Craving a tender, scrumptious steak but dreading the rigamarole of firing up the grill? Consider an air fried steak for an easy, quick, flavorful alternate option. The standard cook time here is listed as 12 minutes, but your air fryer may have its own steak setting. 

Be sure to wrap in tin foil and let it rest for 10-12 minutes — you don’t want to lose the juices the instant you begin to slice it. 

We love pairing our air fryer steaks with a mashed potato or green bean side (hint, you can cook this in your air fryer too!). 

2 - Bread

Getting into the art of bread making can seem daunting for the uninitiated — it’s a process with a lot of variables rife with opportunity for something to go wrong. 

If you’d prefer a low-key on-ramp into the world of being able to bake your own bread, this air fryer loaf recipe is the absolute best place to start. It couldn’t be easier to bake fresh bread for dinner in the time it takes to prepare the rest of your meal. 

An added bonus with this recipe is that it’s a faster process than normal, no waiting around for hours waiting for the gluten to develop. 

We like to add spices or dried herbs to this bread for an extra pop of flavor (dried Italian herbs and/or garlic powder are stand-out additions). 

3. Pasta Chips

If you were on TikTok at all in the past few months, you’ve probably seen these hundreds of times, and for good reason. Crunchy, crispy, and flavored however you’d like, these are almost too easy to eat. 

This recipe calls for add-ons that give the final product an Italian flair, but there are limitless ways to season these little beauties. 

While most pasta chip recipes go the savory route, we recommend trying a melted butter/cinnamon/sugar combo for a sweeter take on the snack. 

4. Fried Oreos

State fair food only no longer! Fried Oreos are a once-in-a-while delight that if you haven’t tried yet, you should. The original, deep-fried version strikes some as overly decadent, but this iteration carries the same crisp and taste without being quite so extra. 

This recipe calls for confectioners sugar as a topping but a fruit compote (we’re partial to raspberry) can add a tang that cuts the sweetness in a delightful way. 

PS, this batter also works for other fried treats you’d typically find at the fair — you can take it anywhere from snickers to pickles. 

5. French Toast Sticks

A childhood staple turned adult breakfast-for-dinner. If you like your French toast with a sublimely crunchy outside, the air fryer method is head and shoulders above the classic frying pan technique. 

The run up to cooking follows the same steps as your typical French toast, but ends up being a lot less involved than hovering over the stove top waiting to flip ‘em. 

With your freed up cook time, we highly recommend washing off some fresh fruit to enjoy with these. In our kitchen, we like to kick it up a notch by pairing them with sliced banana and a drizzle of caramel sauce. Simply perfect!  

If you take a stab at any of these recipes, or have any of your own favorites to share, sound off in the comments!