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The Best Air Fryer Cookbooks of 2024
If you’ve recently jumped on the air fryer bandwagon, you’re probably looking for creative and delicious recipes to try out. Why not purchase an air fryer cookbook to guide you along the way? Cookbooks like these are written by professional chefs and nutritionists alike, so they contain all sorts of recipes, tips, and suggestions to help you cook with an air fryer. With a cookbook like our #1 choice, the Laurie Fleming's Essential Air Fryer Cookbook, you’ll be able to learn about endless possibilities when it comes to air fryer recipes.
Our Top Picks For Air Fryer Cookbooks
View all ContentsThe Best Air Fryer Cookbooks
Best Overall
Are you new to using an air fryer? Then, “The Essential Air Fryer Cookbook for Beginners” by Laurie Fleming is perfect for you to start cooking extra delicious meals with your new gadget. The book features 75 beginner-friendly recipes that you can try out to treat yourself or your friends and family.
The cookbook will enable you to make classic fried foods with confidence and consistency, thanks to its detailed and reliable cooking charts. It contains all kinds of recipes that will enrich your breakfast, lunch, or dinner experience and help you find more delicious dishes.
The book also offers a comprehensive guide for using the air fryer to ensure you whip up scrumptious meals even if you are a frying novice. All in all, due to its beginner-friendly recipes and instructions, this air fryer cookbook gets the top spot on our list.
Pros
- Clear guidance to help beginners
- Simple to cook recipes
- Clear and detailed cooking charts
Cons
- Recipes are only for fryers with baskets
Best Fried Recipes
Air fryers don’t come cheap, so why not make the most out of your investment? Well, one way to do that is to diversify your cooking skills when it comes to fried foods — and this air fryer cookbook by Linda Larsen is all you need. It uncovers lots of irresistible, easy recipes for snacks, entrees, and much more. It even has meal plans and shopping lists to make your culinary life easier!
With a stamp of approval from the brand Ninja itself, it’s the official handbook companion to use your Ninja Max XL to its maximum potential. It also has detailed instructions about the different functions of that model, as well as a helpful FAQ section.
Pros
- Features a complete 1-week meal plan
- Very beginner-friendly
- A must-have companion for Max XL owners
Cons
- Less utility for people with non-ninja air fryers
Best for a Mediterranean Diet
Are you looking to introduce Mediterranean delicacies to your dinner table? You’ll be pleased with the “Mediterranean Air Fryer Cookbook” by Katie Hale. This book will enable you to cook healthy and delicious Mediterranean diet recipes with relative ease.
From hearty meals to savory sweets, you’ll find all kinds of recipes in this cookbook to satisfy your daily cravings. It also covers all sorts of Mediterranean diet recipes that you can enjoy for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It features plenty of recipes packed with vitamins, fiber, and proteins, making it easier for you to maintain a healthy Mediterranean diet.
The book even has guides on how to use and care for your air fryer, which is perfect if you are a novice user. With simple-to-follow recipes and additional tips, you’ll be cooking like a pro in no time, thanks to this air fryer cookbook.
Pros
- Easy to follow recipes
- Recipes don’t require many ingredients
- Additional tips and instructions
- Specifies all healthy nutrients in the meal
Cons
- Doesn’t specify sodium content in the food
Best for Couples
Cooking for two people has never been easier, thanks to “The Essential Air Fryer Cookbook for Two” by Gine Kleinworth. With recipes designed to cater to two people, you’ll be left with minimal leftovers, saving you space in your refrigerator.
All the recipes in this air fryer cookbook require minimal prep and cleanup, so that you have more time to enjoy your food with your significant other. With over 100 recipes to choose from, you’ll always have something new to cook when you are feeling adventurous.
Due to its easy-to-follow instructions and detailed cooking charts, you’ll be able to consistently cook mouth-watering meals that will please your appetite. Each recipe specifies how much nutritional value they have, so that you can make a healthy choice.
Pros
- Most recipes require minimal prep time
- A wide variety of dishes
- Has detailed cooking charts
Cons
- Not many pictures of finished recipes
Best for Vegans
Are you looking to indulge in a healthy, plant-based diet? Well, then check out the “Plant-Based Air Fryer Cookbook” by Janet Dockery. This cookbook enables you to cook nutritious and crave-worthy vegan meals with the help of your air fryer. It also contains recipes for vegan versions of classic fried food along with other new delicious and creative meals to satisfy your cravings.
Thanks to its easy-to-follow recipes, you can enjoy a plant-based diet and healthy fried foods without putting in much effort. The recipes are designed to come together quickly and easily so that you don’t need any additional pans, pots, or other appliances. This results in fewer dishes for you to clean up.
Not just that, the recipes minimize the usage of added salt, oil, refined flour, and refined sugar, so that your meal is much healthier without compromising on the flavor. This air fryer cookbook even features additional tips and detailed instructions to help you get the most out of your air fryer.
Pros
- Additional tips and guides
- New creative recipes
- Minimal use of unhealthy ingredients
Cons
- Only contains vegan recipes
Best Value for Money
Looking to harness the versatility of your air fryer? Then, “The Complete Air Fryer Cookbook” by Linda Larsen is the one for you. With the vast variety of recipes available in this air fryer cookbook, you’ll be able to use all the features of your air fryer to make something that is perfect for your diet and lifestyle. Thanks to its simple-to-follow recipes and instructions, you’ll be making mouth watering fried meals in no time.
