Air fryers have become a very popular kitchen appliance because of how quick and easy they are to use.
They can cook a variety of foods in a healthier way than traditional ovens and they will give you crispy and delicious dishes every time.
Air fryers are also a great way to cook appetizers. Whether you’re catering for a family gathering or a party, an air fryer can help you make the best appetizers your guests will ever try.
In this article, we will introduce the 28 best appetizers for the air fryer. Let’s get started!
1. Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
Our first recipe combines several strong and delicious flavors to make an appetizer that your friends and family are sure to love.
Whether you’re catering for a game night or a party, everyone will be eager for more of these bacon-wrapped jalapenos.
You can control the spiciness of the jalapenos as you prepare them and the mix of spice, cream cheese, garlic powder, and bacon works amazingly well.
2. Air Fryer Calamari
Calamari, or squid, isn’t to everyone’s tastes but we love it. It’s the ideal appetizer if you’re looking to offer something a little different and your guests are sure to be impressed by having calamari as an option.
The calamari is coated in a breadcrumb mixture first of all and then cooked in the air fryer for only 10 minutes per batch.
3. Air Fryer Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
Stuffed mushrooms are a very common and popular starter and there’s no reason why you can’t prepare them in your air fryer.
You can use any type of mushroom that you wish, but the recipe works best with larger mushrooms as this gives you more space to stuff them.
The next main ingredient is cheese and again, you can choose any cheese you wish, from cream cheese to cheddar.
4. Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs
Everyone loves meatballs and these air fryer chicken meatballs will be no different. The meatballs are made from ground chicken and a mixture of herbs and spices and as the recipe calls for almond flour, they’re gluten-free.
You can adjust the mix of herbs to your taste and these meatballs only take around 12 minutes to cook. You can even prepare the meatballs ahead of time and freeze them if you’re short on time.
5. Air Fryer Chicken Wings
This is the first of a couple of different air fryer chicken wing recipes in this list. This is the simplest of the recipes, however, and is perfect if you don’t have much time to prepare.
In fact, the only preparation is separating the wings, patting them dry, and adding some salt and pepper. Most of the magic that makes these wings delicious occurs in the air fryer.
6. Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp and Apricot Sauce
Coconut and shrimp always sound like a strange combination but it works amazingly well. For this recipe, you will need to devein the shrimp and then coat each shrimp in a breadcrumb and coconut flake mix.
An egg should help the mix bind to the shrimp. Once coated, cook for around eight minutes or until the coconut is lightly browned.
The apricot sauce will need to be prepared in a saucepan but complements the coconut shrimp perfectly.
7. Air Fryer Crispy Crunchy Sweet Potato Fries
Fries are one of the easiest and most delicious appetizers you can make in an air fryer as the air fryer’s method of cooking will ensure they’re crispy every time.
Sweet potato fries are one of our favorite varieties of fries and this recipe delivers some of the best air fryer sweet potato fries we’ve tried. The fries are seasoned with paprika and garlic and are sure to be a hit with whoever tries them.
8. Air Fryer Egg Rolls
Egg rolls are a delicious appetizer but as they’re usually fried, they’re not the healthiest option. Thankfully, air fryer egg rolls are just as delicious as the fried versions but are naturally more healthy.
They’re made with egg roll wrappers and filled with a combination of cabbage, carrot, and seasonings.
9. Air Fryer Garlic Bread
No dinner party or game night is complete without garlic bread and you can make delicious garlic bread in your air fryer.
The key to making the best garlic bread lies in choosing the right bread, so make sure you choose a crusty ciabatta or French bread as your base. Add some butter, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and parsley for the topping.
10. Air Fryer Honey BBQ Pineapple
This recipe works perfectly as an appetizer, but it’s also a great snack. The combination of pineapple with honey, BBQ sauce, and chili powder might sound odd but the flavors mix together to make a unique but delicious dish.
