dishes.

Overall, this was super easy to make and delicious, just not super filling. I'd make it again as a side for a heartier main course.

The next recipe was for hot dogs, which seemed weird to me

Food blogger Little Sunny Kitchen said these were the "best hot dogs" I would ever make.

I was skeptical about making a hot dog in an air fryer, but I loved not having to boil them and deal with the gross-smelling water that results from that. 

It was too easy to mess up

After preheating the air fryer to 390 degrees Fahrenheit, I made a few shallow cuts on the hot dogs to prevent them from inflating or exploding.

Next, I put them in the air fryer for six minutes. I also toasted my buns in the air fryer. 

These hot dogs were great

The buns were the true game changer. Before this, I'd eat my hot dogs with untoasted buns because I found them difficult to crisp properly in a regular toaster. 

But, after just a few minutes in the air fryer, they were perfect for the well-cooked hot dogs. I will definitely make this recipe again.

The next dinner was an air-fryer pizza

I loosely followed a recipe from the blogger Fabulessly Frugal, who wrote you could make this pizza in the oven for 10 minutes and get the same results as doing so in the air fryer. 

This recipe calls for premade crust, but I used a frozen pizza as my base. Fortunately, this wasn't an issue.

My air-fryer baskets are small, so I had to cut my pizza before cooking it. I put the pizza in the air fryer for about six to seven minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

The crust cooked quickly. Then, I followed the directions like it was a plain crust and topped it with slices of mozzarella and tomato.

The recipe said to use Campari tomatoes, but I used cherry ones. They were so small that they slid off my pizza while it heated up in the air fryer. 

Still, I popped my pizza slices back into the air-fryer baskets and cooked them for five or so minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

The cheese quickly melted, and I topped my slices with fresh basil and olive oil.

The finished product came out tasty, with good texture and flavor

I liked how crispy the crust turned out, and the pizza had a nice flavor. 

Although this was delicious, it was more complicated than just placing a whole pizza in the oven. My air-fryer baskets are small, so I had to cook four slices at a time instead of an entire pie at once.

I'm sure it'd be just as tasty with a plain crust, too. Even so, it seemed unnecessary to use an air fryer instead of my oven.

Next up was air-fryer chicken

Food blog Low Carb With Jennifer's recipe requires only bone-in, skin-on chicken (trimmed) and some spices.

I shook my chicken thighs in a large bag with kosher salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, oregano, and onion powder to coat it in seasonings. Once the air fryer was preheated to 380 degrees Fahrenheit, it was time to cook them.  

First, I sprayed the baskets with oil and placed the thighs skin-side down for 12 minutes. I then flipped them and cooked them for another 10 minutes.

This recipe was my favorite

I was impressed by how quickly and easily this recipe came together.

The resulting chicken thighs had crispy, well-seasoned skin and juicy, tender meat. 

I had fun making mozzarella sticks

The food blogger Kimspired's quick mozarella-stick recipe calls for light string cheese, Italian breadcrumbs, an egg, and flour, plus marinara sauce for dipping.

First, I put my egg, breadcrumbs, and flour in three separate containers.

After unwrapping the cheese, I coated it in flour, dipped it in egg, and then breadcrumbs. My favorite part was making sure each stick was perfectly coated in crumbles, which felt therapeutic and oddly satisfying. 

Then, the cheese sticks needed to be frozen for about an hour so they could firm up before being fried. 

Once they were done chilling, I popped the sticks into my 400-degree-Fahrenheit air fryer for four minutes, flipped them, and cooked them for another four minutes. 

These came out cheesy and delicious 

Some of the cheese ended up oozing out of the breading, especially after I flipped them.

Still, they stayed together pretty well and tasted delicious. I also liked dipping the sticks in marinara. 

Next, I tried making vegan air-fryer taquitos

The vegan taquito recipe I used is from Allrecipes, and its main ingredients include potato, onion, and corn tortillas.

The potato had to be cooked so I could make my filling, so I microwaved it for a bit to try to speed up the process.

