What Can You Cook in an Air Fryer?
An air fryer cooks food that wants dry, moving heat: chicken, fish, potatoes, firm tofu, and sturdy vegetables. It is a poor fit for batter that must set in oil, for soups, and for loose leaves that the fan will throw. This page is that map. A single food’s minute lives on the cooking times chart. A meal from whatever is in the fridge lives on the fridge guide.
Foods with a method on this site
- ChickenWings, a plain breast, breaded bone-in pieces, and a whole bird. All finish at 165°F (74°C), on different clocks.
- Salmon and white fishUnbreaded salmon, or breaded cod and haddock. Both finish at 145°F (63°C).
- French friesFrozen at 400°F, or homemade russets at 380°F after a soak. Not the same method.
- Vegetarian platesTofu, cauliflower, an omelette in a pan, and the fries.
- Pork chopsA 1-inch boneless chop at 400°F for 12–14 minutes, to 145°F, then a rest.
- Breakfast eggsThe omelette, at 350°F in a dish. Not loose eggs in the basket.
The cooking times chart adds 19 foods, including several that do not have a full recipe yet (shrimp, bacon, broccoli, a baked potato).
If the question is really “what’s for dinner tonight?”
That is a different page. Air fryer recipes with what you already have starts from the protein in the fridge and pairs a vegetable by cook time. 15-minute dinners is the short list when the clock is the constraint. This page stays the capability map so those three do not say the same thing.
What to keep out
- Wet batters. They drip through the basket before they set. Use breadcrumbs, as the white fish recipe does.
- Loose leafy greens. The fan throws them into the element. A kale chip is a different, careful project and is not one of these recipes.
- Soups, rice, and braises. The air fryer drives liquid off. It does not hold a simmer.
- A block of cheese on its own. It melts through the holes. Grated cheese belongs in the last minute, on food that can hold it.
Questions
What can you cook in an air fryer?
Chicken, salmon, white fish, pork chops, fries, firm tofu, cauliflower, and eggs in a pan. The full methods are the recipes linked on this page. Foods that need a deep pot of oil, a simmer, or a wet batter are the ones to skip.
What should you not put in an air fryer?
Wet batter, loose leaves, and liquid dishes such as soup or rice. Anything that can blow into the heating element is a fire risk. Weigh parchment down with food or do not use it.
Is this the same as the fridge guide or the FAQ?
No. This page lists what the appliance is good at. The fridge guide starts from ingredients you already have. The FAQ answers oil, sogginess, foil, and preheating. The cooking times chart is the minute-by-minute lookup.