Summer might be winding down, but it’s still so very hot. Turning on the oven doesn’t seem like an option, our moods may be affected and, well, cooking feels more like a drag than a joy.
Cue the air fryer.
Think of it as a space-efficient convection oven that slashes the cooking time for comforting dishes like pork chops, roasted vegetables and even cheesecake, without blasting your whole kitchen with heat. Fans already understand its appeal, as illustrated by the legions of Facebook groups dedicated to exchanging tips, tricks and recipes. (Over 25 million air fryers were sold between the start of 2020 and end of 2021, according to the NPD Group, a global market analysis company.)
Below is a selection of our best air-fryer recipes — some of which I had the pleasure of developing — that require very little prep time and result in a tasty meal for one or two. And, not only are they perfect for air-fryer newbies and power users alike, they will, perhaps, convert even the biggest skeptics.
This recipe is an entry point to cooking salmon, or really any fish, in your air fryer. It calls for a restrained lineup of salt, pepper and olive oil, but it’s generous enough that you could use any seasoning. (Try Mark Bittman’s combination of brown sugar and mustard.) And you can even use salmon straight from the freezer. Just be sure to extend the cooking time as directed.
Recipe: Air-Fryer Salmon
Though they’re cooked in an air fryer, which runs at very high heat, these boneless pork chops stay moist through and through. But even better is the crackly crust from a brown sugar, salt and spice blend that seasons the chops ahead of time. Air fryers work wonders with dry spices, so feel free to experiment beyond the cumin and coriander here. A pinch of crushed fennel or red-pepper flakes would be a welcome addition.
Recipe: Air-Fryer Pork Chops
Cooking a grilled cheese moves quickly, and nailing that perfectly toasted exterior may require more attention than you can give. But did you know you can make one in the air fryer? This recipe is fantastic on its own, simply slathered with butter or mayo, but you could go a step further by adding sauerkraut, caramelized onions or kimchi.
Recipe: Air-Fryer Grilled Cheese
Nearly 2,000 five-star ratings don’t lie: Readers love this Melissa Clark dish, in which balsamic vinegar reduces and combines with soy sauce and lime juice for a gorgeous, glossy sauce that drapes over crisp brussels sprouts.
Recipe: Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts With Garlic, Balsamic and Soy
Maybe you didn’t realize that you needed bite-size nuggets of crispy tofu in your life, or maybe you’ve always been searching for them. Here, drained tofu is cloaked with potato starch and salt, then tossed in the air fryer, where it puffs until crackling outside. A quick glaze of soy sauce, rice vinegar and brown sugar finishes the tofu. But feel free to use the condiment of your choice, whether barbecue sauce, honey mustard or yum yum sauce.
Could this be the easiest chicken breast recipe on New York Times Cooking? It’s possible! It draws from Eric Kim’s near-scholarly knowledge on the topic of chicken breasts, and uses brown sugar and salt to draw out moisture. Cook off any of the vegetable recipes on this list while the breast rests, and you’ll have a complete meal in under 30 minutes.
Recipe: Air-Fryer Chicken Breast
Did the words “air-fryer cheesecake” just give you pause? It may not immediately make sense, but it is possible, thanks to this recipe from Rebecca Abbott and Jennifer West (and adapted by Christina Morales). Just make sure to use a smaller springform pan or cake insert that fits into the device’s basket.
Recipe: Air-Fryer Cheesecake
Smothered in sour cream and rice vinegar before they cook, these chicken thighs brown beautifully and crisp up in record time. You could, of course, make a single thigh for a quick, easy dinner. But you could also cook off as many thighs as can fit in the basket: They make excellent leftovers.
Recipe: Air-Fryer Chicken Thighs
Is this the platonic ideal of bacon? It comes close, at the very least. Whether you’re cooking bacon for one or two, or just over making it in a fat-filled skillet, this recipe takes advantage of how the air fryer seamlessly drains fat and even works with frozen bacon — no thawing required.
Recipe: Air-Fryer Bacon
French fries have been attributed with catapulting the air fryer’s popularity: Compared with traditional frying, the machine uses significantly less oil and reduces the cooking time (and mess), so it’s especially ideal for cooking fries. This Melissa Clark recipe is flexible enough that it can be easily doubled, but, depending on the size of your air fryer, you may have to cook the fries in batches.
Homemade chicken wings have big crowd-pleasing potential, but they come with their fair share of hurdles (a large fry setup, a long time in the oven). Melissa Clark has you covered with these air-fryer spicy chicken wings, which get a jolt from a chile-based sauce. The recipe borrows a tip from Ben Mims’s cookbook “Air Fry Every Day”: tossing the wings in baking powder before transferring them to the air fryer means that they come out perfectly puffed, crunchy and browned.
Recipe: Air-Fryer Chicken Wings
For some recipes, the only rules are that there are no rules. Take the notes left on this endlessly flexible one, for example: One reader added a dollop of Dijon, while another tossed the green beans with honey and dried thyme. And guess what? Both worked. Cook this recipe to your taste or with whatever reflects your mood.
Recipe: Air-Fryer Green Beans
These crispy potatoes are the perfect accompaniment to any main dish and can easily be executed in the time it takes to rest, say, your air-fryer pork chop or chicken breast (see above). Even without any parboiling, the centers turn wonderfully creamy. And, if you don’t have dried or fresh parsley on hand, any chopped fresh herb or spicy seasoning like cayenne could work deliciously here.
Recipe: Air-Fryer Potatoes
Lighter than their deep-fried counterparts, sweet potato fries made in an air fryer lean toward the creamier side while staying crispy and charred in each bite. Swap out the paprika for any other spice that’s singing to you: Chaat masala, sumac or any sort of fresh-cut herbs would work beautifully.
Recipe: Air-Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Here’s another choose-your-own-adventure recipe. Broccoli is tossed with olive oil and soy sauce, but you can go in any direction from there: Add a whisper of fish sauce for some umami, or some chile crisp for heat and flavor. Or make a double batch of this recipe for those times when your body craves greens. (You know those times.)
