I’m a trained chef. Here are the 10 things you need to make in your air fryer.

Though I’m a trained chef, I don’t make all of my dishes in ovens and on stovetops. Sometimes my air fryer can help me achieve the same gourmet results.

The small but mighty appliance is excellent for snacks, dinners, breakfasts, and even desserts.

Here are some of my favorite things to make in an air fryer that I suggest you try making at home.

Air-frying shrimp leaves it perfectly crisp and juicy.

An air fryer can produce beautiful pink shrimp that are juicy and soft in the center with a bit of crispiness around the edges.

You can season your shrimp simply with olive oil, salt, and pepper, or coat them in panko or coconut flakes for extra texture.

Make your own potato chips instead of picking up a bag at the store.

Whether you’re using sweet potatoes or russets, homemade chips are cleaner and cheaper than store-bought ones.

Use a mandolin to cut ultrathin slices for crispy, curly clusters.

Fajitas couldn’t be easier to make in an air fryer.

You can make a fajita dinner in your air fryer by tossing your favorite protein, onions, peppers, and dry spice mix or sauce in the basket.

Serve everything in warm tortillas with dollops of sour cream and fresh cilantro.

You might not have thought to make chocolate-chip cookies in the air fryer.

Nothing beats air-fryer chocolate-chip cookies.

Shape the cookie dough into thick discs before placing it in the basket for the ooiest, gooiest centers. You can make a batch or even just a single-serving treat.

Let the air fryer do all the work for your French-toast brunch.

You don’t have to hover over the stove to serve a crowd of hungry guests hot slices of French toast when you make it in the air fryer.

With this appliance, your toast can come out uniformly golden and crisp with a light, fluffy interior.

Frozen french fries are best prepared in an air fryer.

All this “recipe” requires is dumping a bag of frozen french fries into your air fryer, spritzing them with some cooking spray, and frying until golden.

Fried rice is the perfect easy leftover meal.

You can give leftover rice new life in the air fryer with a few basic seasonings, like soy sauce and ginger.

Add frozen veggies, anything you have left in your fridge, or an egg for a satisfying, low-maintenance meal.

I use it to whip up chicken schnitzel in no time.

Any kind of thin breaded protein cooks up nicely in an air fryer. I especially enjoy using this appliance to make chicken schnitzel, which is pounded thin and fried until crispy.

With high heat coming from the top and bottom, your chicken will cook through evenly without any dry edges.

Quesadillas get extra crispy in half the time.

Skip the stovetop and whip up a melty cheese quesadilla in the air fryer.

The convection heat from all angles results in delightful crispy bits.

An air fryer is ideal for making crab cakes.

The difference between a good crab cake and a great one is the ratio of crispy edges to juicy center.

Your air fryer is the key to striking that perfect balance. It crisps the cakes all around the outside without drying out the inside.

This story was originally published on February 8, 2022, and most recently updated on September 2, 2025.

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