What Items Can Be Cooked In An Air Fryer? | Quick List

If you have an air fryer on the counter, you might still wonder what items can be cooked in an air fryer beyond frozen fries. The answer runs from breakfast to dessert, with options for quick snacks, full meals, and reheating leftovers.

This guide walks through the main food groups that work well, how to match them to time and temperature, and which dishes are better in a pot or oven instead at home.

What Items Can Be Cooked In An Air Fryer? Everyday Basics

When you ask what to cook in an air fryer, you are actually asking which foods benefit from fast, high, dry heat. Any food that tastes good roasted, baked, grilled, or shallow fried usually fits this description. That means frozen snacks, fresh vegetables, chicken wings, salmon fillets, tofu cubes, and even small cakes or muffins.

On the other hand, loose batters, large liquid heavy dishes, or huge joints of meat do not suit the enclosed basket and strong fan. With those limits in mind, the table below gives a quick overview of foods that tend to work well.

Common Air Fryer Foods At A Glance

Food Category	Typical Examples	Why It Works In An Air Fryer
Frozen Snacks	Fries, nuggets, fish fingers, onion rings	Pre-coated, low prep, crisp texture from hot air
Fresh Vegetables	Broccoli florets, carrots, green beans, peppers	Roasted edges, tender inside, little oil needed
Poultry Pieces	Chicken wings, drumsticks, thighs, boneless bites	Skin renders and crisps while meat stays juicy
Meat Cuts	Pork chops, steaks, meatballs, sausages	Dry heat browns the outside and cooks through
Fish And Seafood	Salmon, white fish fillets, prawns, breaded shrimp	Gentle fan heat cooks fast without a greasy pan
Baked Goods	Muffins, brownies in a tin, small loaves, hand pies	Compact space heats fast and gives an even bake
Breakfast Items	Bacon, sausage patties, hash browns, toast	Quick cook, handy for small portions and crisp edges
Leftovers And Takeaway	Pizza slices, roast potatoes, fried chicken	Brings back crunch and keeps food from turning soggy

Items To Cook In An Air Fryer For Busy Nights

This section stays close to real weeknight life at home. You come home tired, open the fridge or freezer, and want dinner on the table with as few pans as possible. An air fryer helps because you need only a short preheat.

Frozen Convenience Foods

Frozen snacks are often the first answer when people wonder what to cook in an air fryer. Many bags now print air fryer timings, and when they do not, you can use the oven directions as a starting point and shave a few minutes. Fries, tater tots, breaded chicken pieces, fish fingers, veggie burgers, and breaded cheese bites all turn crisp with a light spray of oil.

Spread frozen food in a single layer, leave some space between pieces, and shake the basket once or twice. Crowding traps steam and softens the crust, so cook several small batches instead of one packed layer.

Fresh Meat, Poultry, And Seafood

Fresh meat turns out well as long as you size portions sensibly and use a thermometer to check doneness. Chicken wings and thighs, pork chops, turkey steaks, burgers, and sausages all brown nicely in the basket. Thin to medium cuts work better than thick roasts because the fan can reach the center without burning the outside.

Pat pieces dry, coat with a spoon of oil and seasoning, and arrange them in a single layer. For bone in cuts, allow a little extra time and check more than one piece. For safety, use a probe or instant read thermometer and follow a trusted chart such as the safe minimum internal temperatures from FoodSafety.gov.

Plant Proteins And Quick Mixes

Firm tofu, tempeh, and other plant based proteins also work well. Press tofu to remove extra moisture, cut into cubes or slices, coat with a little oil and seasoning, and cook until the edges crisp and the centers feel bouncy. Veggie burgers and plant based sausages cook much like their meat based cousins.

If you want a crust, use dry coatings. Toss pieces in seasoned flour, cornmeal, or breadcrumbs. Thick wet batters that would float in deep oil drip through the basket and set unevenly, so keep coatings mostly dry and keep sauces for serving.

Vegetables, Sides, And Small Bakes

Air fryers shine when you want roasted vegetables, crispy sides, or small baked dishes without turning on a large oven. The strong fan and compact space bring out browned edges while keeping centers moist.

Everyday Vegetables

Root vegetables cut into cubes or sticks do well. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and beetroot all roast with a spoon of oil, salt, and herbs. Softer options such as courgette, peppers, mushrooms, and green beans also cook well, but they need less time, so check early and shake the basket once or twice.

Grains, Pasta, And Bread Sides

Cooked grains and pasta do not start from raw in an air fryer, yet leftovers can turn into crisp sides. Small cakes of risotto, rice balls, or cooked pasta mixed with a little cheese all gain a crunchy shell. Garlic bread, naan, tortillas, and flatbreads reheat quickly and stay soft inside, so watch closely to avoid overbrowning.

