Healthy Air Fryer Recipes

If you’re one of those people who stocked up their freezer with chicken nuggets to air fry in the hopes cutting out the oil would justify the fat and carbs, unfortunately, you are wrong. Whipping up a plate full of chicken nuggets may be healthier in an air fryer, but it doesn’t magically eliminate the calories!

This being said, there are definitely healthy options out there for you to try, with a low-calorie count and well-balanced macros. These delicious recipes emulate some of our favourite air fried snacks but with a healthy twist, ensuring you are not sacrificing flavour for a lower calorie count.

While the air fryer is super convenient and can definitely be used to create entire meals, it’s even better for creating quick and easy snacks for parties, gatherings and even to satiate those random fried food cravings.

These snacks don’t have to be a far reach from your usual fried snacks just because they are healthy, so we have gone ahead and collected a few of our favourite fried snacks which are sure to scratch that fried food itch without all of the added calories!

Meat

Smoky Air Fryer Ribs

Method

Calories per serving:

147

Carbs:

9g

Protein:

9g

Fat:

7g

Method

• 1 slab baby back pork ribs
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• Salt to taste
• ½ cup bbq sauce

Meat

Whole-wheat chicken nuggets

Method

Calories per serving:

188

Carbs:

8g

Protein:

25g

Fat:

4.5g

Method

• 2 large skinless boneless chicken breasts (453g), cut into even 1-inch bite sized pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper, to taste
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 6 tablespoons whole-wheat Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons panko
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• olive oil spray

Vegetarian

Zucchini Fries with Lemon Tarragon Aoli

Method

Calories per serving:

433

Carbs:

21g

Protein:

9g

Fat:

35g

Method

• 2 medium zucchini
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 eggs
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin

Dessert

Air fryer donuts two ways

Method

Calories per serving:

241

Carbs:

46g

Protein:

4g

Fat:

4g

Method

From scratch:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 5 tsp fast action yeast
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• salt
• 1/2 cup whole milk at room temperature
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted
• 1 large egg beaten

Easy biscuit way:

• 1 packet of biscuits (8 biscuits), flaky kind

Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 4 tsp tap water
• Various sprinkles and edible dried flowers

These recipes are all delicious and healthy versions of some of our favourite fried goods, which makes them the perfect replacement for those oil soaked snacks that are sure to make a dent in your daily calorie intake. All of these snacks are well-balanced and great for filling the void when you’re tempted to reach for that trusty bag of frozen nuggies.

While these are just some of our favourite recipes, there are plenty more great recipes online for you to check out, along with a bunch of cookbooks you can find on Amazon dedicated entirely to healthy air fryer recipes including The Skinnytaste Air Fryer Cookbook, Healthy Air Fryer Cookbook, or the Keto Air Fryer Cookbook. 

Georgia Marr

Gold Coast based Journalist, entertainment writer and lover of a good story with a penchant for food and beverage writing.

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