As the temperature rises, if you want to avoid turning on that oven, the air fryer is the best option! Between long pool days and busy weeknights, I’m always looking for ways to get a delicious dinner on the table without breaking a sweat. That’s exactly why these Air Fryer Summer Recipes have become a staple in the summer season, plus easy enough for the kids to make too!
Whether you are craving juicy burgers, desserts, or seasonal vegetables, the air fryer is the best way to make them, especially in the summer. I’ve tested hundreds of recipes over the years, and these summer favorites are the ones my kids and I return to every single season. They are perfectly crispy and simple to make for lunch or dinner!
What are Air Fryer Summer Recipes?
Air Fryer summer recipes are a collection of quick, heat-free meals and side dishes that utilize rapid air circulation to cook food with a “grilled” or “fried” texture. These recipes focus on seasonal produce like corn, zucchini, peppers, and mains like burgers, hot dogs, and kabobs, all without heating your home.
Why you’ll love these recipes:
- No need to turn on the oven, these recipes keep the house cool!
- Faster than grilling and ready in under 20 minutes.
- Use healthy, fresh ingredients!
- These recipes are kid-friendly!
- Consistent results every single time.
- Easy cleanup, make it all in one dish!
Essential Ingredients for Air Fryer Summer Recipes:
- Fresh Sweet Corn – Perfect for making Air Fryer Mexican Street Corn or Elote in minutes!
- Zucchini and Yellow Squash – Use the air fryer to make air fried squash, much healthier than the deep fried alternative.
- Lean Proteins – Use chicken breast, burgers, and hot dogs; they all stay juicy in the air fryer. Salmon and Cod work well in the air fryer, too!
- Stone Fruits – Make tasty desserts with peaches and plums.
- Olive Oil Spray – A must-have when using the air fryer to get that golden brown finish.
Tips for Making Air Fryer Summer Recipes:
Using garden-fresh vegetables for recipes in the Air Fryer is quite possibly my favorite thing about summer!
Air Fryer Squash, Air Fried Green Tomatoes, Air Fryer Okra, and many more vegetables can easily be roasted or even fried in the air fryer in minutes.
Using fresh vegetables and adding them to the air fryer with a little bit of oil spray and garlic salt turns them into delicious side dishes. This is by far one of the best ways to serve up a variety of side dishes in the summer months.
This gives you some light, healthier options to make those vegetables just as delicious as deep-fried vegetables.
- Use parchment liners or silicone liners for the air fryer if preferred for even faster clean up.
- Let the meat sit for 5 minutes to seal in the juices before serving.
- Use olive oil spray for the golden brown finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
These recipes are perfect to teach the kids to make, too, especially if maybe an older one is watching younger kids.
Some recipes that are perfect for that age are Air Fryer Pizza Bagels, Air Fryer Taquitos, Air Fryer Corn Dogs, and Air Fryer Quesadillas. Other items that may be simple for the kids to use the air fryer for include frozen foods that are being heated in the air fryer.
This list will feature a variety to choose from, but those are some of our go-to recipes that the kids help make, too.
The air fryer is one of the best ways to cook frozen corn on the cob, frozen burgers, or frozen appetizers without any excess oil.
Use Olive Oil Cooking Spray or Grapeseed Oil Spray. I use Pompeian Oil Sprays; this works the best for the golden brown finish without using excess amounts of oil. Always use a spray, not an aerosol, as that will damage your air fryer.
Always have food in the air fryer before starting the machine. If you are preheating with parchment paper, place metal spoons on the parchment to keep it in place during the preheat.
Vegetables are going to be air fried between 375 degrees F and 400 degrees F for 8-12 minutes. Each recipe will have the specific time and temperature.
Air Fryer Summer Recipes will help you spend less time in the kitchen and more time out in the sunshine, plus your house won’t heat up with that oven on! These recipes are the perfect mix of kid-friendly and adult-friendly options, even for lunch items for the kids. What one will you start with?
Air Fryer Summer Recipes:
Air Fryer Summer Recipes
Ingredients
- Graham Crackers or Gluten-Free Graham Crackers
- Marshmallows
- Hershey’s Chocolate Bar Use 1/4 of a full size bar for each or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
Instructions
- Using a graham cracker, place half on the bottom of the air fryer with 1 marshmallow on top.
- Air Fryer at 390°F for 4 minutes. Watch closely as all air fryers heat differently. (Air Crisp Function of the Ninja Foodi)
- Once done, carefully remove with silicone tongs and add the chocolate and additional graham cracker on top.
- Serve.
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