You Just Got an Air Fryer—Here are 12 Low-Calorie Recipes to Make First

Looking for light yet nutritious dinner options you can make in your new air fryer? These delicious dishes are a perfect fit. From 400-calorie mains to side dishes with no more than 200 calories per serving, these low-calorie recipes can help you meet your nutritional goals. Recipes like our Air-Fryer Beets with Feta and Air-Fryer Coconut Shrimp are tasty ways to make the best use out of your air fryer.

1. Air-Fryer Beets with Feta

This air-fryer beets with feta recipe is a great way to enjoy beets. It’s super easy to throw together, and it’s just as good eaten cold as part of a salad as it is warm on its own.

2. Air-Fryer Fish Tacos

These air-fryer fish tacos get their kick from a crispy breadcrumb coating that’s spiked with chili powder. Avocado crema helps balance the flavors, while shredded cabbage slaw adds crunch. These easy air-fryer fish tacos are finished with fresh tomato, but feel free to add your own favorite toppings to the mix.

3. Air-Fryer Brussels Sprouts

These super-crispy and browned air-fryer Brussels sprouts with sweet onions and salty bacon–all amped up with bright lemon juice–are sure to be a hit, whether you serve them for a weeknight side dish or as part of your holiday spread for Thanksgiving. This recipe makes enough to serve eight but is easily halved, though once you taste it you may well want a double serving. And if you prefer a vegetarian side, simply omit the bacon.

4. Air-Fryer Rotisserie Chicken

Replicate the flavor, lovely burnished skin and moist texture of a classic rotisserie chicken with this easy recipe for cooking a whole chicken in your air fryer. With just a handful of ingredients and 10 minutes of active time, you get a roast chicken with lemon and herbs that’s a remarkable doppelganger for a deli chicken right after it comes out of the rotisserie. Serve this air-fryer rotisserie chicken with your favorite veggie sides for a healthy weeknight dinner or weekend supper. And if you’re hosting a dinner party, cooking your main course in the air fryer is also a great way free up oven space for casseroles, rolls and other dishes.

5. Air-Fryer Coconut Shrimp

This air-fryer coconut shrimp is quick and easy to assemble. We dip these crispy shrimp in a hot-and-sweet chili sauce made from scratch, but any store-bought dipping sauce will pair nicely with this easy appetizer.

6. Air-Fryer Eggplant

This air-fryer eggplant is crispy on the outside with a tender middle. You can fit more slices in the basket when you use smaller eggplant. Dip these crispy slices in marinara or pesto, or drizzle with balsamic glaze.

7. Air-Fryer Salmon with Horseradish Rub

A crust of fresh horseradish, parsley and capers turns delicately crispy on this air-fried salmon. It’s an impressive dinner that’s also super simple to make. If you can’t find fresh horseradish, use a high-quality prepared product. Be sure to drain and squeeze it to remove as much moisture as possible.

8. Air-Fryer Beer-Battered Fish

We love a crispy piece of beer-battered fish, but we don’t always want the calories that come with deep-frying. So we turned to the air fryer to develop a recipe with all the characteristics of the traditional dish—a light, crunchy-yet-airy exterior and a flaky, luscious interior. The secret to this recipe is in the method. Traditionally, the fish would go into a wet beer batter and then cook in hot oil. But in order to work in the air fryer, we needed to make some important changes. Get all the step-by-steps below, and learn how we tweaked the process, from the dredge to the oil, to create crispy air-fried fish.

9. Air-Fryer Baby Potatoes

These savory air-fryer potatoes are crispy on the outside and make a perfect no-fuss side dish that pairs well with just about everything while freeing up your oven.

10. Air-Fryer Buffalo Wings

A sports bar favorite comes home with these deliciously crispy chicken wings in the air fryer, which require just 10 minutes of active prep time. In fact, one of EatingWell’s recipe testers declared this air-fryer Buffalo wing recipe “a reason to buy an air fryer.” Add a spicy sauce, carrot sticks, celery sticks and ranch dressing for dipping and you have a healthy take on wings that’s sure to score.

11. Air Fryer Chicken Breast

An easy and delicious take on chicken breasts that takes just 12 minutes to make. With a golden brown crusting and a tender inside, these chicken breasts are perfect by themselves or added in a light salad.

12. Frozen Brussel Sprouts in the Air Fryer

Need an easy veggie that’s ready in under 15 minutes? Throw some frozen brussel sprouts in the air fryer for an irresistibly crispy side!

Air-Fryer Tilapia

This quick and simple air-fryer tilapia recipe is perfect for busy weeknights. The tilapia is moist and flaky and gets brightened up with lemon zest and fresh herbs.