16 Easy Air Fryer Recipes for Dinner

An air fryer might just be one of the most game changing pieces of kitchen equipment since the microwave. There are lots of reasons to love cooking with them, but it's also easy to get stuck in the routine of just tossing in frozen french fries or chicken nuggets.

Let these recipes help you rethink what's possible to make easy, delicious dinner mains and sides in your air fryer.

Pollo Campero-Style Air Fryer Fried Chicken

"It’s important that the coated chicken is thoroughly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray—any dry flour spots during the heated circulation process will burn rather than crisp." —Simply Recipes Contributor Marisel Salazar

Air Fryer Baked Potatoes

"Russet potatoes are the best option for air frying, just as they are for baking. Their high starch and low moisture content make them ideal for dry heat cooking methods and contribute to their light and fluffy interior texture." —Simply Recipes Contributor Kayla Hoang

3-Ingredient Lemon Pepper Salmon

"I serve this three-ingredient salmon with a couple of side dishes for a fuss-free dinner." —Simply Recipes Contributor Coco Morante

Air Fryer Potato Chip Chicken Tenders

"If you’re craving crunchy, craggy, salty fried chicken but don’t want to deal with deep frying, swing through the snack aisle instead. With a bag of kettle-cooked potato chips and your trusty air fryer at your side, you’re just half an hour away from super crispy, deeply seasoned “fried” chicken strips!" —Simply Recipes Contributors Ali Ramee and Afton Cyrus

Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts

"The trick I’ve found (and that this recipe uses) is to soak the Brussels sprouts in water before seasoning and tossing them into the fryer. During soaking, water gets trapped between the leaves, which will turn to steam in the heat of the air fryer." —Simply Recipes Contributor Kayla Hoang

3-Ingredient Stuffing Mix Chicken Meatballs

"There are lots of ways to punch up and vary the flavors of this meatball recipe. A few of my favorites—lemon and oregano, Italian herb, and BBQ cheddar—are outlined in the recipe." —Simply Recipes Contributor Coco Morante

Air Fryer Hamburgers

"This is an optional step, but kind of fun. If you have some extra space around your air-fryer basket, you can add your burger buns and toast them in the air fryer for a minute or two. It’s okay if the buns are even at an angle. They will toast just fine!" —Simply Recipes Contributor Nick Evans

Pretzel Chicken

"This method works with regular and gluten-free pretzels." —Simply Recipes Recipe Developer Melissa Gray

Air Fryer Asparagus

"One bundle of asparagus will fit just fine in a standard air fryer. My air fryer is six quarts which is pretty standard, and I was able to add two bundles of asparagus, or double this recipe. If you have a smaller air fryer, you should still be fine to make this recipe without any modifications." —Simply Recipes Contributor Claudia Cash

Vegan Chicken Nuggets

"The key to the perfect texture? Drain a pack of tofu, pat it dry, and tear it into pieces for irregular, nugget-shaped pieces. Freeze the pieces, thaw in the fridge overnight, then squeeze out any excess moisture." —Simply Recipes Contributor Grace Elkus

Air Fryer Falafel

"Typically, falafel are shaped into tablespoon-sized balls. For air frying, though, I think discs work better. They lay flat in the air fryer basket and don’t roll around as they air fry and cook evenly." —Simply Recipes Contributor Nick Evans

Air Fryer Corn on the Cob

"Thanks to the circulating hot air of the air fryer, the corn’s natural sugars begin to caramelize, resulting in a crisp exterior, tender and juicy kernels, and an intensified sweetness." —Simply Recipes Contributor Grace Elkus

Air Fryer Fried Chicken

"I like to soak the chicken in buttermilk to give it that classic fried chicken tenderness. Then, I dip it once in very well seasoned all-purpose flour. That provides a nice layer of breading on the chicken, but it isn’t so much flour that it’ll be a problem in the air fryer." —Simply Recipes Contributor Nick Evans

Crispy Air Fryer Tofu

"I love using the marinade ingredients to make a simple sauce and dipping the tofu in it for a light and satisfying lunch, but it’s excellent served a number of other ways: use to top a salad, add it to a noodle dish (like Sesame Noodle Salad), add it to a grain bowl, serve it as a main with stir-fried or sautéed veggies on the side." —Simply Recipes Contributor Kayla Hoang

Air Fryer Hot Dogs

"It doesn’t get much easier than air frying hot dogs. I recommend spraying the basket with some nonstick spray just to make sure there is no sticking (especially if you are toasting the buns as detailed below), but there is no need to flip the hot dogs or anything as they air fry—they will cook evenly." —Simply Recipes Contributor Nick Evans

Air Fryer Crispy Cauliflower

"An air fryer is a great way to get extra crispy cauliflower, of course, but you can also bake the cauliflower instead. Either way, this cauliflower works great as a hearty vegetable side or served with spicy blue cheese dip as an appetizer." —Simply Recipes Contributor Nick Evans