13 Foods You're Not Cooking In Your Air Fryer But Should Be

Air fryers are one of the most convenient appliances out there. They cook foods quickly, easily, and as we know, give many foods a crispy finish. Plus, they do it without the need for a serious drenching in oil, so they are seen as a healthy alternative to traditional deep fryers. With all these perks in mind, you may be wondering how you can use your air fryer to cook more foods.

Yes, air fryers are great for cooking frozen fries and crisping root vegetables, but what else can you put in your air fryer? You'll be pleased to learn that your air fryer is equipped to cook just about anything you can think of — in many cases, it makes the task so simple you may never cook them another way again.

I love my air fryer. In fact, I use it pretty much daily and am always seeking new foods to prepare in it. As a result, many of the foods you find below come from my personal experiences in air fryer cooking. I also scoured subReddits, culinary sites, and food blogs to find some of the best, albeit lesser-known foods to cook in an air fryer. Keep reading to learn what my research and experience taught me so you can start making the most of your air fryer moving forward.

It's no secret to those who know me: I love pierogies. Like, a lot — I eat them all the time. While there are several ways to cook pierogies, one of the best ways is with an air fryer. Whether they are fresh or frozen, you can simply pop them in your air fryer's basket and cook them up in minutes. When they come out, they are deliciously crispy on the outside and soft and steamy inside — just how I like them.

I typically line my air fryer's basket with about six or seven frozen pierogies and cook them for 11 minutes at 380 degrees Fahrenheit, flipping them halfway. Sometimes I lightly spray them with oil, but it really isn't necessary. Once they are done, I season them according to my recipe or top them with cheese and put them back in for another minute. If I want to add veggies or sauce, I heat the additional ingredients on the stove and then mix everything together right before serving. This keeps the perogies crispy, even if I wind up smothering them in sauce (like green chile, buffalo, gravy, or Alfredo). No matter how you choose to enjoy pierogies, the possibilities are practically limitless, cooking them in your air fryer is a surefire path to delicious textures without a lot of oil or time spent in the oven.

They may be called baked potatoes, but there are actually several ways to prepare the tasty dish. As it turns out, one of the best ways to cook a baked potato is in an air fryer. Compared to the oven, which typically takes an hour or more, air fryers cook baked potatoes in just about 35 or 40 minutes (depending on how big they are). In addition to saving you time, air fryers are perfect for creating a soft fluffy interior paired with the coveted crispy skin, even if you don't coat them in oil. Whether you are cooking a standard starchy potato or a sweet potato, your air fryer is the key to a beautiful cook in less time.

To prepare baked potatoes in your air fryer, you'll want to follow pretty much the same process as you use for the oven. Start by poking a couple holes in the skin. Then, air fry them at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 35 minutes, maybe a few more for extra large potatoes. It's that simple.

The only real drawback to using your air fryer for baked potatoes is if you are making a large batch. My air fryer only holds two to four potatoes, again depending on their size, so not nearly as many as my oven can handle. However, you might have a bigger air fryer than me, so this might not be a drawback for you.

Another one of my all-time favorite foods to cook in an air fryer is chili rellenos. While they are traditionally fried, cooking them in the air fryer results in similarly crispy results. Plus, you get to forgo all the extra oil, leading to a healthier meal in the end. I'm not saying chili rellenos are necessarily healthy (the main ingredients include a chunk of cheese, breading, and a chili pepper), but compared to being deep fried, the air fryer certainly pushes you in the right direction.

Many of us simply consider chili rellenos to be a major green flag for Mexican restaurant menus, but they are actually much easier to make at home than most people think — especially when you bring an air fryer into the equation. I like to make my chili rellenos using egg roll wrappers too, which further simplifies the process. Instead of making a breading from scratch, I put Oaxaca cheese and fire roasted green chili strips into a wrapper. Then, I fold and roll it up (just like you would wrap an egg roll), apply a thin coating of oil, and place it in my air fryer basket. Once I have enough to line the pan, I cook them at 380 degrees Fahrenheit for about four to six minutes on each side. After the allotted time, they come out golden, crispy, and unbelievably delicious. All that's left is to smother them with green chile sauce and enjoy.

Similar to chili rellenos but in a class all their own, air fried egg rolls are fantastic. Both frozen and homemade egg rolls crisp up nicely in the appliance, almost like the deep fried ones you get from a restaurant. Most of us know frozen foods fare well in the air fryer, but the same goes for homemade egg rolls and when it comes down to it, the ones you wrap yourself always turn out tastier.

