The air fryer is the perfect way to cook crispy, delicious appetizers. From crispy chicken wings to hot bubbly cheese dip, bite-sized snacks to share plates of nachos and fries, and everything in-between. The air fryer makes appetizer cooking quick and easy. This collection of more than 30 air fryer appetizers has something for everyone.
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We love using our air fryer for making delicious, homemade appetizers. The air fryer is the perfect way to make crispy, perfectly cooked appetizers quickly.
Because it cooks quickly you can make multiple batches of appetizers throughout the day without much work. Especially if you have everything ready and just have to pop them into the basket.
This is great when you want to make small batches of many appetizer varieties. Or when people are arriving all through the day and you want to refresh the platter with hot snacks, such as New Year’s or game-day.
We have used our air fryer for everything, from the ever-popular chicken wings to crispy breaded shrimp. From roll-ups like spicy chicken taquitos to hot, bubbly cheese dip.
And if you are just cooking for yourself, or a late-night snack, then the air fryer is perfect because of its smaller size and quick cook-time.
We’ve selected more than 30 delicious appetizers for this collection that we think you will love. There is something for everyone.
Chicken wings are one of the most requested air fryer appetizer recipes. The good news is that the air fryer cooks beautifully crispy wings with little effort. It cooks quickly and evenly and gets those wings just as crispy as if they were cooked in a deep fat fryer.
There are endless variations to choose from, but for this collection, we’ve chosen some of our favourites. From spicy buffalo wings to garlicky parmesan wings, milder BBQ wings, and simply seasoned crispy wings there is a wing for everyone.
Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Wings
Crispy air fried wings tossed in a buttery, garlic parmesan coating. These wings are full of flavour and are perfect for an appetizer or snack.
Made with a few simple seasonings and your favourite BBQ sauce, Air Fryer BBQ Wings are mouth-watering delicious. The best part? They only take 20 minutes!
These chicken wings are breaded with spices and air fried. Then they are tossed in sweet chili sauce and cooked again. The double cooking makes them extra crispy, with a spicy, sticky coating and they are super quick to make.
These Air Fryer Buffalo Wings are so good you’d never know they weren’t deep fried. They are spicy, saucy and super flavourful. They are perfect for game-day or anytime you are craving a plate of wings.
You are going to love these extra crispy wings. Cooked in the air fryer, and perfectly seasoned, they are quick and easy. They can be served with your favourite dip or eaten as is. Grab a plate and dig in.
Air fried chicken wings in a hot honey sauce are a delicious wing that will have you reaching for more. On the table in just 30 minutes they make a perfect appetizer or snack when you need something quick.
Are you making your own recipe, or reheating some frozen appetizers but are unsure how long to cook them for? Visit our comprehensive post on air fryer cooking times and get yourfree printable air fryer cooking chart.
Air Fried Seafood
We love using our air fryer for cooking seafood appetizers. Because the air fryer uses air circulation to cook, it cooks quickly allowing that delicious seafood to stay plump and juicy. Anything with a breading will have a crisp exterior while the seafood will stay deliciously tender.
We’ve selected some of our favourites to include in our collection. We think you will love air fryer shrimp Rangoon dipped in spicy chili sauce, spicy firecracker shrimp, or air-fried scallops and bacon.
Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp
These plump shrimp are coated in coconut and air fried until golden and crispy. Cooked in the air fryer they are quick and easy. Serve with your favourite dipping sauce and watch them disappear.
Just like your favorite Chinese takeout appetizer, but air fried this Crab Rangoon is made with store-bought wonton wrappers and stuffed with a delicious, creamy crab filling. Enjoy one or a few without any guilt!
Plump, juicy shrimp are marinated in a spicy sauce and wrapped in a crispy egg roll wrapper. These firecracker shrimp make a great addition to any appetizer platter.
Delicous bundles of cheese and shrimp wrapped in a crispy wonton. These air fryer shrimp rangoon are a tasty appetizer that are even better when served with spicy dip like sweet chili sauce. They are perfect for game-day, casual get-togethers, or late night snacking.
These air fried breaded shrimp are quick and easy. Lightly seasoned with a crispy coating, these shrimp are so good you won’t believe they aren’t deep fried.
Plump scallops wrapped in salty, crispy bacon, Air Fryer Bacon Scallops are a quick and easy appetizer that turn out perfect every time. A popular addition to any appetizer platter they are ready in just 30 mintues.
We love rolls and wraps as an appetizer. They work well because they are perfectly packaged into easy, portable finger food. Which makes them easy to eat as you stand around and mingle.
Rolls and wraps come in all shapes and sizes and can be filled with almost anything. Some of our favourites are spicy buffalo chicken taquitos, meatball sub skewers, and the kids’ choice, pigs in a blanket.
Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Taquitos
A spicy filling of chicken and cheese wrapped in a tortilla and air fried until crisp. These buffalo chicken taquitos are perfect as an appetizer or meal.
A flaky ring of crescent rolls filled with spicy beef and cheddar cheese then air fried until golden brown. This air fryer taco ring is a delicious alternative to traditional tacos and makes a great meal, snack or appetizer.
Delicious all-beef meatballs stuffed with mozzarella cheese are wrapped in a flaky croissant pastry and placed on skewers for a fun, handheld appetizer.
