Best Foods to Cook in an Air Fryer (and What to Skip)

Air fryers excel at foods that benefit from dry, circulating heat - anything you would normally deep fry, roast, or broil. The rapid convection creates crispy surfaces with minimal oil, and most foods cook 20-25% faster than a conventional oven. They struggle with wet batters, very light foods, and large liquid-heavy dishes. This guide ranks the best foods by category, explains why each works well, and calls out the foods that belong somewhere else.

By the CookTimeGuide Editorial TeamKitchen-tested Aug 2026

The short version

Best results: Frozen foods (fries, nuggets, egg rolls), chicken wings, Brussels sprouts, bacon, salmon

Good results: Chicken breast, pork chops, shrimp, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, cookies

Skip entirely: Wet-battered foods, cheese-only items, loose leafy greens, roasts over 5 lbs

Foods That Work Best in an Air Fryer

Frozen Foods

Frozen foods are the air fryer's best use case. The rapid heat evaporates surface moisture from frozen items faster than a conventional oven, creating crispier results in half the time. Do not thaw frozen foods before air frying - the ice crystals on the surface flash off as steam, which actually helps the exterior crisp up.

Frozen French Fries

The single best air fryer food. 400F for 12-15 minutes produces fries that rival deep-fried results. Shake the basket at the halfway mark. A single layer matters here - piled fries steam in the middle and stay limp.

Frozen Chicken Nuggets

8-10 minutes at 400F. The breading crisps evenly without the sogginess you get from microwaving or the 20+ minute wait from a conventional oven. Flip once halfway through.

Frozen Chicken Wings

Straight from the freezer to crispy skin in about 25 minutes at 400F. No thawing, no oil needed. The skin renders its own fat and crisps in the circulating heat. Shake the basket every 8-10 minutes.

Tater Tots

400F for 10-12 minutes. Every tot gets evenly crispy instead of the mix of burnt and pale you get from a sheet pan. Shake at the halfway mark for even browning.

Frozen Egg Rolls

The wrapper gets shatteringly crispy at 390F for 8-10 minutes. Brush or spray a thin coat of oil on the outside for the best shell texture. No deep fryer splatter, no soggy microwave wrapper.

Mozzarella Sticks

390F for 6-8 minutes. Keep them frozen until the air fryer is preheated. If they thaw too much before cooking, the breading separates and the cheese leaks out before the shell crisps.

Also excellent: pizza rolls,corn dogs,fish sticks,onion rings,pierogies, anddumplings.

Proteins

The air fryer handles proteins the same way a convection oven does, but in a smaller space with more concentrated airflow. This means faster cooking and better browning on the surface. The key with every protein: pat the surface dry, use a light coat of oil, and do not crowd the basket.

Chicken Wings

The air fryer's signature protein. 380F for 22-26 minutes produces skin that rivals deep-fried wings. No oil needed - the skin renders its own fat. Toss with sauce after cooking, not before, or the sugar in the sauce burns onto the basket.

Chicken Breast

375F for 12-18 minutes depending on thickness. Pound to 3/4-inch even thickness for consistent results. Pull at 160F and let carryover bring it to 165F during a 5-minute rest. The air fryer dries out chicken breast faster than an oven, so do not overcook.

Pork Chops

Bone-in chops at 400F for 12-15 minutes. The concentrated heat gives the exterior a sear-like crust without a cast iron pan. Let them rest 5 minutes after cooking. Works best with chops at least 3/4-inch thick - thinner chops dry out too fast.

Salmon

400F for 7-10 minutes for a 1-inch fillet. Skin-side down on parchment, no flipping needed. The top develops a light crust while the inside stays medium. Salmon is one of the fastest protein-to-table options in the air fryer.

Bacon

350-400F for 8-12 minutes depending on thickness and desired crispness. Lay strips flat without overlapping. The fat renders into the drip tray instead of pooling around the bacon, so you get evenly crispy strips without the stovetop splatter.

Shrimp

400F for 5-8 minutes. Season and toss with a teaspoon of oil before cooking. Shrimp cook fast in the air fryer, and the line between done and rubbery is about 60 seconds. Check at 5 minutes for medium-sized shrimp.

Also great: chicken thighs,burgers,pork belly,drumsticks, andcod.

Vegetables

Vegetables that benefit from high-heat roasting translate perfectly to the air fryer. The circulating heat caramelizes the natural sugars on the surface while keeping the interior tender. Most vegetables need a light toss in oil and salt before cooking. Cut pieces to similar sizes so they finish together.

Brussels Sprouts

The air fryer's best vegetable. Halved Brussels sprouts at 375F for 15 minutes get charred, caramelized edges that take 35+ minutes in a conventional oven. The loose outer leaves turn into crispy chips. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cut side down for the first half.

Broccoli

400F for 8-10 minutes. Cut into florets with flat edges for maximum contact with the basket. The tips get deeply browned and nutty while the stems stay tender-crisp. Do not use water or steam first - dry heat is the point.

Baked Potatoes

400F for 35-40 minutes for a medium russet. Rub with oil and salt for crispy skin. Takes about 20 minutes less than a conventional oven and produces better skin texture. Pierce with a fork a few times before cooking.

Cauliflower

400F for 15-18 minutes. Cut into florets, toss with oil and spices. The edges caramelize and turn golden while the inside becomes creamy. Works well as a base for buffalo cauliflower bites with hot sauce tossed on after cooking.

Sweet Potato Fries

400F for 15-20 minutes. Toss with a tablespoon of cornstarch before cooking for extra crispiness. Sweet potatoes have more sugar than russets and brown faster, so check them early. A single layer is critical here.

Zucchini

400F for 10-12 minutes. Slice into 1/2-inch rounds or sticks. The exterior gets golden and slightly crispy while the inside softens. High water content means you need a light coat of oil and should avoid crowding, or they steam instead of roast.

