You Just Got an Air Fryer ... Make These 17 Recipes!

If you were gifted an air fryer this year, welcome to the unofficial air fryer owners club! Before you dive right in, it's important to know the basics of your new kitchen tool, and this first-timer's guide will give you all the info you need to know. There's also a helpful list of 10 foods you should never put in your air fryer, which is most definitely worth a browse if you're already thinking about experimenting.

Once you're ready to get cooking, let one of these 17 recipes lead the way! Think of them as the best hits of your air fryer, recipes that leverage the cooking mechanism to its fullest to make "healthier" takes on fried foods, quicker cooking classics, and, the best part, less mess. Don't forget to browse the helpful tips and tricks from our editors, contributors, and readers as you search the list for your inaugural air fryer recipe.

1. Homemade Egg Rolls

"To make sure the wrapper seals well, I recommend dipping your fingers in water and brushing the outer edges of the wrapper before rolling." —Nick Evans, Simply Recipes Contributor

2. Crispy Bacon

"Add 1 cup of water to the bottom of your air fryer basket before you cook the bacon. This will prevent the rendered bacon fat from creating smoke." —Nick

3. Fluffy 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." —Kayla Hoang, Simply Recipes Contributor

4. Perfect Fried Chicken

"Great recipe and comes out looking, smelling and tasting delicious! I've always used cinnamon when making fried chicken which I learned from my mother, who learned from her mother." —Kristy, Simply Recipes Reader

5. Crispy French Fries

"If you want to soak these in the morning and air fry them for dinner, you can refrigerate the potatoes in the interim once they’ve been soaked in cold water. Or soak them in the fridge all day in cold water." —Carrie Havranek, Simply Recipes Contributor

6. 8-Minute Salmon

"To keep the skin on your salmon but prevent sticking, tuck lemon slices under the salmon in the air fryer basket. The lemon will act as a barrier so that the salmon skin doesn’t get stuck. This tip goes for any fish, but it works particularly well with salmon." —Nick

7. Chicken Wings

"For this recipe to be worth it, you can’t crowd the air fryer drawer. Cram in too many wings and they steam. They’ll still be edible, but one bite and you’ll learn why steamed wings are not a thing." —Sara Bir, Simply Recipes Senior Editor

8. Crab Rangoon

"Don't overfill them: At an absolute max do one tablespoon of filling per wonton. I tend to do a scant tablespoon which is probably closer to two teaspoons. If you overfill them, the wontons will explode while frying." —Nick

9. Crispy Hash Browns

"Yukon potatoes to yield the best results for these air fryer hash browns. They are a bit smaller than Russets and have a waxy skin instead of hard brown skin. The key element of Yukon potatoes is that they have slightly less starch in them than the Russet potato, so the strands stay separated more and they get really crispy." —Nick

10. Chicken Tenders

"Save money by buying chicken breasts and slicing them into tender-size pieces." —Sara Haas, Simply Recipes Contributor

11. Buffalo Cauliflower

"I love these. They have become a great staple in my college diet as they're cheap to make too!" —WuShock, Simply Recipes Reader

12. Homemade Tostones

"The plantains used for tostones should be a verdant green in color and must be very firm. Avoid plantains with a lot of yellow in the peel as they have already started to ripen and will taste sweeter." —Marta Rivera

13. Mozzarella Sticks

"This recipe is a bit finicky: You need to dip the mozzarella stick in the lightly beaten egg and then the breadcrumbs; freeze it for a short period of time, and then repeat the process again to add a second coating before you air fry. But these steps are crucial! If you don't follow them, the coating slides right off the cheese stick once you pop it in the fryer." —Carrie

14. Crispy Tofu

"The best tofu for this recipe is extra-firm block tofu. It’s the easiest to work with thanks to its lower moisture content and holds up well when pressed and yields the best texture." —Kayla

15. Onion Rings

"I prefer Vidalia or yellow onions when making onion rings. They have a naturally sweet flavor that everyone resonates with when biting into an onion ring. In a pinch, you can use plain white onions, although they won’t have that sweetness to them." —Nick

16. Juicy Hamburgers

"Once the burgers are cooked, you can add some cheese to the burgers and fry them for another 1-2 minutes until the cheese is perfectly melted. " —Nick

17. Homemade Fish Sticks

"Any firm white fish will do well in fish stick form. Personally, I think cod is the best and is definitely what is used for most fried fish or fish sticks. That said, something like tilapia, grouper, halibut, or snapper would work fine." —Nick