Baked Treats In An Air Fryer

Muffins, mini cakes, brownies in a tin, cinnamon rolls, and hand pies all work as long as you have bakeware that fits and leaves space for air to move. Reduce the heat compared with your usual oven, often by about 10 to 20 degrees Celsius, and start checking a little earlier than the original recipe time.

Health Angle: What Cooking In An Air Fryer Changes

Many people also ask what to cook in an air fryer because they want fried style food with less oil. Air fryers use hot air and a small amount of fat, so many dishes use less oil than pan or deep frying. Health writers at the Cleveland Clinic note that air fried dishes can cut fat compared with deep fried versions, while chips, wings, and similar foods still count as treats.

When Air Frying Makes Most Sense

Air frying changes most for foods that would otherwise sit in a pan of oil, such as breaded chicken, frozen fries, breaded fish, or paneer bites. Switch those to the air fryer and you keep a crisp crust with only a thin coating of oil. For plain meats or vegetables that you would normally roast or grill, the change is more about speed and energy use, since you still get browned edges and tender centers without heating a full oven for a small tray.

Foods That Do Not Suit An Air Fryer

Not every ingredient belongs in the basket. Some items cook poorly, make a mess, or can even damage the appliance, so they are better in a pan or oven.

Wet Batters And Loose Coatings

Wet tempura style batters and loose flour coatings fall through the basket holes and bake onto the base. You end up with burned spots and uneven crusts on the food. Use dry crumb coatings, well drained marinades, and light oil brushes instead.

Large Roasts And Whole Birds

Whole chickens or big roasts sit too close to the heating element in many units, so the top can burn before the center reaches a safe temperature. Unless your model gives clear directions for large joints, keep to smaller cuts and pieces.

Soups, Stews, And Saucy Dishes

Liquids need deep pots. Broths, stews, and saucy pasta dishes splatter, reduce too quickly, and can leak down around the heater. Use the air fryer for finishing instead, such as crisping the top of mac and cheese or toasting bread for serving with soup.

Air Fryer Safety And Doneness Checks

Air fryer cooking still follows normal food safety rules. Raw meat, fish, and eggs need safe internal temperatures, tools need washing between raw and ready to eat foods, and leftovers need prompt cooling and storage.

Use a digital thermometer for meat and fish, placed in the thickest part away from bone. Compare your readings with a trusted temperature chart so poultry, ground meats, and reheated dishes all reach the right level before serving.

Basket Care And Safe Setup

Place the appliance on a flat, heat resistant surface with space around the vents so hot air can escape. Keep cords away from the edge, and never place the unit on or right beside a hob or gas burner. Line the basket only with items made for high heat, such as baking paper cut to size or silicone mats with holes, since solid liners block airflow.

Oil Use And Smoke Points

Most recipes use only a spoon of oil or a light spray. Choose oils with a suitable smoke point for the temperature you plan to use, and avoid drenching the basket so fat does not pool at the base and smoke. If you notice smoke, pause the cook, let the unit cool, and wipe away excess fat before you start again. Regular cleaning keeps flavors fresh and stops burnt crumbs from sticking to fresh batches.

Seven Day Air Fryer Meal Ideas

Once you know what items can be cooked in an air fryer, weekly planning gets easier. The sample plan below shows how you might mix breakfast, lunch, and dinner ideas through a typical week at home. Adjust portion sizes and sides to fit your household and appetite.

Day	Main Air Fryer Dish	Notes And Simple Sides
Monday	Lemon chicken thighs with potato wedges	Serve with a green salad or steamed greens
Tuesday	Salmon fillets with mixed vegetables	Add quinoa or rice cooked on the hob
Wednesday	Tofu bites with broccoli florets	Coat tofu in dry crumbs for extra crunch
Thursday	Turkey burgers with sweet potato fries	Toast the buns in the basket for a minute
Friday	Homemade vegetable spring rolls	Pair with a quick rice noodle salad
Saturday	Mini pizzas on flatbreads	Let each person add their own toppings
Sunday	Small beef or pork roast with root vegetables	Check temperature in the thickest part before serving

Final Thoughts On What To Cook In An Air Fryer

An air fryer turns out crisp snacks, quick dinners, and small bakes with less mess and less oil than a pan of deep fat. The best matches are foods that like dry, high heat and space for air to move around each piece.

Test a few ideas from each group in this article, keep portions sensible, leave space in the basket, and check internal temperatures for meat and fish. Those simple habits make air fryer meals both tasty and safe.