The Best Air Fryer Cookbooks with Recipes Guaranteed to Impress
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Fry, roast, and bake like a pro with our favorite air fryer cookbooks for any skill level.
Food & Wine
While air fryers rose to popularity for their ability to yield restaurant-level fries and the crunchiest chicken tenders, they can do so much more. For example, they can produce elevated dishes like crispy fish or juicy pork chops that will still impress guests with a weeknight-dinner-level of effort.
Jakob Miller, founder of Barbecue Pals, stumbled onto the world of air fryers after his granddaughter became vegan and wanted to help her still enjoy his famous barbecue while keeping in line with her plant-based diet. So he picked up an air fryer but still needed a little nudge in the right direction. He soon discovered how helpful air fryer cookbooks can be.
“I would suggest looking for an air fryer cookbook that caters to your specific needs,” he says. “If you're a beginner, look for a cookbook that has easy-to-follow recipes with clear instructions. If you're cooking for one, look for a cookbook with portioned recipes that won't leave you with too many leftovers. And if you're a vegan or vegetarian, look for a cookbook that specializes in plant-based recipes.”
Whether you’re a newbie to air frying or just looking for some new air fryer recipes to add to your weekly rotation, we rounded up the best air fryer cookbooks to help you every step of the way.
The Essential Air Fryer Cookbook for Two: Perfectly Portioned Recipes for Healthier Fried Favorites
For smaller households, optimizing the cooking process is what it's all about. When looking for a quick dinner for two (or one with leftovers for the following day), it might seem tedious to bust out three or four pots and pans and turn the oven on for an hour. But with the recipes in Gina Kleinworth’s cookbook, the entire process is streamlined. Air fryer cooking for two saves time, dishes, and energy and keeps your kitchen cleaner. The recipes in this book are also perfect for cooking together.
Kleinworth has thought of it all — there are easy recipes for every meal of the day, plus specialized sections for dishes like crave-able veggies and even dessert. She also offers troubleshooting tips for when things may go awry, which we always appreciate when trying to master new appliances.
Price at time of publish: $19
Full title: The Essential Air Fryer Cookbook for Two: Perfectly Portioned Recipes for Healthier Fried Favorites
Author: Gina Kleinworth
Ebook Available: Yes
Pages: 149
Party in an Air Fryer: 75+ Air Fryer Recipes from the Editors at Delish
Air fryers can be a host’s biggest asset, and cooking for a big family or crowd is nearly effortless with this cookbook. Party in an Air Fryer’s recipes are straightforward and use ingredients you probably have on hand, eliminating the need to buy something you’ll never use the rest of or have to purchase twice as many groceries as usual.
Even if you’re an air fryer beginner or new to cooking for a crowd, these recipes are easy to follow and go beyond the mundane or simple things you can do with an air fryer to produce some truly exciting meals. We especially love the fun air fryer versions of classic snacks and party food like wings, tacos, and fried ravioli.
Price at time of publish: $26
Full title: Party in an Air Fryer: 75+ Air Fryer Recipes from the Editors at Delish
Author: Various
Ebook Available: No
Pages: 160
The Essential Air Fryer Cookbook for Beginners
If you’ve just begun your air fryer journey and don’t know where to start, The Essential Air Fryer Cookbook for Beginners is a good first purchase. Delving into the world of air frying is exciting but can be overwhelming. This cookbook will walk you through the basics, step by step.
The best part about this book is that, before the recipes even start, there’s a comprehensive section of “Air Fryer 101,” so you can soak up all of the knowledge you need to be an air fryer expert right off the bat. While this is a great book for anyone new to air fryers, it’s also a great guide for anyone new to cooking in general or living alone for the first time since the recipes are all beginner-friendly and helps develop foundational cooking knowledge.
Price at time of publish: $24
Full title: The Essential Air Fryer Cookbook for Beginners: Easy, Foolproof Recipes for Your Air Fryer
Author: Laurie Fleming
Ebook Available: Yes
Pages: 142
Related: The 6 Best Air Fryer Toaster Ovens of 2023, Tested and Reviewed
The Essential Vegan Air Fryer Cookbook
If you follow a vegan diet, you might think there isn’t much an air fryer can offer since they’re often marketed as a way to heat frozen food or snacks that often include animal products. But as author Tess Challis proves over and over again, nothing could be farther from the truth. Veggies and vegan proteins like tofu crisp up beautifully in the air fryer if you have the know-how to prepare them right, and that’s where this book comes in.