This air fryer cookbook contains detailed cooking charts to help you consistently whip up delicious meals every time you cook. This comprehensive book not only features recipes but also practical guides and tips on using your air fryer correctly. It even teaches you simple time-saving hacks, such as cooking frozen food in your air fryer, to help save you time.
Pros
- Includes helpful cooking charts
- 100+ simple-to-cook recipes
- Learn how to use an air fryer
Cons
- Lack of pictures with recipes
Buying Guide: The Best Air Fryer Cookbooks
Once you get your hands on a top-rated air fryer, you’re going to be searching for easy recipes to try out with your new appliance. While an air fryer cookbook does help you with recipes, not all cookbooks are easy to follow or cater to your personal taste buds.
So, how does one pick out the perfect air fryer cookbook? Well, that’s exactly why we’ve prepared a comprehensive buying guide, ensuring that you’re able to find the perfect guide to aid in your culinary journey.
Factors To Consider When Buying an Air Fryer Cookbook
Here are some factors you need to take into account when buying an air fryer cookbook:
Variety of recipes
In general, when you are looking to buy a cookbook, you should always look for one that has a large variety of recipes. Not only will it allow you to find new meals that suit your tastes but also equips you with mouth-watering recipes for special occasions or family gatherings to impress your guests.
That is why you should buy an air fryer cookbook that features a good variety of recipes you can cook on your air fryer, whether for quick dinners, parties, or elaborate dinners. Typically, it is great to look for cookbooks that have more than 75 recipes to help you out in the kitchen.
Functions
Most air fryers are equipped with additional features that allow you to bake, roast, grill, and steam while cooking your meal. That is why you should look to buy a cookbook that contains recipes that can utilize these functions. If you have an air fryer with these additional features, it would be a waste to be stuck with a book that only has recipes for fried foods.
With that being said, if your air fryer is only capable of air frying, you should get a cookbook that only has recipes for fried foods.
Main ingredients
When it comes to ingredients, you must take into account whether the ingredients commonly used in the cookbook are available in your nearest supermarket or not. It would be incredibly disappointing to own a cookbook that features recipes whose ingredients are not accessible to you.
That is why you should avoid buying cookbooks that commonly uses hard-to-find or unfamiliar ingredients. With that being said, one or two unique ingredients can be exciting to use, but they can be a waste of money if you end up not liking their taste.
You should also avoid purchasing cookbooks with extensive recipes requiring a number of different ingredients to use. Gathering different food items after a long day at work will become pretty exhausting, especially when your stomach’s growling with hunger.
Quality of the book
Since a cookbook is meant to be used in a kitchen, it must be equipped to handle the occasional oil splashes and water spillings. That is why you should make sure to buy a cookbook that can stand its ground against oil and food debris, rather than getting torn apart. Plus, ensure the book features high-quality paper with printing that does not fade away after it is wiped with a wet cloth.
What To Avoid Cooking in an Air Fryer
Although the air fryer has opened up a completely new and healthy world of cooking, there are some food items that are strictly off-limits for your air fryer. We’ve listed them below:
Cheese
An air fryer operates at pretty high temperatures and pressure, so if you’re looking to add a cube of cheese encased in some sort of coating, then you’ll probably be met with a yellow puddle when you’re done. The same is true for grilled cheese, since the high pressure will cause it to burn inside, creating an ugly mess for you to clean.
Battered food
Food items that are coated in any sort of batter don’t fare well in an air fryer, since the batter doesn’t stick to the food as well as it does when cooked in oil. You can try using frozen battered food items, but they still don’t have the same texture that you’ll get with an oil-fried, crispy chicken wing.
Leafy produce
Frying up fresh greens like spinach, kale, and cabbage in an air fryer isn’t a good idea since they’ll be cooked unevenly. Therefore, you should be careful with the greens you choose and try ones that are thicker, like zucchini and broccoli.
If you really want to cook leafy greens in your air fryer, a way around the problem is to freeze your product before placing them in the air fryer, as it’ll help them to retain some moisture and cook evenly. However, we can’t comment on the taste you’ll end up with.
Uncooked grains
An air fryer dry cooks your food, so it’s only logical that food items like rice which require being immersed in water to cook, won’t produce a good result with an air fryer. You can, however, cook them on the stovetop first and toss them in the air fryer to get your food nice and crispy!
People Also Asked
How many recipes are there in an air fryer cookbook?
Generally speaking, most cookbooks contain over 100 recipes, though some cookbooks have fewer options. Ultimately, there is no hard and fast rule that a cookbook must have a certain number of recipes. That said, cookbooks that focus on a specific cuisine tend to have a lower number of recipes than more generalized cookbooks.
Can I reheat a fried meal in my air fryer?
Yes! In fact, an air fryer will do a much better job reheating fried food than an oven or a microwave. Set the air fryer around 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook your food for three or four minutes.
Do I need to use oil when cooking my food in an air fryer?
Although an air fryer does not require as much oil as deep frying, you should still add at least one teaspoon of oil to your food. Otherwise, the food will dry out.
