4 Air Fryer Recipes You Need to Try

Living in an apartment for the first time can be super overwhelming: no meal plan, a full kitchen, and free reign to cook whatever you want, whenever you want it.

I grew up eating whatever my parents would make for dinner and never paid much attention to how they cooked, so when I moved off campus I was in no way prepared to cook for myself. 

Getting an air fryer totally changed the game for me and has allowed me to make simple, healthy recipes almost every night. As someone who can barely boil water and make pasta correctly, these four easy air fryer recipes have become a staple for me and my roommate:

Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan 

Ingredients:

• 2 8 oz chicken breasts

• ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese

• 1 cup Italian style bread cups

• 2 eggs whisked

• ½ cup marinara sauce

• ½ cup mozzarella cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat air fryer to 350 degrees for 3-4 minutes

2. Cut chicken in half and pound into thin pieces that have equal thickness

3. In a medium bowl, mix together breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese

4. In another bowl, whisk eggs

5. Dip each piece of chicken in the egg mixture and then into breadcrumb mixture

6. Place chicken pieces in a single layer inside of the air fryer basket. Cook for 6 minutes, then flip and top with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese. Air fry for another 3-4 minutes or until chicken is cooked through

Air Fryer Balsamic Vinaigrette Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

• 1 lb brussels sprouts

• 1 tbsp avocado oil

• ½ tsp salt

• ½ tsp onion powder

• ½ tsp garlic powder

• 1 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette

Instructions:

1. Preheat air fryer to 375 degrees

2. Rinse brussels sprouts and then chop them in half

3. Transfer into a bowl and mix in seasonings and oil

4. Place in air fryer for 15 minutes or until crispy brown

Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Tenders

Ingredients:

• 1 lb boneless chicken breasts

• ¼ cup buffalo wing sauce 

• ⅔ cup panko bread crumbs

**If you want to make the buffalo sauce from scratch, mix together a cup of Frank’s Red Hot with 1 cup of unsalted butter 

Instructions:

1. Preheat air fryer to 350 degrees for 3-4 minutes

2. Cut chicken into thin strips, as many as you want

3. Pour the buffalo sauce into a bowl, and the bread crumbs into a separate bowl

4. Dip the chicken strips into the buffalo sauce and then into the breadcrumbs, coating them evenly

5. Arrange them in a single layer and cook at 300 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until cooked through

Air Fryer Bagels

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 tsp baking powder

• ¾ tsp kosher salt

• 1 cup 0% greek yogurt

• 1 egg white, beaten

• Everything bagel seasoning (optional)

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk well. Add the yogurt and mix it with a fork until well combined

2. Lightly dust a surface with flour, transfer the dough onto the surface, and knead for 2 to 3 minutes by hand until it is smooth and tacky

3. Divide the dough into 4 equal balls and roll each ball into a ¾ inch thick rope and join the ends to form a proper bagel

4. Brush the tops with egg white and sprinkle both sides with everything bagel seasoning (optional)

5. Preheat the air fryer to 280 degrees

6. Place bagels in a single layer and bake for 15 to 16 minutes until golden. Let cool for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

If you don’t have an air fryer yet, they have them on Amazon for only 30 dollars and they’re worth every penny. It’s been such a difference maker for me and all of these recipes make cooking good meals for myself so much easier. It also is multi-purposed as an oven and toaster oven so I use it to make every frozen food from Trader Joe’s (like the gnocchi, meatballs, pizza) and everything comes out amazing.

Good luck and enjoy!

• healthy eating