While the potato cooked, I made the sauce by simmering minced garlic and chopped onion in vegan butter. Next, I mashed my potato and combined it with salt, pepper, almond milk, and the buttery mixture.

Then, I put the filling aside and heated my tortillas so I could roll the taquitos up.

I heated the tortillas on the grate of a gas stove to make them easily rollable. This was tedious, and I found they could burn quickly if I looked away for even a minute. 

Once I had my tortilla perfectly heated, I put a spoonful of my mashed-potato mixture inside it and rolled it up.

Finally, I put the rolled taquitos in the preheated air fryer at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

After seven minutes, I flipped them, sprayed them with oil, then cooked them for three more minutes. 

These came out OK but were more work than I'd prefer

These taquitos took a little more time to prepare than I'd anticipated. 

The filling was good and tasted like garlic mashed potatoes, but I would've preferred to eat it without the semi-crunchy tortilla wrapper that almost overpowered its flavor. 

It's nice that these were vegan, but I almost wish I'd chosen a recipe with meat to add some texture. Even so, the taquitos weren't too hard to make and tasted good enough for a snack.

The last thing I made was air-fryer grilled cheese

Food blogger This Old Gal makes her grilled cheese with three simple, classic ingredients: bread, cheese, and butter.

I buttered one side of each piece of bread, placed cheese inside, then cooked my sandwich in a preheated air fryer at 370 degrees Fahrenheit for four minutes on each side.

My sandwich turned out wonderfully cheesy 

The recipe recommends using toothpicks to hold the bread down, but I didn't have any, so I had to rearrange the bread midway through cooking, as it had blown off.

Still, these sandwiches came out cheesy and fabulous — though I could've almost as easily made them in a pan.

Each recipe was good enough to try, and I'd probably make all but 2 again

I wouldn't cook the pizza or taquitos in the air fryer next time, but everything else felt surprisingly easier to make in the small-but-mighty appliance.

The hot dog, grilled cheese, eggplant, and mozzarella sticks were all winners — and the chicken thighs took the crown for most filling and worthwhile.

This story was originally published on June 29, 2021, and most recently updated on December 9, 2024.

• As we head into the holiday party season, the bar for homemade apps and snacks is raised.
• Luckily, I figured out how to make baked Brie in my air fryer, and it's super simple.
• Fluffy bread and gooey cheese are winter essentials, and it doesn't take much.

With holiday parties and gatherings filling up my calendar this month, I came up with an easy, affordable, and delicious appetizer to impress my family and friends with.

My air-fryer baked Brie only requires two ingredients, and it's criminally simple to make.

Here's how I do it.

I only need two ingredients for a show-stopping dish.

Instead of crowding my fridge with holiday-cooking ingredients, I just get two things: Brie and premade dough.

For this recipe, I purchased a wheel of double-creme Brie and a tube of crescent dough from Aldi.

I think it's easier to neatly wrap the dough around the wheeled cheese, but this recipe can also be made with a wedge or slice of Brie.

I start by prepping the dough.

One of the most difficult parts of this recipe is peeling the paper off the crescent-dough canister and waiting in anticipation for it to pop open with a loud "thwap."

I take half of the dough and lay it out flat on my countertop. If it's perforated — as many crescent doughs are — you'll want to overlap those lines a bit and smooth it out.

The goal is to get the dough as smooth as possible so there are no holes for the cheese to escape through.

Then I cover the cheese.

After laying out the dough, I place the wheel of Brie directly in the center of the rectangle.

Then, I take the second half of the crescent dough and smooth it out like I did with the first layer.

This rectangle of dough goes on top of the cheese. Be sure to line it up so that the edges of the bottom and top layers of dough come as close to touching as possible.

Before proceeding, I seal any holes between the two sheets of dough and ensure the cheese is securely wrapped.

For the perfect pastry finish, add an egg wash.

I think the dough ends up looking a little nicer if I brush it with a quick egg wash before placing it in the air fryer.

Crack one egg into a glass or bowl and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water. This mixture can be brushed directly on the dough.

Using the air fryer saves me some time.

I like to line my air-fryer basket with a piece of oiled aluminum foil to prevent any sticking.