Also excellent: asparagus,green beans,carrots,mushrooms, andpotato wedges.

Baked Goods and Prepared Foods

The air fryer works as a small convection oven for baked goods and prepared items that fit in the basket. Cookies, muffins in ramekins, and reheated pizza all do well. The key limitation is size - you are working with a small cooking chamber, so batch sizes are small.

Frozen Pizza

Personal-sized frozen pizzas at 380F for 6-8 minutes. The crust gets crispier than a microwave and finishes faster than preheating a full oven. Cut to fit your basket if needed. Not practical for large pizzas.

Quesadillas

375F for 5-7 minutes. The tortilla gets evenly toasted on both sides without the uneven browning of a stovetop. Use toothpicks to hold the top tortilla down, or fold a single tortilla in half.

Grilled Cheese

370F for 6-8 minutes, flipping halfway. Butter the outside of both bread slices. The circulating heat toasts both sides more evenly than a pan, with no risk of burning one side while the cheese stays cold.

Jalapeno Poppers

375F for 8-10 minutes. The filling stays creamy while the outside crisps. Works with both breaded and bacon-wrapped versions. No deep fryer needed, and the results are close to identical.

Also works well: hot dogs,tofu,frozen burritos, andsamosas.

Foods to Skip in the Air Fryer

Not everything belongs in an air fryer. These foods either make a mess, produce bad results, or work significantly better with another cooking method.

Wet batter foods (tempura, beer-battered fish)

Liquid batter drips through the basket grate and pools in the drip tray before the coating sets. You end up with a bare piece of fish sitting in a puddle of burnt batter. Pre-breaded and frozen versions work fine because the coating is already solidified. If you want a crispy coating on fresh food, use a dry dredge (flour, egg wash, panko) instead of a wet batter.

Cheese-heavy items that melt and drip

A block of halloumi works because it holds its shape. A pile of shredded cheddar melts through the basket into the drip tray, burns, and creates smoke. Cheese on top of something (pizza, stuffed peppers) is fine because the food underneath catches it. Cheese as the main item is a mess.

Very light foods (leafy greens, rice paper)

The fan blows lightweight items around the basket. Loose spinach, kale chips (unless weighed down with oil), and rice paper wrappers fly into the heating element and burn. If you want kale chips, press them flat, coat heavily with oil, and cook in a single weighted layer. Even then, results are inconsistent.

Large cuts over 5 lbs (turkey, prime rib)

A large roast blocks airflow in a standard 5-6 quart basket. The side facing the heating element overcooks while the bottom stays undercooked. A whole chicken under 4 lbs can work in a large air fryer, but anything bigger needs a conventional oven where heat surrounds the meat from all directions.

Air Fryer vs Oven: Which Is Better?

Neither is universally better. Each wins in specific scenarios based on batch size, food type, and the result you want.

Scenario	Winner	Why
Frozen fries and snacks	Air fryer	50% faster, crispier results, no preheating a full oven
Chicken wings (1-2 lbs)	Air fryer	Skin crisps better in concentrated airflow, renders fat faster
Large batch cooking (3+ lbs)	Oven	Air fryer batches take longer total than one oven sheet pan
Roasted vegetables	Tie	Air fryer wins small batches, oven wins large. Similar quality.
Baking (cakes, bread)	Oven	Air fryer fan dries out batter surfaces and limits pan size
Reheating leftovers	Air fryer	Restores crispiness that microwaves destroy, heats in 3-5 min
Whole chicken or roasts	Oven	Even heat from all sides, no size constraints

The practical rule: if it fits in a single layer in the air fryer basket and you are cooking for 1-3 people, the air fryer is usually faster and produces equal or better results. For larger quantities or baked goods that need gentle, even heat, the oven wins.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best thing to cook in an air fryer for the first time?

Frozen french fries. They require zero prep, cook in 12-15 minutes at 400F, and come out noticeably crispier than a conventional oven. They also teach you the two most important air fryer skills: not overcrowding the basket and shaking halfway through. Once you see the difference in crispiness, you will understand what the air fryer does well and start branching out to other foods.

Can you cook raw meat in an air fryer?

Yes. Chicken breasts, thighs, wings, pork chops, salmon, shrimp, and burgers all cook well from raw. Pat the surface dry, brush with a thin coat of oil, and season before placing in the basket. Always verify proteins reach safe internal temperatures with an instant-read thermometer - 165F for poultry, 145F for pork and fish.

What foods should you not put in an air fryer?

Wet-battered foods (tempura, beer-battered fish) drip through the basket before setting. Cheese-only items melt into the drip tray. Very light foods like loose leafy greens blow around and cook unevenly. Large roasts over 5 lbs block airflow and develop raw spots in the center. These foods work better in a deep fryer, oven, or on the stovetop.

Is air frying healthier than deep frying?

For foods that would otherwise be submerged in oil, yes. Air frying uses 70-80% less oil than deep frying. A batch of french fries deep-fried absorbs roughly 3 tablespoons of oil. The same batch air-fried uses about 1 teaspoon. The texture is slightly different - air-fried food is crispy-dry rather than crispy-rich - but the calorie reduction is significant for foods you eat regularly.

Do I need to preheat my air fryer?

For most foods, yes. Run it empty at your target temperature for 3-5 minutes before adding food. Preheating gives you better browning and more consistent cook times. The exceptions are delicate fish fillets and thin vegetables, where a cold start prevents the exterior from burning before the interior cooks through.

Air Fryer Times Chart

Complete time and temp chart for 79+ foods

Oven to Air Fryer Converter

Convert any oven recipe to air fryer time and temp

Air Fryer Method Guide

How air frying works, best practices, and tips