You can get fried-food crunch at home without a deep fryer. These 19 easy air fryer recipes cover fried chicken, wings, onion rings, fish fry, donuts and churros, and every one is made with hot air instead of a vat of oil.
The result is less grease, less splatter and far less cleanup. Many of these are copycats of restaurant favorites, so you can skip the drive-thru and still get the flavor.
The recipes are grouped by craving: chicken and wings, appetizers and sides, seafood, and sweets. Pick one for tonight and save the rest for game day.
Crispy chicken and wings
1. Air Fryer KFC Chicken
This copycat of the famous bucket chicken starts with a buttermilk and egg dip, then a seasoned flour coat. Spacing the pieces out in the basket lets the hot air crisp every side, and it uses far less fat than the original.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer KFC Chicken
2. Air Fryer Buttermilk Chicken Tenders
Tenders soak in buttermilk, get a seasoned flour coat with a little baking powder for lift, and air fry at 370°F for about 14 minutes total. A spray of olive oil before and after the flip gives them their golden finish. Kids and adults both go back for seconds.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Buttermilk Chicken Tenders
3. Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings With Baking Powder
A light coating of baking powder is the trick that makes wing skin crackle without a fryer. They cook at 400°F for 12 to 15 minutes with a flip halfway. Toss them in your favorite sauce or serve them dry with ranch.
Get the recipe: Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings With Baking Powder
4. Air Fryer Chinese Chicken Wings (Better Than Takeout)
These wings marinate in soy, garlic and ginger, then get a starch coating before they hit a 400°F basket. The skin turns shatter-crisp, and an optional hoisin glaze adds a sweet, spicy finish.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Chinese Chicken Wings
5. Air Fryer Panda Express Orange Chicken
Crispy bite-size chicken meets a tangy homemade orange sauce, just like the takeout version. The chicken cooks on a lined basket at 400°F while you make the sauce on the stove.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Panda Express Orange Chicken
Restaurant-style appetizers and sides
6. Air Fryer Deep Fried Pickles (Hooters Copycat)
Dill pickle chips get a buttermilk soak and a seasoned flour and breadcrumb coat, then air fry at 400°F. A second spray of oil after the flip keeps the crust golden. Serve with ranch for the full bar-food experience.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Deep Fried Pickles
7. Air Fryer Beer Battered Onion Rings
These rings go through seasoned flour, a buttermilk-beer-egg batter and panko, then cook at 375°F for 10 to 12 minutes. Leave space between each ring so they brown evenly. They come out light, airy and extra crispy.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Beer Battered Onion Rings
8. Air Fryer Homemade Mozzarella Sticks
String cheese halves get breaded, sprayed with olive oil and air fried until golden with a melty center. They are a fast snack that beats the frozen box every time. Dip them in warm marinara.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Homemade Mozzarella Sticks
9. Air Fryer Crab Rangoon Egg Rolls
All the creamy crab rangoon filling you love, rolled into a full-size egg roll. They cook at 400°F for about 8 minutes and come out golden and crunchy. Serve with sweet and sour sauce.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Crab Rangoon Egg Rolls
10. Air Fryer Wendy’s Copycat French Fries
Russet potatoes, a little olive oil and cornstarch, and a simple seasoning blend make fast-food-style fries at home. They cook at 400°F for 15 to 20 minutes with a flip halfway. Crispy outside, fluffy inside.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Wendy’s Copycat French Fries
11. Homemade Corn Dogs in the Air Fryer
Hot dogs get wrapped in a slightly sweet cornbread batter and cook on a lined basket at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes. It is the county fair classic without the fryer. Leftovers reheat crisp in the air fryer in a few minutes.
Get the recipe: Homemade Corn Dogs in Air Fryer
Seafood fry night
12. Air Fryer Beer Battered Fish
Cod in a light beer batter turns golden and crisp in the basket, no hot oil needed. It is a lighter homemade take on fish and chips and takes about 30 minutes start to finish. Pair it with the Wendy’s-style fries above.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Beer Battered Fish
13. Easy Air Fryer Catfish
Southern-style catfish fillets get a crunchy coating and cook at 400°F in 10 to 15 minutes. A light spray on the basket keeps the fish from sticking. Add lemon wedges and tartar sauce.
Get the recipe: Easy Air Fryer Catfish
14. Air Fryer Hush Puppies
The classic catfish sidekick, made without a fryer. Chilling the batter helps the hush puppies hold their shape, and they cook at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes with a shake halfway.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Hush Puppies
15. Copycat Red Lobster Coconut Shrimp
Large shrimp get pressed into a coconut and panko coating, then air fry at 375°F in a single layer. A light spray of oil makes them extra crispy. Serve with the piña colada dipping sauce from the recipe.
Get the recipe: Copycat Red Lobster Coconut Shrimp
Sweet treats
16. Air Fryer Churros
A simple choux dough with seven pantry ingredients gets piped, firmed up and air fried at 375°F. The ridges turn crisp while the center stays tender. Roll them in cinnamon sugar while they are warm.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Churros
17. Air Fryer Copycat Krispy Kreme Donuts
Glossy glazed donuts in about 15 minutes, with no yeast and no deep fryer. Dip them in the vanilla glaze while they are still warm for that melt-in-your-mouth finish.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Copycat Krispy Kreme Donuts
18. Air Fryer Apple Fritters
These fritters are crisp outside and soft and apple-packed inside, ready in about 20 minutes. Granny Smith or Honeycrisp apples work best. Start checking them at 6 minutes, since air fryers vary.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Apple Fritters
19. Crispy Air Fryer Apple Fries
Apple slices get a graham cracker crumb coating, a cinnamon sugar finish and a quick trip through the air fryer. They are a fun swap for fried pies or funnel cake. Serve with the cream cheese dip.
Get the recipe: Crispy Air Fryer Apple Fries
5 tips for deep-fried crunch in the air fryer
- Preheat first. A hot basket starts crisping right away; a cold one leaves coatings pale and doughy.
- Cook in a single layer. Crowded food steams instead of crisps, so work in batches.
- Pat everything dry. Moisture is the enemy of crispy skin and breading, especially for wings and pickles.
- Spray the coating. A light mist of oil on breaded foods, before cooking and again after the flip, gives the golden finish of deep frying.
- Flip or shake halfway. Turning food over makes both sides brown evenly.
Air fryer recipe FAQs
Does air-fried food really taste like deep-fried? It gets very close. Hot circulating air browns and crisps the coating, and a light spray of oil fills in the rest of the fried flavor.
What temperature works best for crispy air fryer food? Most breaded and battered recipes on this list cook between 350°F and 400°F. Wings and fries do best near 400°F.
Can I cook wet batter in the air fryer? Thin, drippy batter can make a mess. Recipes like the beer battered fish and onion rings finish the batter with flour or panko so it sets in the basket.
How do I reheat leftovers so they stay crispy? Use the air fryer, not the microwave. Most fried foods crisp back up at about 350°F in 3 to 5 minutes.
Ready to fry without the fryer?
Start with the KFC chicken or the beer battered onion rings for a quick win, then work your way to the churros and donuts. Pin this list so you have all 19 easy air fryer recipes ready for your next craving.
For even more ideas, browse the full Fork To Spoon air fryer recipe collection.