Challis does a phenomenal job of blending comfort recipes that evoke similar flavor memories of traditional meat-heavy recipes with modern, plant-forward dishes that feel delicious and nourishing. She also includes a handy chart in the back of common produce and their cook times, so this book is not only a cookbook but can also be used as a reference book in the kitchen.
Price at time of publish: $17
Full title: The Essential Vegan Air Fryer Cookbook: 75 Whole Food Recipes to Fry, Bake, and Roast
Author: Tess Challis
Ebook Available: Yes
Pages: 168
Related: The 7 Best Air Fryers of 2023, According to Our Tests
The Essential Air Fryer Cookbook
This is easily the most comprehensive air fryer cookbook on the market; it has a recipe for nearly everything you could think of. Not only does this volume contains lots of clever and unique dish ideas, but it also includes air fryer versions of recipes you probably already know and love.
So if you’ve been wondering how to adapt your favorite fish and chips or rib recipe for the air fryer, look no further than this book. Its collection of recipes feels very approachable and runs the gambit of cuisines, so there are many new things to try that don’t feel too intimidating if you’re new to a particular dish or technique. Mark Scarbrough and Bruce Weinstein are seasoned cookbook and food writing veterans, so you know you can trust these recipes to come out perfect each and every time.
Price at time of publish: $37
Full title: The Essential Air Fryer Cookbook: The Only Book You Need for Your Small, Medium, or Large Air Fryer
Author: Mark Scarbrough and Bruce Weinstein
Ebook Available: Yes
Pages: 432
Related: How to Use an Air Fryer For Crispy, Golden Results Every Time
Air Fry Every Day
The best thing about Ben Mims’ air fryer compendium is that he fully embraces an air fryer for what it is, playing to its strengths for the best possible quality in each recipe. Of course, we love a do-it-all cookbook, but Air Fry Every Day is a perfect example of using the right tool for the job — with recipes that an air fryer will naturally excel at.
We especially love Mims’ use of charring in the air fryer, a technique not often taken advantage of enough, if you ask us. Mims’ background includes several stints in test kitchens, so you know each recipe has been meticulously tested by someone who knows what they’re doing. And it shows: There are no extraneous steps or unnecessary dishes in this handy cookbook.
Price at time of publish: $20
Full title: Air Fry Every Day: 75 Recipes to Fry, Roast, and Bake Using Your Air Fryer: A Cookbook
Author: Ben Mims
Ebook Available: Yes
Pages: 160
Related: How to Clean Your Air Fryer, According to Pros
Air Fryer Perfection
America’s Test Kitchen knows a thing or two about recipe testing, so it’s no surprise that their air fryer cookbook is excellent. Fellow air fryer cookbook author and recipe developer for Best Recipes, Drew Maresco, recommends this book, “In typical ATK fashion, they break down the components of air fryers, share what to look for when buying one, and provide a list of air fryers that pass their rigorous tests,” he says. “They also provide incredibly helpful tips for getting consistent results with your air fryer.”
Like much of America’s Test Kitchen’s content, this book reads in a methodical way; there’s lots of reference information at the beginning, and the recipes are well-explained. It gives the impression of a thorough methodology and scientific approach, making the recipes feel foolproof. Even if you’re new to air frying, family and friends will be impressed with recipes like chicken parmesan and succulent salmon tacos with this thoroughly tested cookbook on your shelf.
Price at time of publish: $28
Full title: Air Fryer Perfection: From Crispy Fries and Juicy Steaks to Perfect Vegetables, What to Cook & How to Get the Best Results
Author: Various
Ebook Available: Yes
Pages: 182
Our Expertise
Nick DeSimone is a food writer and chef with nearly a decade of restaurant experience. Nick has written extensively about air fryers and has often used them in their personal and professional lives. They also spoke with Jakob Miller, the founder of Barbecue Pals, and Drew Maresco of Best Recipes, who have a wealth of culinary knowledge and a unique relationship with air fryers and air fryer cookbooks specifically.
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