Once that's prepped, I place the wrapped cheese inside and cook it at 370 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes.

At that point, I open the basket, flip the doughy disc with a spatula, and pop it back in for another four minutes to ensure both sides are even.

The crispy, gooey, pastry-wrapped cheese is perfect for holiday gatherings.

I frequently bake Brie in my oven and toaster oven, which takes closer to 40 minutes (not including prep time). In comparison, this method was absurdly quick, and I enjoyed it right out of the air fryer.

The air-fried dough baked up similarly to how it does in the oven, and there was no noticeable difference in flavor or texture.

Going forward, I'll definitely be using the air fryer for my Brie, especially during the busy holiday season.

If you want to spruce up the dish for a specific event, you can easily add a layer of jam or preserves — sweet, savory, or spicy — on top of the cheese before you cover it.

• Professional chefs told Insider the best sweet and savory snacks to make in the air fryer.
• You can make plantain chips or crunchy chickpeas in the popular kitchen appliance.
• Fry up beignets or candied cashews to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Although you can definitely use air fryers to make an entire meal, they're also perfect for whipping up snacks.

So Insider spoke to professional chefs about their favorite small bites to make with the popular kitchen appliance. 

Buffalo cauliflower bites offer a kick of spice

Chris Curren, executive chef at and owner of The Graceful Ordinary, told Insider that Buffalo cauliflower bites are the perfect air-fryer snack. 

"These are a healthier alternative to Buffalo chicken bites," Curren said. "I like to bread mine to make sure they're extra crunchy."

To make these bites, coat cauliflower florets in Buffalo sauce and breadcrumbs and cook until crispy. 

Transform leftover pasta into a crunchy treat

Executive chef Garrison Price told Insider that he loves using the air fryer to turn cooked pasta into bite-sized snacks.

"A great air-fryer hack is coating leftover pasta with your favorite seasoning and cooking until you get crunchy, chip-like munchies," Price said. 

If the leftover pasta is dry, coat the pieces with a little oil to ensure they crisp up in the air fryer, then pair the finished bites with a dipping sauce for extra flavor. 

Make a quick batch of beignets in the air fryer

Beignets are a deep-fried pastry often associated with New Orleans and served with powdered sugar. 

"The air fryer is perfect for beignets because you don't have to mess around with bringing frying oil up to temperature," Curren said. "They also puff up really well in the air fryer."

You can adapt a standard recipe for the air fryer by brushing the shaped dough with oil and cooking until golden. Then dust the finished pastries with powdered sugar or a drizzle of chocolate syrup.

Air fryers make enjoying candied cashews easy

Making candied nuts often involves deep-frying or caramelizing the pieces on the stovetop, but using an air fryer is a simpler way to create this sweet snack.

"Toss raw cashews with a little water, spices or seasonings of your choice, and a spoonful or two of sugar," Price said. "Making them this way involves less oil and mess."

For candied nuts that combine sweet, spicy, and salty flavors, Price recommended trying Japanese togarashi seasoning — a spicy and umami blend of flavors — and a touch of coconut sugar.

Plantain chips are an easy, gluten-free snack

The chef Monti Carlo, a former "MasterChef" contestant, told Insider you could make homemade plantain chips in under 10 minutes by using an air fryer.

"All you need to do is cut a very green plantain into strips, coat with cooking spray and salt, and cook until golden," Carlo said. 

The chef advised that if you're watching your sodium intake, skip the salt and use nutritional yeast instead. 

Empanadas can sport sweet or savory fillings 

A type of turnover, empanadas are usually deep-fried or baked, but popping them in an air fryer can cut back on the mess.

"Even if you make your empanadas with store-bought dough, the air fryer guarantees your filling will be surrounded by a flaky and crisp pastry," Price said. 

Empanadas can be stuffed with seasoned meat, vegetables, cheese, or fruit, but make sure the edges are completely sealed or the filling may ooze out while cooking. 

The air fryer is great for making crunchy chickpeas

Carlo told Insider that crunchy chickpeas are her favorite air-fryer snacks.