It’s quick and easy to make and you can use either a fresh pineapple that has been cut into cubes or a can of pineapple chunks.
11. Air Fryer Honey Garlic Chicken Wings
This is our second recipe for chicken wings and it’s a little more complex than the first as it involves coating the chicken with a honey and garlic sauce.
However, it’s still easy to make and you can prepare the sauce in a saucepan while the wings are cooking in the air fryer. Once cooked, coat the wings with the sauce and add some sesame seeds for the finishing touch.
12. Air Fryer Honey Glazed Carrots
These honey-glazed carrots work as an appetizer but they also make for a great side dish as well. The recipe uses baby carrots but you can substitute these for sliced carrots or carrot sticks.
The glaze is made from honey, brown sugar, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
13. Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Shrimp
We love shrimp and this is why we’re including a second recipe for air fryer shrimp. This recipe uses very different flavors compared to the other shrimp recipe and shows just how versatile an air fryer can be.
The shrimp is coated with lemon pepper seasoning and after it has been cooked, drizzle it with some lemon juice.
14. Air Fryer Onion Rings
Onion rings are a staple of many game nights and family nights so it’s handy to have an air fryer recipe ready for when they’re needed.
They’re usually fried but when making them in an air fryer, you’ll get healthier rings that are also much crispier. As well as the onion itself, you will need to coat them in a mix of all purpose flour, baking powder, breadcrumbs, and salt.
Once coated, cook them for six to eight minutes.
15. Air Fryer Pickles
We love air fryer pickles as both an appetizer and a snack. The recipe calls for dill pickle slices which are then coated in a mix made from all-purpose flour, pickle juice, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, panko, and dill.
The seasoning in the mix combines perfectly with the pickles.
16. Air Fryer Pizza Rolls
Who doesn’t love pizza rolls? For these pizza rolls, you can use pre-made pizza dough and pizza sauce or you can make both/either from scratch.
The filling of the rolls also includes cheese and you can add other fillings of your choice. This recipe uses pepperoni but you can swap this for a filling of your choice.
17. Air Fryer Potato Skins
Potato skins are another of one of the most common and popular starters. They’re popular for a reason, so if you’re looking to create some appetizers for a party many guests might expect some potato skins.
In this recipe, the potato skins are topped with cheese, bacon, and sour cream, but you can add additional toppings of your choice.
You will need to bake the potatoes first before loading the skins and cooking them in your air fryer.
18. Air Fryer Ravioli
Air fryer ravioli is very simple to make and only requires three ingredients if you’re willing to use frozen ravioli. You can make your own ravioli if you have the time, but frozen ravioli cooks perfectly well in an air fryer, too.
This recipe instructs you to dip the frozen ravioli into buttermilk and then into breadcrumbs to give it a crispy breaded exterior.
19. Air Fryer Spinach Feta Turnovers
Spinach and feta are always a perfect combination and these turnovers are no different. You can use either fresh or frozen spinach and the recipe calls for already prepared pizza crust as the exterior of your turnovers.
The spinach and cheese filling is seasoned with pepper and garlic cloves and if you wish, you serve the turnovers with tzatziki sauce.
20. Air Fryer Spring Rolls
Air fryers are great for spring rolls as they will ensure that the wrapper is crispy while also preventing the rolls from becoming too oily and greasy.
The recipe does instruct you to fry your vegetables before cooking the spring rolls in the air fryer, so keep this in mind as you make the rolls.
21. Air Fryer Tortilla Chips
If you have some corn tortillas to hand you can use them to make some delicious and crispy tortilla chips in your air fryer. These are very easy to make as all you need to do is quarter your tortillas and air fry them in a little cooking oil and salt.
They’ll take around 8 to 10 minutes to crisp and can then be served with a dipping sauce.
22. Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs
We included some chicken meatballs earlier and for our second meatballs, we have picked some turkey ones.
