AirFryerCookbook

Cook by · Pillar

Cooking For & With Children

Feeding kids is the longest con in cooking: you are building palates that outlast you. So we don't dumb the food down. We hide the vegetables when we must, we hand kids the safe jobs, and we treat a six-year-old as a cook in training rather than a customer to be appeased.

Guides for this kitchen

47 recipes

Air Fryer Tequeños

Appetizer

Air Fryer Tequeños

Venezuela's party-defining cheese sticks — salty white cheese wrapped in a spiral of dough and air-fried until golden, crisp, and dangerously poppable.

Air Fryer Maduros

Sides

Air Fryer Maduros

Cuban sweet plantains with caramelized edges and custardy centers — the beloved comida criolla side, air-fried with a fraction of the usual oil.

Air Fryer Apple Hand Pies

Dessert

Air Fryer Apple Hand Pies

Golden, sugar-crusted apple hand pies from the air fryer — real cinnamon-apple filling in flaky pastry, no oven preheat and no soggy bottoms.

Air Fryer Honey-Glazed Carrots

Sides

Air Fryer Honey-Glazed Carrots

Caramel-edged carrots in a honey glaze that actually clings — sweet enough for the kids at the table, roasty enough that adults finish the bowl.

Air Fryer Hash Browns

Breakfast

Air Fryer Hash Browns

Shredded-from-scratch hash browns with lacy, golden edges — the squeeze-the-water trick that makes them crisp, no flat-top or pool of oil required.

Air Fryer Egg Bites (Gluten-Free)

Breakfast

Air Fryer Egg Bites (Gluten-Free)

Wobbly, cheesy, blender-simple egg bites in a silicone mold — the make-ahead breakfast that survives a school-morning microwave with dignity intact.

Air Fryer Corn Ribs

Sides

Air Fryer Corn Ribs

The viral quartered-cob corn cut, honestly assessed: yes they curl, yes they're fun — and yes the cutting is genuinely hard. Here's the safe way.

Air Fryer Turkey Burgers (Dairy-Free)

Dinner

Air Fryer Turkey Burgers (Dairy-Free)

Turkey burgers that don't apologize — an egg binder, a grated-onion trick, and steady basket heat keep the lean meat honest and juicy.

Air Fryer Green Beans

Sides

Air Fryer Green Beans

Blistered, wrinkled, snackable green beans — the takeout-style kind, not the squeaky steamed kind. Twelve minutes, four ingredients, zero regrets.

Air Fryer French Toast Sticks

Breakfast

Air Fryer French Toast Sticks

Custardy inside, cinnamon-sugar crisp outside, and built for small hands and syrup-dunking — French toast sticks without the butter-splattered skillet.

Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes

Breakfast

Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes

Crispy-edged, paprika-dusted breakfast potatoes in 20 minutes flat — no skillet babysitting, no oven preheat, naturally vegan and gluten-free.

Air Fryer Brownies

Dessert

Air Fryer Brownies

Fudgy, chip-studded brownies from a 7-inch pan in the air fryer — a true small batch with proper shiny-top chew and no oven heating up the kitchen.

Air Fryer Quesadillas

Snacks

Air Fryer Quesadillas

Crisp-blistered quesadillas without the skillet shuffle — the toothpick trick keeps the tortilla down, and the air fryer does the rest in six minutes.

Air Fryer Onion Rings

Snacks

Air Fryer Onion Rings

Panko-crusted, buttermilk-dipped onion rings that crunch out loud — no egg, no deep fryer, and a three-bowl dredging line the kids can run solo.

Air Fryer Grilled Cheese

Snacks

Air Fryer Grilled Cheese

The air fryer makes a shockingly good grilled cheese — evenly golden both sides at once, molten middle, no flipping anxiety and no babysitting a pan.

Air Fryer Meatballs

Dinner

Air Fryer Meatballs

Browned-all-over Italian-American meatballs in 12 minutes — panko, parmesan, and an honest word about why there's no Worcestershire here.

Air Fryer Steak Bites (Gluten-Free)

Dinner

Air Fryer Steak Bites (Gluten-Free)

Seared-edge sirloin cubes rolled in garlic butter — ten minutes from cutting board to table, and nobody fights over the end piece.

Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies

Dessert

Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies

A small-batch of six real chocolate chip cookies — crisp rims, molten middles — baked in the air fryer in eight minutes with no oven preheat.

Air Fryer Chicken Breast (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Dinner

Air Fryer Chicken Breast (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

A quick brine, a hot basket, and a real rest — boneless chicken breast that's actually juicy, not the dry white slab you've learned to expect.

Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

Dinner

Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

Real chicken tenders with a shattering panko crust — the kid-table classic, air-fried juicy and golden without the drive-through or the deep fryer.

Air Fryer French Fries

Sides

Air Fryer French Fries

Real-deal french fries from actual potatoes — soaked, double-cooked, honestly explained. Not deep-fryer fries, but closer than you'd ever believe.

Air Fryer Beef Empanadas

Snacks

Air Fryer Beef Empanadas

Flaky, golden hand pies stuffed with spiced beef, olives, and egg — Argentine empanadas baked crisp in the air fryer instead of fried or oven-baked.

Air Fryer Hidden-Veggie Chicken Nuggets (Nut-Free, Dairy-Free)

Dinner

Air Fryer Hidden-Veggie Chicken Nuggets (Nut-Free, Dairy-Free)

Crunchy homemade nuggets with a stealth serving of vegetables blended in — nut-free, dairy-free, and built for actual children.

Air Fryer Granola Clusters (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free)

Breakfast

Air Fryer Granola Clusters (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free)

Craggy, crunchy granola clusters from a handful of pantry staples — vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, and ready in a fraction of the oven's time.