"They're budget-friendly and you can season them with whatever you want," Carlo said. "I like using fresh rosemary, lemon zest, and Parmesan cheese."

Toss soaked or canned chickpeas with olive oil and seasoning then cook them in a preheated air fryer until golden and crispy. 

Elote is tasty and customizable

Elote is a Central and South American take on corn on the cob that's typically grilled and served with toppings like grated cheese, mayonnaise, chili powder, lemon juice, butter, or salt. 

"Making Elote in the air fryer is great because you can give the corn that crispiness without having to fire up the grill," Curren said. 

He recommended drizzling the corn with a spoonful or two of melted butter to give it extra flavor and color.

Brussels sprouts come out perfectly crispy in the air fryer

Curren said Brussels sprouts made in an air fryer are better than traditionally fried ones.

"A traditional fryer can leave Brussels sprouts greasy and overcooked, but you don't have those worries with an air fryer," Curren told Insider. 

To make crunchy, air-fried Brussels sprouts, halve or quarter the pieces and toss them with your choice of seasonings, salt, and a small amount of oil. Then cook until the centers are soft and the outer leaves are browned. 

Turn leftover pizza into bite-sized snacks

If you have leftover slices in your fridge, use an air fryer to transform them into a plate of crispy pizza bites.

"Unlike the microwave, the air fryer will make the pizza nice and crispy again," Curren said. "It's a great way to breathe new life into leftovers."

Simply cut the pizza into smaller pieces and pop them in the air fryer for five to 10 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling.

This story was originally published in October 2021 and most recently updated on December 6, 2024.

• I made Gordon Ramsay's air-fryer steak with a coffee and chili rub and was blown away.
• His rub had 11 ingredients that created a complex, spicy, sweet, and salty flavor.
• In 20 minutes I had a juicy, perfectly cooked rib-eye steak. I can't wait to make this again. 

I never even thought you could — or should — cook a nice steak in the air fryer, but Gordon Ramsay's coffee-and-chili-rubbed rib-eye recipe has proved me wrong. 

Here's what it was like making the chef's air-fryer steak. 

I chose a thick rib-eye steak to cook in my air fryer

I am a huge fan of rib-eye steaks. I love the fattiness of the cut and the tender juiciness of the meat.

This 2-inch-thick, 1 1/2-pound steak was hefty, and it looked like it would be a pain to cook properly without an air fryer. 

The rub includes 11 different ingredients and was easy to put together

I combined ground coffee, ancho chili powder, paprika, dark-brown sugar, salt, pepper, ground coriander, ground mustard, ground ginger, and dried oregano.

The only ingredient I couldn't find was the Aleppo pepper, so I substituted it with cayenne. 

Ramsay recommends letting the steak sit for 15 minutes with the rub on

I completely coated my room-temperature steak with the spice mixture, making sure to get the sides.

Ramsay suggests letting the steak sit for 15 to 20 minutes with the rub on because the longer it sits, the more the flavors of the spices soak into the meat.

I heated the air fryer to 390 degrees Fahrenheit and tried to cook my steak to a medium finish 

I slightly sprayed the basket with oil and cooked the steak for 10 minutes on each side. 

Before cutting into it, I let the steak rest for about 10 minutes.

The steak came out perfectly juicy and tender

The steak came out absolutely melt-in-your-mouth delicious. No parts got burnt or charred — it was just a perfectly cooked, juicy steak all around. 

The air-fryer steak recipe seemed easy to adjust depending on preference. It was a solid medium with a light-pink center. If I'd wanted, say, a more medium-rare steak, I probably could've cooked it for about eight minutes on each side. 

The rub was complex and super flavorful with salty, sweet, and umami flavors with a slight punchiness. The coffee really balanced the flavor profile of the rub, and the peppers gave it a nice kick that contrasted nicely with the sweetness of the brown sugar.

As a bonus, this recipe was pretty much foolproof and required hardly any cleanup.

I'm glad I know how to make steak in an air fryer now, and I'd definitely make Ramsay's recipe again. I highly recommend this cooking method and. recipe for anyone who doesn't like to handle high heat, sizzling pans, or hot oil.

