22 healthy air fryer recipes

Fries are healthier in the air fryer, and they're even healthier when made of avocado! Lower in calories than the potato variety, these panko-coated treats from Lose Weight By Eating also contain 7 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein per serving, as well as all the antioxidant and omega-3 power of avocados.

Even buffalo chicken can be made healthier thanks to your air fryer, but if you want something that’s even better for you, swap out the chicken for cauliflower—which is low in calories and high in vitamin C, fiber, and other nutrients. This version from Diethood has only 205 calories per serving but provides 86% of your daily dose of vitamin C.

Not only are chicken fajitas healthy—this recipe from Little Sunny Kitchen has 154 calories and 11 grams of protein per serving—but you can make everything in your air fryer…all at once! And all you need is chicken breast, an onion, three types of peppers, some seasoning, and just a single tablespoon of vegetable oil.

Chicken tenders usually mean processed rib meat (or worse), deep-fried until any lingering health benefits are drowned in oil. (Delicious, delicious oil.) But these crispy, golden chicken tenders from SkinnyTaste are made with chicken breast, eggs, panko, and breadcrumbs, with olive oil spray as the only oil involved. That adds up to fewer than 100 calories per tender, and nearly 13 grams of protein.

We’re big snackers, so we’re always on the lookout for healthy snacks that you can enjoy guilt-free. These “ULTRA crispy” snacks from Sweet Peas and Saffron are just chickpeas tossed in olive oil and a few seasonings—so they’re lower in calories than most fried snacks, and they pack 11 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber per serving.

Crispy, garlicky, lemony, and covered in parmesan cheese, this side dish from Diethood actually isn’t that bad for you, as it still stars broccoli—one of the healthiest veggies around. Thanks to your air fryer, it can be cooked to perfection in under 10 minutes.

Plant-based but still protein-packed, tofu can be fried until crispy in your air fryer without sacrificing your health. This recipe from Jessica in the Kitchen calls for only a half-teaspoon of oil for a full pound of tofu, and registers at just 110 calories per serving while providing 11 grams of protein.

Yes, adding oil to fruit definitely makes it less healthy—but at just 1 tsp of oil (this recipe from Piping Pot Curry recommends avocado oil) per plantain, we still consider this a healthy snack. It’s loaded with vitamin A and potassium, and also contains calcium and fiber.

Fried shrimp usually requires a lot of oil, but this recipe from Crunchy Creamy Sweet only calls for 2 tsp of olive oil for the entire recipe, resulting in just 134 calories per serving. And aside from the pound of shrimp, you probably already have everything else in your pantry or spice rack: garlic powder, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Low-calorie and low-carb but still crispy and tasty, this fried zucchini side dish from Best Recipe Box can be cut into chips or slices. It only uses cooking spray and some seasonings and can be ready in about 10 minutes.

You only need four ingredients for this super-simple asparagus recipe from Momsdish: asparagus, parmesan cheese, garlic parsley salt, and 1 tbsp of oil. Don’t worry too much about that bit of oil, as the recipe makes 2 lbs of asparagus!

Easily the healthiest type of chip there is, kale chips are also a great way to get into kale if you’re not already a fan. As Live Eat Learn will show you, they’re also a cinch to make. Just take washed & dried kale, tear it into pieces, add some olive oil, toss in salt, and cook in your air fryer for about four minutes!

Sure, adding cheese to a vegetable actually makes it less healthy—but if some extra flavor gets people to eat their vegetables, we consider that a win. This Mexican street corn recipe from Air Frying Foodie calls for chili powder, cilantro, salt, pepper, feta cheese, and lime juice…because who eats plain corn on the cob anyway?

Pork need not be a four-letter word. Sure, pork rinds, pork belly, and bacon are quite unhealthy, but this pork tenderloin from Recipe Teacher uses lean, trimmed meat and just a half-tablespoon of olive oil. It’s also called the “Best Damn Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin,” and lives up to its name.

Every year, folks around the country and world carve pumpkins and throw away all the goop inside—including the super-healthy seeds! Pumpkin seeds are high in both vitamin K and magnesium, as well as protein and fiber. And as Piping Pot Curry proves: they’re a crispy, tasty snack when cooked in your air fryer. 

Instead of deep-frying your potatoes, air-fry them! This four-serving recipe from Spend with Pennies only needs 1 tbsp of olive oil and a handful of ingredients and amounts to just 32 calories per serving.

Using an air fryer to roast turkey? It can be done, and SkinnyTaste can show you how to do it. You only need four ingredients, including just a tablespoon of olive oil

Olive oil, garlic powder, paprika, and salt & pepper are all that’s needed to sizzle your salmon to sublimity in your air fryer. Check out this healthy recipe from Feel Good Foodie for some direction. Not only do you get all the health benefits of salmon—including a week’s serving of omega-3s—but it all comes at a cost of just 276 calories per serving and a single carbohydrate.

With half the carbs and a fraction of the calories, this spaghetti squash from This Healthy Kitchen is a diet-friendly version of the starchy original. It’s tossed with sea salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder, and packs 5 grams of fiber per serving with just 142 calories.

Instead of snacking on a bag of store-bought potato chips, save yourself some calories (and money!) and make sweet potato chips in your air fryer instead. This salty, sweet, and slightly spicy version from Vegan in the Freezer uses both olive oil and brown sugar, but still amounts to only 103 calories per serving

Full-fat pork bacon cooked in oil isn’t great for your health, so lighten it up with turkey bacon, which can still be cooked to perfection if you use your air fryer. This version from Food Lovin’ Family requires NO oil whatsoever.

This recipe from Air Fryer World calls for tilapia, but also says you can substitute any whitefish—a category that includes some of the lowest-calorie species in the sea. In fact, each serving is just 169 calories but boasts a bountiful 34 grams of protein, as well as high levels of omega 3s, niacin, vitamin B12, phosphorus, potassium, and selenium.