Best Air Fryer Cookbook
Perhaps you’re thinking of buying an air fryer. Or maybe you’ve received one as a gift but it’s still in the box because you don’t know what to cook in it. If any of these two scenarios has you nodding your head and saying, ‘Yes, that’s me,’ then it’s time for you to invest in a good air fryer cookbook.
An air fryer is an amazing little appliance that can be used to cook all manner of food, whether you are a carnivore, vegetarian, vegan or partial to southern style cooking. The key to reaping the benefits of an air fryer is to find a cookbook that will open the door to hundreds of delicious recipes and lead you down the pathway to a new culinary experience.
But more than that, the right book will also explain all the functions of an air fryer, the different kinds available on the market, and most importantly, how to correctly use the one you have.
We feature six air fryer cookbooks you can purchase online. Read on to discover the one – or the ones – that suit you best.
1. Best for Beginners: The Essential Air Fryer Cookbook for Beginners
If you’re just starting your air fryer journey, or you’re gifting a friend with an air fryer and you want to start them off on the right culinary foot, then this air fryer cookbook for beginners is an ideal choice.
Available in kindle, hardcover and paperback, this easy to read 142-page cookbook is a great guide for first-time users of an air fryer. Even before the list of recipes begins, the book covers the basics in the first chapter, vital information that will lay the foundation to successful results. This includes an explanation of how an air fryer works, and the different kinds of models out there on the market, all of which offer up different functions, bells and whistles.
Then come the recipes, 75 of them that contain easy-to-source, affordable ingredients and accompanied by full color photos. From cinnamon rolls and sweet potato fries to southern fried chicken, it runs the gamut from breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and desserts, all using less oil and cooking much faster than with a conventional oven.
Find out all the amazing things your air fryer can do by using this cookbook geared specifically for beginners.
Pros:
- 75 recipes with color photos
- Complete guideline on how to use an air fryer
- Ideal for novice air fryer owners
Cons:
- Some information may not be of interest to seasoned air fryer users
2. Best for Two People: The Essential Air Fryer Cookbook for Two
It’s not always easy cooking for two – or even for one. And if you’ve never used an air fryer before, it may not even occur to you that it’s possible to prepare quick and easy meals for yourself or for you and your partner.
This thoughtfully executed cookbook was specifically developed for anyone who wants to be able to create delicious meals for two people, or for one person with leftovers. The 164-page cookbook, that is available in kindle, paperback and a super-convenient spiral-back form (great for anyone who loves to use a hard-copy book where the pages lay flat on their own), is filled with more than 100 recipes to share with a partner, roommate, a friend, or to eat on your own with delicious leftovers.
For those of you who are new to using an air fryer, the cookbook starts with an intro into the essentials, with a complete guideline that includes step-by-step instructions, answers to some popular FAQs and pointers on cooking successfully for two.
You’ll benefit from helpful tips on how to get the most out of each recipe, including ingredient swaps, the best and worst foods for air frying, the staples to keep stocked in your pantry, gluten-free options and how to shop and meal prep for two.
Using every day ingredients that can be found at your grocery store, you’ll have fun creating new and delicious means with speedy prep and cook times and minimal clean up.
Pros:
- Available in spiral bound soft cover book
- All recipes are portioned for two
- Includes step-by-step instructions
Cons:
- May not be suitable for large family meals
3. Best Healthy Recipes: The Skinnytaste Air Fryer Cookbook: The 75 Best Healthy Recipes for Your Air Fryer
Truth is, you just can’t eat the same kind of foods you used to as a kid. These days, the pounds keep piling on and you just can’t stick to a healthy diet because you miss all of your favorite foods. And while cooking with an air fryer does end up using less oil – and therefore less calories – it’s not always intuitive to be able to make every meal in a way to lose weight.
This air fryer cookbook from New York Times bestselling author Gina Homolka includes 75 quick and easy recipes that deliver on her Skinnytaste signature “light on calories, big on flavor” promise.
Inside the 164-page cookbook, that is available on kindle, in paperback and hard cover, you’ll find your favorite comfort foods transformed into healthy, low-cal versions of themselves, complete with the flavor and taste you love.
The recipes in the book will work in any type of air fryer, including basket models and countertop ovens with air fryer settings, so you don’t have to go out and buy a specific model. Some of the dishes you will find include: chicken-vegetable spring rolls, crispy coconut shrimp, and pickle-brined chicken tenders, as well as sugar and spice acorn squash. And if you’re really trying to lose weight but still crave sweets, you’ll find low-cal desserts for churros and very berry mini pie.
Many dishes are vegetarian, gluten-free, and keto-friendly, and every recipe includes nutritional information, so you can count calories. The recipes also include cook times for a conventional oven in case you haven’t gone out to purchase an air fryer yet.
This air fryer cookbook makes an ideal gift for anyone who wants to eat healthy, lose weight, and still enjoy what they are eating.
Pros:
- Recipes include nutritional info
- Includes vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free and keto-friendly recipes
- Includes cook times for conventional ovens
Cons:
- All versions are more expensive than other air fryer cookbooks
4. Top Pick Best for Vegetarians: The Essential Vegetarian Air Fryer Cookbook
When it comes to air fryers, what immediately comes to mind for many people are chicken wings, fried chicken and other meaty delectables. Sure, there’s lots of talk about French fries and sweet potato fries, but for other plant-based favorites, not much is said about air fryers. Well, if you live the vegetarian life and want to have the quick and easy air fryer experience, then you may want to check out this air fryer cookbook designed especially for non-meat eaters.