In addition to classic egg rolls stuffed with shredded cabbage, other veggies, and sometimes meat, you can fill your egg roll wrappers with a wide array of ingredients. One of my favorite fillings is a mix of veggies and beans with Mexican seasonings like cumin, coriander, paprika, cilantro, and cayenne pepper. They are perfect for dipping in salsa, green chile, queso, or guacamole. Another fantastic egg roll filling is macaroni and cheese. While a bit out of the ordinary, it turns the gooey, tasty dish into a convenient handheld treat.

Whatever you decide to stuff your egg rolls with, they should come out of the air fryer deliciously crispy in about eight to 10 minutes. I cook mine on high heat, between 380 and 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and rotate them halfway. I use a higher heat when my egg rolls are stuffed with drier ingredients and a bit lower when they contain gooey ingredients like cheese because I find it helps prevent any of the good stuff leaking out.

With a little help from your air fryer, you can easily turn fresh fruit into a sweet, warm dessert — and let me tell you, once you give it a try you'll never look back. Anything from cherries to apples to peaches to plantains or bananas are instantly transformed into a sweet treat anyone can love.

According to a comment on Reddit, apples are a fantastic choice: "I bought some small shallow round baking dishes (you can also improvise with tin foil), I core the apple, I pack the gap with mincemeat (fruit mince) and put on 190 for 20 minutes." Another commenter on the same subReddit recommends roasting pitted cherries in the air fryer. According to them, "Many fruits take on interesting new flavors and richness when you roast them," and I couldn't agree more. My favorite fruit to roast in the air fryer is peaches. After cooking, I drizzle them with a balsamic reduction. Then, I enjoy them all by themselves or put them on a pizza with hot honey.

Fresh bananas also make for the perfect one step air fryer dessert. Slice them up, lightly coat them with oil, and cook for 10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. You can also sprinkle them with brown sugar, cinnamon, or honey if you want to enrich the flavor even more. Grapes are another fresh fruit you need to put in the air fryer immediately. Or, for deliciously complex lemonade, you can air fry lemon halves before juicing.

Baking biscuits and bread inside your air fryer may seem like quite the feat, but it is surprisingly easy and leads to deliciously crusty results. Whether you like a pre-made biscuit mix or prefer making them from scratch, you can cook them in your air fryer just like you would in the oven. To convert an oven recipe for the air fryer, simply reduce the temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit and the cooking time by 20%. Homemade bread isn't off the table for your air fryer either. All you need is your favorite bread recipe and a springform pan that fits inside your air fryer's basket. Of course, you'll need to convert the temperature and cooking time too, but it is truly that easy.

If making biscuits or bread from scratch still seems like a lot, canned biscuits also cook up nicely in an air fryer. Simply spray your air fryer's basket with oil so they don't stick (parchment paper works too) and line them up inside. Start by cooking for about six minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, flip them over and continue cooking for approximately three or four minutes and they should be good to go. You can also easily toast bread in your air fryer by cooking for a couple of minutes on each side at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pre-made croutons you buy from the store never live up to my expectations. Sure, they do the trick in a pinch, but they are always super dry, hard, and in many cases, lack the flavors I desire. So, instead of settling for lackluster croutons, I simply make them in the air fryer. Just like toast, they only require a couple of minutes to reach the perfect crispy texture, and you can season them to your heart's content. Plus, stale bread can be reinvigorated by turning it into croutons. If you hate food waste as much as I do, this is a serious perk.

Amazingly, you can also transform fresh or stale croissants into flaky croutons, and it is just as easy as using bread — but you wind up with more drool-worthy texture and flavor. Just like with bread, you cut croissants into bite-sized chunks and coat them with oil or butter. However, croissants are already packed with butter, so you don't need as much as you would with regular bread. Once prepped, toss them in your air fryer and cook at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for about three minutes. Then, flip them over and repeat. Just make sure to keep an eye on them and adjust the time accordingly so you get the ideal light and fluffy texture without burning them along the way.

Most of us are in a hurry in the morning, so making a big deal out of breakfast isn't always in the cards. However, whether you are in a rush or not, your air fryer makes cooking eggs a breeze. It isn't a one trick pony either, as there are several delicious ways to air fry eggs. You can fry, scramble, poach, or hard boil them in your air fryer with surprising ease. Or, for something slightly more involved, you can try your hand at frittatas.

