Crab cakes are the best because you get all the deliciousness of crab without all of the tedious, messy work of pulling meat from the shells. They’re also super simple to assemble, but it can be a mess to pan fry them all. Enter the air fryer. Crab cakes are the ideal dish to cook in the air fryer because you want that crispy texture all around without ending up with an oil-logged cake. 

This recipe sticks to the classics, with mustard, Old Bay seasoning, and chives, and Saltine cracker crumbs as the binder. You gently fold in a whole pound of jumbo lump crab meat before air frying the cakes until perfectly golden brown. The result: a crab cake that has big chunks of crab meat and just enough filler ingredients to bind it all together—all without a ton of oil to weigh things down. 

Served alongside a classic tartar sauce, these crab cakes make for an extra-delicious dinner. 

delish!

Got leftover cooked brown rice languishing in the fridge? Then we have great news for you: It’s absolutely perfect in this healthy take on fried rice. Brown rice has a nuttier taste than white rice, and due to its higher fiber content, it keeps you full for longer. That means that a bowl of Air Fryer Fried Brown Rice doesn’t work as a side dish, but can be easily upgraded into a meal. If that’s your jam, top it with avocado or even a few slices of leftover steak. Pair Air Fryer Fried Brown Rice with Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry, Mapo Tofu, and Ginger Pork Pot Stickers.

The best thing about fried rice is that it works better with day-old grains. BUT we found this recipe works just as well with packaged cooked brown rice. Great news, cheaters! And, though you can cook brown rice in an air fryer, this recipe calls for already cooked brown rice. Have cooked white rice on hand instead? You can use that, too.

Cooking the fried rice in the air fryer is healthier than frying it in a pan, but it makes for a less crispy dish than the classic kind. If you’d prefer that, go with a wok or a skillet instead and use a traditional fried rice recipe, instead.

delish!

With our kitchen counters covered with appliances (slow cookers, waffle irons, stand mixers…), anything new has to be great. Turns out, the air fryer is TOTALLY worth it. Our top reasons why: We love deep-fried foods (who doesn’t?!), but we are not about all the oil, mess, and cleanup involved. The air fryer solves all of that, in less than half the time. It turns out the crispiest, crunchiest foods with juiciness still locked in, thanks to hot air convection cooking. Check out this list of all 100+ of our favorite air fryer recipes to see how versatile it truly can be—and if you don’t have one yet, consider this your sign to take the plunge!

What’s really wild is how often we use ours. It’s become our go-to for everything from breakfast to dessert, and has even edged out our toaster as our on-counter appliance of choice. Speaking of toast, you can make almost every one of your regular breakfasts in your air fryer. We’re talking omelets, muffins, avocado toast, sausage, bacon, pancakes… We know, WILD, right?

It’s just as good at helping you make delicious lunches and dinners too. If you’ve got a main dish you want to spend more hands-on time with, pop your sides in the air fryer and let it do all the work. Veggies like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, potatoes, zucchini, mushrooms & onions, and cauliflower all turn out incredible in the air fryer. You can also make your main dish IN the air fryer. It works magic with proteins like tofu, chicken drumsticks, meatballs, pork chops, fried chicken… even steak.

Need a last-minute appetizer? Stick with your favorites, but make them in your air fryer. Check out our air fryer stuffed Tuscan mushrooms, our air fryer deviled eggs, our loaded zucchini skins, or our air fryer everything bagel avocado fries for ideas—your air fryer can make them in half their usual time.

And we can’t forget dessert. The air fryer can turn out some really killer options, like a berry crisp, vegan zucchini chocolate cake (so moist!), apple pie “baked” apples, or GF peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. Also should be noted, the air fryer is great for reheating things, especially desserts. Have some leftover pie, and don’t want to turn on your oven to warm it up? Want to serve a warm brownie with your ice cream? Have a baked good that needs livening up? Pop them in your air fryer briefly and you’ll never guess they’re not fresh out of the oven.

delish!