The meatballs are made from ground turkey and red bell peppers and are seasoned with parsley, salt, ground black pepper, and Italian seasoning. This makes the meatballs delicious and full of flavor.
23. Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
Air fryers are ideal for cooking vegetables and keeping them nice and crunchy and zucchini is no different. These zucchini fries are perfect for dipping and make a great alternative to potato fries.
They can be made suitable for keto diets by using almond flour in the breading mix but you can also use panko breadcrumbs if carbs are not a worry for you.
24. Bacon-Wrapped Avocado Wedges
This recipe is so simple but effective. The wedges are literally just chunks of avocado wrapped in a bacon slice and then cooked in an air fryer for around 10 to 15 minutes.
The recipe also includes a delicious sauce that you can make that is the perfect accompaniment for the wedges. The sauce is made from mayonnaise, Sriracha chili sauce, and lime juice and doesn’t require any cooking.
25. Crispy Air Fryer Shrimp
This is our final air fryer shrimp recipe and is also very different from the previous two.
For this recipe, each shrimp is coated in a breading mixture made from Panko breadcrumbs, seasoned breadcrumbs, lemon pepper seasoning, and garlic powder. You can add extra seasonings to make this a little spicier if you prefer.
26. Mac And Cheese Bites
If you have some leftover mac and cheese (or have the time to make some from scratch) then these mac and cheese balls are the perfect way to create something new and delicious.
The bites are balls of cooled mac and cheese that are chilled for around an hour and then rolled in a breadcrumb and seasoning mix. Each ball will take around 10 minutes to cook in the air fryer.
27. Pigs In A Blanket
Pigs in a blanket are perfect appetizers and party food. The recipe is very straightforward as it uses only crescent rolls, lit’l smokies or lit’l beef franks, and a spot of melted butter.
Wrap your sausages in the crescent rolls, brush with some butter and cook them for around 5 minutes. You can customize the recipe if you wish by using different pastry, or adding some cheese and seasonings.
28. Vegan Air Fryer Mashed Potato Balls
For our final air fryer appetizer, we picked a recipe that makes use of leftover mashed potatoes.
Roll the leftover mash into small balls and then dip them into nutritional yeast, aquafaba, and a breadcrumb mixture made from breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and seasonings.
This will give your potatoes a nice coating and after they’re cooked in the air fryer for 10 to 15 minutes, they should be crispy on the outside but soft on the inside.
Frequently Asked Questions
Let’s look at the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about air fryer appetizers.
Air fryers are the perfect way to cook appetizers. Not only are they a healthier way to cook food but they will also make your food crispier and less dry than if you cooked them in the oven.
As they require little to no oil and use hot air to cook your food instead, you can be sure that your food is tasty and healthy.
One of the main issues with air fryers, however, is that they often can’t cook large quantities of food at the same time. This is why they’re great for cooking appetizers!
These dishes aren’t meant to be consumed in large quantities so depending on the size of your air fryer and the number of people you’re catering to, one batch in your air fryer may be enough.
Whether you’re cooking appetizers, main meals, or desserts, there are a few tips you can follow to ensure that you always get the best results from your air fryer.
The most important tip to remember is that you shouldn’t overload your air fryer. The food is cooked when hot air brushes against it so you need to ensure that you don’t stack your food as this will prevent the air from circulating properly.
Food cooks best in an air fryer in single layers. This may mean you need to batch cook if your air fryer is small, but the end result will be worth it!
Final Thoughts
In this article, we introduced the 28 best appetizers for the air fryer. We included a wide variety of recipes, including several that are vegan, so no matter what the tastes of your guests are, there are sure to be some recipes for you.
We hope that you enjoy making these appetizers and that you find them as delicious as we do!
28 Best Appetizers For The Air Fryer
Ingredients
Directions
- Pick a recipe from above
- Click the recipe name and visit the website
- Collect the ingredients and the food
- Enjoy – don’t forget to leave a review
Recipe Video
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