This 158-page vegetarian inspired air fryer cookbook features 74 delicious veggie-based meals for die-hard vegetarians as well as anyone who wants to include more vegetables into their diet. The recipes in this book include sautéing, steaming, simmering, baking and frying a wide range of dishes using different flavors from Tex-Mex and American classics to Italian, Spanish, Asian and Thailand-inspired recipes.
The book begins with air fryer basics, including pantry staples and some of the different air fryer models available on the market, and moves on to the recipes, covering everything from breakfast, lunch and dinner to snacks and desserts.
Pros:
- 75 vegetarian recipes
- A mixture of different cuisines, tastes and flavors
- Available on kindle and in paperback
Cons:
- Not recommended on anyone on a keto diet
5. Best for Losing Weight: Air Fryer Cookbook for Weight Loss
An air fryer will cook food faster than a conventional oven and uses less oil to make crispy food like French fries and crispy chicken wings. But that doesn’t mean if you’re looking to lose weight, you’re guaranteed to do so solely by using an air fryer. Like most successful weight-loss efforts, it takes help from a professional to carve the best path to suit your cooking style and eating preferences to take the weight off – permanently and in a healthy way.
This 168-page cookbook that is available on kindle or in paperback has been created to enable you to make healthier versions of your favorite fried food and lost weight, without sacrificing taste and flavor. The author, Jamie Yonash ate all of the comfort foods she loved and never had a problem with her weight until she got older, had four children and developed an autoimmune disorder that resulted in her taking medication that made it difficult to keep her weight down. She said cooking in an air fryer was a game-changer for her, prompting this former nurse to share her recipes so others could lose weight, too.
Using ingredients you can find in the grocery store, the recipes are easy to follow and cover breakfast, snacks, hearty main dishes and sides, including a wide variety of vegetables that many people may not consider eating using another cooking style.
The cookbook also includes fresh and frozen ingredients and offers up tips on handling food pairings, substitutions, food allergies and sensitivities, which foods to avoid and the ‘plate’ approach to eating. Whether you want to lose weight or not, this cookbook offers a healthier way to prepare all of your meals.
Pros:
- Weight-loss meals
- Includes substitutions
- Easy to follow recipes
Cons:
- Not every recipe has a photo
6. Best for Keto: Keto Air Fryer: 100+ Delicious Low-Carb Recipes
If you are thinking of following a keto lifestyle, or you are already on board and need new inspiration to make keto-friendly meals in your air fryer, then this is the air fryer cookbook for you.
While eating the keto way is not for everyone, those who do follow it swear by its health and weight-loss benefits. Using an air fryer to prepare keto-compliant meals only adds to the flavor and taste of keto favorites. Author Maria Emmerich knows her stuff: a wellness expert in nutrition and exercise physiology, she is the author of 16 keto cookbooks, speaks globally about the keto lifestyle and works with celebrities including Halle Berry.
This 262-page cookbook, which is available on kindle, paperback and spiral-bound, is filled with some of her favorite recipes, including no-corn dogs, breakfast pizza, buffalo chicken legs and pumpkin cheesecake hand pies. There is information on what keto is and how it affects your body, as well as tips to keep you on track using the ease of your air fryer.
Pros:
- Written by a wellness expert in nutrition
- Ideal for a keto lifestyle
- More than 100 keto-compliant recipes for the air fryer
Cons:
- Not suitable for anyone not following a keto diet
What to look for:
There is no doubt that using an air fryer is a quick and healthy way to prepare your favorite meals. With so many different models available on the market, it can be somewhat confusing to chose one that best suits your needs. But more importantly, even if you find one that suits your taste and budget, there is still a bit of a learning curve to getting the most out of your air fryer. That’s where a good air fryer cookbook comes in. And even if you’ve mastered the art of using an air fryer, using a cookbook will only enhance that knowledge and introduce you to recipes that you may have never otherwise considered.
When choosing a good air fryer cookbook, there are some things to consider before making a choice, although keep in mind that when it comes to cookbooks, having more than one or two only makes the end result that much sweeter.
Education: An important factor to look for in an air fryer cookbook is a section that clearly and easily explains how an air fryer works, as well as the different models available on the market and the different features that they offer. In this way, you will be able to use the recipes to your advantage depending of the kind of air fryer that you have.
Eating style: While we all might own an air fryer, or wish to purchase one, that’s where the similarity ends. We all enjoy different kinds of food and follow different diet regimes. Vegan, carnivore, vegetarian, pescatarian, keto, paleo – well, you get the idea. So when it comes to an air fryer cookbook, look for one that reflects your eating style, because when it comes down to it, it’s really all about the food. If you don’t like the ingredients or the recipes, you’re not going to use the cookbook. The best thing to do is to find an air fryer cookbook that reflects your tastes with easy-to-follow steps, a reasonable amount of ingredients and colorful photographs to illustrate the final product to make your cooking experience more enjoyable.
Photo credit: Ika Rahma H/Shutterstock