This story was originally published on September 16, 2021, and most recently updated on December 3, 2024.

• Business Insider asked chefs, bakers, and food writers about their favorite air-fryer desserts.
• They suggested using the appliance to make quick chocolate-chip cookies and brownies. 
• More complex desserts, like apple pie and cannoli shells, are also easy to make in an air fryer. 

Air fryers are known for their ability to give savory food a satisfying crunch without excess oil, but the trendy appliance is also capable of whipping up quick and easy desserts. 

Business Insider spoke with professional chefs, bakers, and food writers to share their favorite classic desserts to bake in the countertop appliance.

Here are some sweet treats you probably didn't know you can make in an air fryer.

Brownies are a quick and simple air-fryer dessert

Chris Riley, the chef and founder of The Darling Kitchen, told BI that you can use an air fryer to make perfectly tender brownies.

"The air fryer is perfect for making a small batch of brownies without heating up the whole house with the oven," he said.

Most air fryers are smaller than traditional ovens, so to make sure you don't end up with leftover mix, Riley suggested dividing your recipe in half or baking your batter in multiple smaller batches.

You can make apple pie in record time 

Air fryers are a great shortcut for making small fruit pies.

"This classic dessert can easily be prepared in an air fryer without having to turn on the oven. If you use ready-made apple crust, you can make this tasty treat in under half an hour," Riley told BI.

To decrease the chances of your pie bubbling over, allow the sliced apples to rest in a bowl for 30 minutes, and drain the excess liquid before adding them to your pie crust. 

Nutella pastry rolls are a deliciously easy treat

Chef and author Maria Liberati told BI that you can use hazelnut spread and store-bought pastry dough to create a quick and tasty dessert in the air fryer. 

"Spread Nutella between two strips of puff-pastry dough, brush the top strip with milk and brown sugar, roll it up, and then bake in the air fryer for five minutes at 400 degrees," she said. 

If you're using a large sheet of premade pastry dough, be sure to cut an even number of strips so that each roll has a top and bottom layer.

Chocolate-chip cookies are one of the quickest air-fryer desserts 

Chocolate-chip cookies are another classic dessert you can easily make in an air fryer.

"Chocolate-chip cookies bake in around five minutes in the air fryer," Riley told BI. "They get perfectly crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside."

If you want to save even more time, use store-bought dough or prepare a large batch ahead of time and bake individual cookies as needed. 

Air fryers are ideal for making homemade cannoli shells

Cannoli are Italian pastries made by filling tubes of fried pastry dough with sweet ricotta cream. Riley said the shells are easy to make in an air fryer. 

"You can make cannoli shells in an air fryer with a lot less work than usual by using store-bought pie dough," he told BI. "No one will suspect that this exquisite dessert came right out of your air fryer."

If you don't have cannoli tube forms, you can wrap your pastry dough around sturdy aluminum foil shaped into cylinders. 

You can shorten the baking time of banana bread 

Jessica Randhawa, a chef and the writer of The Forked Spoon, told BI that an air fryer is a great way to get banana bread that's perfectly chewy on the outside and soft on the inside.  

"Making banana bread is easy in an air fryer and the fast cooking time means that it can be enjoyed with your morning coffee, as an afternoon snack, or late-night dessert," she said. 

Use mini cake tins or Bundt pans to bake single portions of banana bread in the air fryer, and be sure to adjust your recipe and cooking time accordingly. 

Oatmeal cookies are easy and perfectly chewy

The dense, chewy texture of oatmeal cookies pairs perfectly with the crisping abilities of an air fryer. 

"Oatmeal cookies cook great in an air fryer," Randhawa said. "They come out soft yet chewy and are even better when they're loaded with gooey chocolate chips and spices."

This story was originally published in November 2020 and most recently updated on November 20, 2024. 

Read More:

• Chefs share 16 of the best foods to make in an air fryer
• Chefs and bakers share 10 amazing desserts you can make in an air fryer
• I made chocolate chip cookies using 3 celebrity chefs' recipes, and the best is the simplest
• 9 mistakes you're making when using your air fryer