These air fryer taquitos are quick and easy. Made with left-over or rotisserie chicken, some simple spices and cheese they are a tasty appetizer that is perfect served with some guacamole or salsa for dipping.
Made in the air fryer, these beef taquitos are ready in under 30 minutes. Seasoned ground beef and cheese is wrapped in a crunchy shell. They are quick, easy and delicious.
Pigs in a blanket are a fun appetizer that will be loved by both kids and adults. Simple to make, these Air Fryer Crescent Roll Pigs In A Blanket are ready in less than 15 minutes.
Delicious, buttery biscuits filled with tender chicken and ham, garlicky alfredo sauce and melted cheese. Air fryer chicken alfredo biscuit bombs are a delicious lunch, snack or appetizer.
Every appetizer platter should have one or two vegetable options. It is easy to add a few raw veggies and a dish of dip, but you can also dress them up and make them more exciting.
Using the air fryer it is easy to add some variety to your veggies without adding a bunch of fat. We love making breaded zucchini sticks in the air fryer because they are soft and tender on the inside while being crispy on the outside. Air fried cauliflower tots are a delicious, lighter take on the popular potato snack and air fried crispy green beans are a delicious finger food for dipping.
Air Fryer Breaded Zucchini Sticks
These zucchini sticks are a great option for your next appetizer platter. Coated in seasoned breadcrumbs and air fried, they are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Serve with your favourite dip and enjoy.
Coated in a cripsy panko breading, Air Fryer Pickles are a crunchy on the outside and tart and crisp on the inside. They take only take a few minutes to cook in the air fryer.
Cauliflower tots are a tasty appetizer made with six simple ingredients! They are a healthier twist on the classic tater tots and are low-carb and gluten-free.
These Easy Crispy Green Beans are a delicious finger food, especially when served with a variety of dips. Made in the air fryer they are quick and easy and a great addition to any appetizer platter for those who want a lighter option without sacrificing flavour.
Air Fryer Spicy Veggie Fritters are a quick and easy snack made with only 7 ingredients. They are spicy and full of flavour and both gluten and dairy-free. These are perfect for game-day or late-night snacking.
What appetizer night would be complete without something cheesy?
An air fryer is a fantastic appliance for creating melty, bubbly cheese in a fraction of the time it takes in a conventional oven.
We love air-fried cheesy stuffed mushrooms, jalapeno poppers, and air fryer pizza nachos. And one of our favourites is air fryer cheese dip which always disappears quickly.
We’ve made sure to include a variety of cheesy appetizers in our collection.
Air Fryer Cauliflower Pizza Bites
These tasty Cauliflower pizza bites have all the pizza flavours without all the carbs. Made from homemade cauliflower pizza crust and topped with your favourite pizza fixings, they are cheesy and satisfying and ready in just 30 minutes.
Air Fryer Stuffed Mushrooms, stuffed with cream cheese, cheddar and bacon are a quick and easy appetizer. These little mushroom caps are full of flavour and are ready in just a few minutes. Perfect for your next get-together.
Stuffed with cream cheese and bacon, these air fryer jalapeño poppers have just the right amount of heat. They are low-carb and gluten free and ready in just 30 mintues.
These Carne Asada fries, made in the air fryer, will have everyone gathering round the appetizer table. Loaded with two types of cheese, tender steak and all the fixings, they are going to disappear quick. Perfect for game-day and casual get-togethers.
It is pizza or is it nachos? You decide! Whatever you want to call it, it is hot, cheese and oh so good. Made in the air fryer this delicious dish is the perfect snack or appetizer when you feel like pizza without all the work.
Ready in just 15 minutes, these Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers are the perfect appetizer when you need a quick snack. They are cheesy and spicy and full of flavour.
Bubbly, hot cheese dip made with three kinds of cheese and savoury herbs is ready in minutes using the air fryer. Just serve with some crusty bread, crackers or veggies and watch it disappear.
Air fryer pizza bagels are a tasty meal or snack the whole family will love. You only need a few simple ingredients to make these delicious pizzas and can top them any way you like. Ready in less than 5 minutes they are quick and easy.
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
When it comes to air frying, there are a few accessories that can make things easier. Whether it is to keep food from sticking to the basket, or misting a bit of oil to help the food crisp.
We’ve selected a few of the things we use in our kitchen regularly and wouldn’t be without them.
Air Fryer – We love and use the Cosori 5.8qt air fryer. The capacity of the basket is a nice size for 2-4 people. We’ve found that this air fryer cooks quickly and evenly and the non-stick basket is easy to clean. The appliance isn’t too big and fits on our countertop, tucking under the top cabinets with lots of room to spare.
Parchment paper – Parchment paper helps keep food from sticking to the basket, or small items from falling through the holes. It can also help lift things in and out of the basket easily. You can cut your own parchment paper from a roll and punch some holes in it, but we like to purchase parchment paper that has been designed for the air fryer. It fits perfectly in the basket and has the holes pre-punched, which is important for air circulation.
Oil mister – An oil mister allows you to add just a spritz of oil to the food to help with crisping. This isn’t always necessary but does help brown certain foods, especially if they are breaded. With the oil mister, you can add your own olive or vegetable oil, depending on what you like. Make sure to stay away from aerosol cooking sprays as these contain additives that break down the non-stick finish of the air fryer.
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Angela
Wednesday 17th of November 2021
I can't wait to try all of these appetizers. They will be perfect to serve up at a holiday gathering!