Using an air fryer for eggs is not only easy, but it saves you time and minimizes effort. Once they go in the basket with some foil or parchment paper, you don't have to watch over them like you would a pan on the stove. Basically, you can consider breakfast handled in a matter of moments. If you air fry toast as well, you'll have a satisfying breakfast in no time.

Your air fryer is the perfect appliance for making juicy, tender meats of all kinds. Seriously, it's pretty impressive how it tackles just about any type of meat dish you want to conquer. Anything from chicken (frozen or fresh) to jerky to bacon to meatloaf and pork comes out of the air fryer cooked to perfection. You don't have to stop with red meat and poultry — seafoods such as shrimp and scallops are also easily cooked in an air fryer. Moral of the story: The sky's the limit. Some people even like to twist bacon for an uber crispy air fried batch with a unique presentation. 

A Reddit commenter revealed how they like to make pork steak in the air fryer. They cut it up into small pieces, fat included, and add some chopped onions to the mix — and then, they "... coat with Worcestershire sauce and air fry for 15 minutes at 400 degrees," bone and all.

Considering what we now know about cooking eggs and toast in the air fryer, you may be wondering, is there a way to combine them? Lucky us, there is and it comes in the form of French toast. You can take it a step further too by stuffing it with tasty ingredients like cream cheese, fresh or canned fruit, sweet sauces, and more. However you decide to dress it up, the result is French toast with a wonderfully crispy exterior and a deliciously soft interior.

To make air fryer French toast you start just like you would when cooking on the stove. Dip your bread in an egg batter with a few seasonings. Then, line your air fryer's basket with parchment paper and place it inside. Cook for three to six minutes at 370 degrees Fahrenheit, flip, and cook for an additional two or three minutes. You'll know it is done when it reaches an appealing golden brown color.

Another fantastic food to cook in your air fryer is cheesecake. According to a Reddit commenter, all you need is a springform pan that fits inside your air fryer's basket and it turns out perfectly. Someone asked if it was messy, but apparently the pan ensures it isn't.

To air fry cheesecake, you put it together just like normal. Then, instead of pushing it in the oven, place the pan in your air fryer and cook at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes. It may need a couple minutes more, but you'll know it's done when the center of the cake barely wobbles. Next, crack the air fryer and leave the cheesecake inside to cool for about 30 minutes. After enough time has passed, remove the pan from the air fryer and put it on a wire rack until completely cool. Finally, cover your cheesecake and pop it in the fridge to cool for a few hours before slicing and serving.

You'll be pleased to learn that everyone's favorite comfort food, macaroni and cheese, is another thing you can cook in your air fryer. When done right, it leads to a crispy edge and gooey center that even your oven would be jealous of. Plus, you can use any recipe you want — you just need to convert the time and temperature from a baked recipe and you're good to go. Typically, reducing the temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit and the cooking time by 20% will suffice.

Compared to your oven, air fryer mac and cheese cooks significantly faster. Some recipes say you don't even need to pre-cook the noodles first. They can go in dry, which further minimizes the time needed for cooking. To pull this off, you'll want an air fryer baking pan — but many come with one. Once you have the right equipment, simply add cheese, milk, noodles, butter and seasoning to the pan and stick it in the air fryer. Then, cook it for approximately 15 to 18 minutes at 360 degrees Fahrenheit. Every five minutes you'll also want to give it a stir to ensure all ingredients come together as desired. When it's almost done, I also like to add an additional layer of cheese on the top to achieve a crispy finish.

If you aren't already using your air fryer to reheat leftovers, you should be. In fact, it's one of my favorite uses for the appliance. It does a fantastic job reheating anything. Seriously, from leftover bacon to savory wraps to pasta and veggies — all heat up beautifully in an air fryer. You probably want to put a piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper beneath messier foods like pasta, but even so, your air fryer is ready to deliver tasty leftovers to your plate in a matter of minutes.

Compared to an oven, an air fryer preheats much quicker, so you get to enjoy leftovers significantly faster. Air fryers are also quicker than the stovetop and more accommodating. I mean, have you ever reheated a burrito in a pan? I wouldn't recommend it.

Your microwave may be a bit faster than your air fryer regarding reheating leftovers, but it is no match when it comes to the finished texture. For example, microwaved pizza pales in comparison to air fried pizza. The air fryer easily brings the crust back to its original crispy glory, whereas the microwave results in a soft, or sometimes hard crust. The same can be said for reheated pie crust and other types of bread, including tortillas.