I’m not one of those people who feels the need to jump on every bandwagon that comes along just to say I did it. However, when more and more people started talking about air fryers, I just had to get one. They sounded too good to be true, but I was so thrilled to find out they weren’t. I use my air fryer for so many things, but as you can see from this list, air fryer side dishes are my forte. There simply aren’t too many side dishes you can’t make in an air fryer. And usually, you can make them faster and without all the grease and other stuff that turns healthy side dishes like veggies into not-so-healthy-after-all side dishes. Let’s get to it!
1. Air Fryer Broccoli Parmesan
This cheesy broccoli parmesan isn’t my favorite air fryer side dish, but it’s probably at least in the top five. It’s fresh, and the cheese is delicious, as cheese always is. Even the broccoli itself tastes fantastic, and I’m not a super huge broccoli fan. If you like a bit of heat in your food, add the optional chili flakes as a garnish.
2. Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
All you’ll need to make crunchy, flavorful sweet potato fries are sweet potatoes, olive oil, salt, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, and a little over 15 minutes. Making these fries is simplicity itself. If you can peel and cut your potatoes, toss them in the oil and spices, and place them in the air fryer, you’re all set. That’s all it takes.
3. Garlic Parmesan Air Fryer Carrot Fries
These carrot fries are remarkably similar to the sweet potato fries, only they get even crispier. They also pack a bit more flavor thanks to the addition of parmesan and red pepper. Like the sweet potato fries, they also have garlic and black pepper. If you love sweet potato fries but want something a little cheesier, try these instead.
4. Air Fryer Okra
Believe it or not, even fried okra tastes better when cooked in the air fryer. It still has the same yummy breading and the same wonderful crunchiness. What it doesn’t have are all the calories, oil, and grease that come from deep-frying them. Same great taste and texture with fewer calories? Yes, please!
5. Air Fryer Dumplings
If you’ve ever tried frozen dumplings and not been all that impressed with them, you may want to try them again. This time, though, make them in your air fryer instead. It takes less than 15 minutes to make four servings, and each one will taste just as good as any dumplings you order from your favorite Chinese restaurant.
6. Air Fryer Corn on the Cob
Making corn on the cob in the air fryer gives it that marvelous roasted, grilled flavor, but you don’t have to fire up the grill to get it. Spray it with just a bit of oil, air fry it for about 16 minutes, then take it out, slather it with butter, add a little salt and pepper, and enjoy!
7. Air Fryer Potato Wedges
Air fryer potato wedges have exceptionally crispy outsides and warm, soft, fluffy insides. You’ll season them with paprika, parsley flakes, chili powder, sea salt, and black pepper, and doing so gives them an excellent, herb taste that’s a bit addictive. Still, you’ll only use a teaspoon and a half of olive oil, and that’s just to keep the spices on the wedges. In the end, these are much healthier than French fries by any means.
8. Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
To me, nothing beats oven-cooked garlic- and parmesan-covered Brussels sprouts. However, air fryer Brussels sprouts are close because air frying them is the only other way to get them so crispy and perfect. The red wine vinegar, butter, shallots, olive oil, and salt also add a nice zestiness to the sprouts that’s hard not to like.
9. Air Fryer Crispy Garlic Potatoes
There is nothing better for making crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside potatoes than your air fryer. I’m serious; I prefer the texture of air-fried potatoes to any other way of cooking them. And these are even better than most because you’ll cover them in garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper, giving them a delightful flavor.
10. Air Fryer Garlic Zucchini
Until I discovered air fryer zucchini, the only way I liked zucchini was breaded and fried, which – let’s be honest – isn’t the healthiest way to eat it. With the air fryer, though, I can forgo the breading in favor of nothing more than some garlic powder, salt, pepper, and a bit of cooking spray to help it all stick. The zucchini gets so crunchy, and the garlic tastes so good. It’s my new favorite – and a much healthier – way to enjoy zucchini.
11. Air Fryer Cauliflower
When coming up with the perfect side dish, people often overlook cauliflower, and that’s a shame. Because if you season it correctly and toss it in the air fryer, it’s scrumptious. It holds the flavors of the spices – turmeric, paprika, salt, and pepper – exceptionally well and gets insanely crispy.
12. Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
If you enjoy baked potatoes with perfectly crispy skins that are soft, tender, and melt-in-your-mouth good on the inside, cook them in the air fryer! It takes about 45 minutes to cook four, but there’s almost no work required from you. Simply wash your potatoes and add oil and salt. The fryer does all the rest.
13. Air Fryer Biscuits
You can even make canned (or frozen) biscuits in your air fryer! Cooking them this way is the closest you can get to homemade buttermilk biscuits without actually making anything. They’re thick, flaky, and full of flavor.
14. Air Fryer Sweet Potato Tots
These five-ingredient tots are crunchy, perfectly seasoned, and take less than 25 minutes to make. All you’ll need is sweet potato puree, salt, cumin, coriander, and panko breadcrumbs. You’ll want to add a bit of spray oil, as well.
15. Air Fryer Asparagus
I used to think there was no better way to cook asparagus than on the grill. Now, I know that cooking it in the air fryer is just as delicious. Of course, I add a bit more than what the recipe wants. I keep the asparagus and the olive oil, but I nix the pepper, add garlic salt instead of regular salt, and toss a little parmesan into the mix, as well. Even without all my extras, though, air fryer asparagus is on point. It’s so tender but has that SNAP! that makes asparagus taste so good.
16. Air Fryer Bacon-Wrapped Green Beans
Green beans are always a healthy, tasty side dish. Of course, they lose a little of their healthiness once you wrap them in bacon, but they gain tastiness, so that should even out, right? All jokes aside, these bacon-wrapped green beans are sheer perfection. The bacon is crispy and super yummy, and the green beans add crunch and freshness that make these treats unbeatable.
17. Air-Fried Italian Stuffed Tomatoes
If you’re a fan of stuffed peppers, you’ll have to try these air fryer stuffed tomatoes. They don’t have the same spicy heat as the peppers, but they taste so good, you won’t miss it. You’ll start with four medium tomatoes, and you’ll stuff each one with cooked brown rice, parmesan cheese, goat cheese, toasted walnuts, basil, garlic, and Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs. These things are phenomenal. And surprisingly, the tomatoes don’t get all squishy and wrinkled in the air fryer. They’ll look great when they come out, and they’ll taste even better.
18. Air Fryer Carrots
While I love the taste of raw carrots, you’ll want them cooked if you’re serving them as a side dish. Luckily, the air fryer makes that easy, whether you want to make sweet or savory carrots. The sweet carrots are insanely easy to make, requiring only four ingredients – carrots, butter, brown sugar, and salt. The savory carrots are just as easy, but they use a few more ingredients. Whichever you choose to make, you can have them ready in about 30 minutes, and they’ll be perfectly tender with just a hint of a crunch leftover on the outsides.
19. Air Fryer Bacon-Stuffed Mushrooms
Until you’ve tried them, you can’t possibly comprehend how incredible bacon-stuffed mushrooms are. They’re so full of flavor! All you’ll need to make them are mushrooms, cream cheese, bacon, parmesan cheese, and ground sage. They take less than 15 minutes to make, which is a good thing because you’ll want to make more the moment these are done. Trust me. You won’t be able to stop at just a couple.
20. Garlic Fries
Garlic fries may not be the healthiest air fryer side dish on the list, but they are one of the most popular. After all, garlic fries are almost universally loved. And making them in the air fryer does keep them a bit healthier than they’d be if you deep-fried them. Who am I kidding? You won’t care that these aren’t healthy. They’re delicious, and that’s all that matters. Click on a star to rate it!
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