Air Fryer Banana Oat Muffin Bites (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Breakfast

Air Fryer Banana Oat Muffin Bites (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Tender little banana-oat muffin bites sweetened by ripe fruit — gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and built for lunchboxes and small hands.

Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Dinner

Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Crisp rolled corn tortillas stuffed with seasoned shredded chicken — a Mexican antojito made gluten-free and dairy-free, weeknight-fast in the air fryer.

Air Fryer Elote (Mexican Street Corn)

Sides

Air Fryer Elote (Mexican Street Corn)

Charred corn on the cob slathered in lime crema, cotija, and chili — Mexico City's classic street snack, brought to a crisp in the air fryer.

Air Fryer Cinnamon Apple Chips (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

Dessert

Air Fryer Cinnamon Apple Chips (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

Thin, sweet-tart apple chips dusted with cinnamon and nothing else — a vegan, gluten-free, whole-food snack that's just fruit, heat, and patience.

Air Fryer Shawarma Cauliflower

Sides

Air Fryer Shawarma Cauliflower

Cauliflower florets rubbed in warm shawarma spice and roasted crisp-edged in the air fryer — all the spit-roast flavor, none of the meat at all.

Air Fryer Japanese Sweet Potato

Snacks

Air Fryer Japanese Sweet Potato

Purple-skinned Japanese sweet potatoes air-fried whole until the flesh turns dense, chestnut-sweet, and custardy — a whole-food snack with nothing added.

Air Fryer Puff Puff

Dessert

Air Fryer Puff Puff

Soft, yeasty Nigerian dough balls dusted in sugar — the beloved party and street snack, made with just a fraction of the deep-fry oil in the air fryer.

Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

Sides

Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

Crisp-edged, tender-centered sweet potato fries with nothing but oil and salt — vegan, gluten-free, and the honest whole-food side everyone fights over.

Air Fryer Filipino Lumpia

Appetizer

Air Fryer Filipino Lumpia

Crisp pork-and-vegetable lumpia Shanghai, rolled thin and air-fried golden — the Filipino party staple, lightened from the deep fryer for the whole table.

Air Fryer Aloo Tikki (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

Snacks

Air Fryer Aloo Tikki (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

Crisp-edged spiced potato patties — North India's beloved aloo tikki, air-fried with no deep-frying, naturally vegan, gluten-free, and built from whole foods.

Air Fryer Greek Lemon Potatoes (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

Sides

Air Fryer Greek Lemon Potatoes (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

Golden potato wedges bright with lemon, garlic, and oregano — the Greek taverna side dish, made vegan and gluten-free with a short whole-food ingredient list.

Air Fryer Jollof-Spiced Potato Wedges

Sides

Air Fryer Jollof-Spiced Potato Wedges

Crisp potato wedges seasoned with the smoky, tomato-pepper spice profile of Nigerian jollof — a whole-food side with a West African accent.

Air Fryer Salt & Pepper Tofu

Snacks

Air Fryer Salt & Pepper Tofu

Crisp tofu tossed with toasted Sichuan-pepper salt, fried chili, and scallion — the Cantonese takeout classic, made vegan and gluten-free at home.

Air Fryer Zucchini Fries (Dairy-Free)

Snacks

Air Fryer Zucchini Fries (Dairy-Free)

Crunchy breaded zucchini fries — a dairy-free, nut-free, kid-approved way to turn a glut of summer squash into the snack everyone reaches for.

Air Fryer Churros

Dessert

Air Fryer Churros

Cinnamon-sugar churros with a tender, custardy inside and crisp ridged shell — the Spanish café classic, made in the air fryer with far less oil.

Air Fryer Falafel

Dinner

Air Fryer Falafel

Craggy, herb-green falafel from soaked dried chickpeas — crisp outside, fluffy within, and crisped in moving air instead of a deep vat of oil.

Air Fryer Vegetable Samosas (Vegan)

Snacks

Air Fryer Vegetable Samosas (Vegan)

Crisp, golden vegetable samosas with a spiced potato-and-pea filling — the South Asian teatime classic, air-fried instead of deep-fried and fully vegan.

Air Fryer Chicken Schnitzel

Dinner

Air Fryer Chicken Schnitzel

Thin, golden, shatter-crisp chicken schnitzel — the Austrian classic done in moving air, dairy-free, kid-friendly, and ready for a squeeze of lemon.

Air Fryer Plantain Chips

Snacks

Air Fryer Plantain Chips

Thin, brittle plantain crisps with a fraction of the oil — the West African snack that beats any bagged version, made from one ingredient plus salt.

Air Fryer Balsamic Brussels Sprouts (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

Sides

Air Fryer Balsamic Brussels Sprouts (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

Crisp-edged Brussels sprouts glazed in reduced balsamic — a fast, whole-food side that's vegan, gluten-free, and good enough to convert a skeptic.

Air Fryer Onion Pakora (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

Snacks

Air Fryer Onion Pakora (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

Crisp, spiced onion fritters bound in chickpea flour — South Asia's monsoon-day pakora, air-fried instead of deep-fried, naturally vegan and gluten-free.

Air Fryer Tostones

Snacks

Air Fryer Tostones

Twice-cooked green plantains smashed flat and crisped — the everyday Puerto Rican staple, made with barely a slick of oil in the air fryer instead.

Air Fryer Za'atar Sweet Potato Wedges

Sides

Air Fryer Za'atar Sweet Potato Wedges

Sweet potato wedges crisped in the air fryer and dusted with za'atar — caramelized edges, herby-tangy crust, one whole vegetable and a spice blend.