Air Fryer Main Dish Recipes

If you love your air fryer as much as I do or are even a newbie and need some ideas, we’ve got you covered!

If you love your air fryer as much as I do or are even a newbie and need some ideas, we've got you covered!

Countertop air fryers seem to be the most popular kitchen gadget out there now. Almost every small appliance maker, including Instant Pot, has gotten into the air frying game, with new models and even air frying lids coming out.

I know when the Cosori recall happened, it seemed many of us didn’t know what to expect after that. But even though I was without an air fryer for about 4 weeks waiting on my replacement, I couldn’t wait to get back at it.

Air fryers work by circulating super-hot air, which quickly and evenly reaches all the food surfaces. I love how it gives food a nice crispy-fried texture and golden-brown color without having actually to deep-fry anything. A much healthier way to cook.

The best air fryer recipes are those that work great every time with just a tiny adjustment to suit your own air fryer. Air fryer recipes are great to use for last-minute meals. Either way, you’ll be making something delicious for the whole family to enjoy.

I’m always looking for new air fryer recipes but I love easy and traditional recipes too. So, I searched for classic recipes for a main meal solution. I hope you love these too!

Air Fryer Cheeseburgers
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Raise your hand if you love cheeseburgers as much as I do. Besides pizza, it is my favorite food. But, I never thought about cooking them in the air fryer. Now I am. And for all you low-carb folks, Sola makes a great hamburger bun.

Air fryer salmon patties
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I sure do miss my mom’s cooking and one of her best recipes was salmon patties which she made often for us. It was so good. I have that recipe but don’t make them myself because of the fish smell. But, with the air fryer, I could take it outside and fix it there. Win!

Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan
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Chicken is so easy to cook in the air fryer. But chicken parmesan is even easier. Serve this with a side salad and a little pasta for such a hearty dinner meal.

Air Fryer Chicken Legs
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Mr. G and I love chicken legs and this recipe looks so good. Perfect for all those game days when you need something quick for your guests.

Air Fryer Hot Dogs
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I do make grilled hot dogs in the air fryer. I like to split them a bit and add cheese and onions and sometimes will wrap them with bacon. Looking for just air-fried hot dogs, then this recipe is for you.

Air Fryer Pizza Bombs
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I bet the kids would love this recipe called pizza bombs. Another great idea for any party.

Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers
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This recipe for stuffed peppers is perfect to make ahead of time and freeze and then pop in the air fryer. I will be sure to make these when my garden is full of green peppers.

air fryer loaded mini meatloaf
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I’m a sucker for a good meatloaf recipe and love that I can still have it on low carb. But this mini meatloaf is something that would be perfect for serving sizes for the family since a loaf of meatloaf cooks for almost an hour. No more heating up the kitchen!

Air Fryer Chicken Fajitas
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Needing a quick Mexican dinner idea? Try this chicken fajitas recipe. It looks so good. Low-carb folks just use a low-carb tortilla available and you can enjoy this recipe too!

Breaded Air Fryer Shrimp
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I have to admit, I have never made any kind of shrimp recipe from scratch. And this is sad since I live so close to the ocean and shrimp is so easy to acquire. But this recipe of breaded shrimp is on my list to try now.

Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats
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Another great recipe for low-carb lovers is a buffalo chicken zucchini. I have made these before when zucchini is in season but always baked them in the oven. No more turning the oven on now and I will try it in the air fryer next time for sure.

Air Fryer Loaded Chicken and Potatoes Casserole
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I didn’t know you could make small casseroles in the air fryer before and here is a recipe called loaded chicken and potatoes that is perfect for all you casserole lovers. I noticed there are different sizes of casserole dishes and pans you can buy but you can also use foil pans to do the same thing. I love these reusable ceramic casserole dishes too.

Perfect for any home or someone just starting out in their own place.
my favorite air fryer

As I stated above, I have the Cosori air fryer. I had it for a little over a year when the recall happened. I didn’t want to cut the cord on it and wait for a new one to replace it, but I didn’t want the cord to catch on fire either. Plus, you couldn’t get a replacement unless you sent them a picture of the air fryer with a cut cord.

I had the smaller 3.7-quart version since it’s just Mr. G and I, but when the new one came, it was the larger 5.8-quart version. It does hold a bit more, is quieter than the old one, and fits in the same place in my pantry. So that trade was a win, win all around.

I have no complaints about the Cosori and it’s still a highly-rated air fryer if you are looking for one.

Did you have a recalled Cosori?

My go-to accessories are the cord wrapper (one of my fav gadgets), air fryer liners (makes clean up easier), and silicone liner (keeps the basket scratch free). The paper liners I have are a bit small for the new air fryer, but once I’ve used them up, I will get the larger ones.

my fav air fryer and accessories
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Enjoy These Posts:
This list of must-have air fryer accessories will help make cooking easier and make you love it even more.
The ultimate guide to low carb and keto air fryer recipes for any time of the day.
A list of air fryer recipes for meals, veggies, appetizers, low carb, and even desserts the whole family will love.
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16 Comments

  1. Yum, all of these look so good. I just need an air fryer. When we upgrade our stove it looks like the new ones have them built in.

  2. I’m just got an air fryer and have only used it for french fries! Thanks for sharing these recipes to try.

  3. I use my air fryer for side dishes mostly. I haven’t tried a main dish. Now you have me curious. I see a number of recipes that my family would enjoy!

  4. I love air fryer recipes. I already see some I need to make. I love using my air fryer.

  5. Oh my goodness this would help us so much. We want to cook more things in the air fryer, and the salmon patties sound lovely.

  6. I can’t wait to try out these recipes and enjoy flavorful dishes with less oil and guilt. Your post has definitely sparked my culinary creativity, and I appreciate the inspiration.

  7. Oh my! These are all really delicious looking recipes! I would really love to try some of this!

  8. I bookmarked this to come back to as I am using my air fryer more and more. I love the salmon patties recipe…my mom used to make these when I was a kid and I totally loved them!

  9. I like making chicken in the air fryer. The chicken comes out super moist and the marinade flavor stays on the chicken vs sticking to the pan.

  10. Just love to try this AF chicken dish. Pinned it. I have made some chicken in AF before but always looking for new ideas.
    I visited you via Welcome to Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop!
    If not already part of SSPS, and are interested, find my entries: 51+52
    You will find the linkup information (1) In the Top bar under Blogging: Weekly Senior Salon Pit Stop (2) In the sidebar: Click on 2nd image; (3) under the “Recent Posts
    We hope to meet you there virtually.

  11. I would call myself “sort of a newbie” with air fryers, and yet I scrolled through this post thinking, “You can do THAT in an air fryer?” and “I didn’t know you could do that with an air fryer.” So I think I’m definitely a newbie. These look great–I need to try that chicken parm. Pinning. 🙂 Visiting from Wonderful Wednesday.

  12. Always looking for new Airfryer meals. I visited you via the Linkup Party at Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop – July 5, 2023
    My entries this week = 124+125. Come and share your posts with us at SSPS and you will have an opportunity to get featured.
    We’re open Monday through Saturday every week.
    You will find the linkup information (1) In the Top bar under Blogging: Weekly Senior Salon Pit Stop OR 2nd image In the sidebar
    We hope to meet you there virtually

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