4 Delicious and Healthy Vegetarian Air Fryer Recipes
If you love fried foods without the unhealthy heart-clogging hazards that come with deep-frying, the air fryer may be your new best friend. Read on for some air fryer tips and delicious easy vegetarian air fryer recipes.
It delivers french fries with a crispy coating minus the added calories and added fat of deep frying. This is your must-have kitchen appliance of the year! Read below to find out how delicious air fryer veggie recipes are right at your fingertips!
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Your Air Fryer Cooks More Than French Fries
Stumped on what to cook with your newly purchased air fryer? Trying to find the ideal air fryer recipe? While there are several comprehensive cookbooks, but sometimes it’s easiest to start with the basics.
Whether you want to reheat yesterday’s pizza, revive leftover mashed potatoes, or make air fryer sweet potato fries, frying with air-fried recipes can cut calories by up to 80 percent, according to research. The air fryer circulates air and uses convection oven technology to create the crispiness that gives food that added crunch. Most people think of making air fryer chicken in this must-have kitchen appliance, but air fryers can also be a vegetarian’s delight because of how fast it cooks and crisps vegetables. You can make an almost infinite number of meatless air fryer recipes.
No matter what type of recipes you’re looking for, whether you’re reheating chicken nuggets or making some healthy vegetarian air fryer recipes, you will probably have to adjust your town a little bit from a conventional oven. So if it says 400 degrees, cook at 380 in the air fryer. You’ll need to adjust for temperature, too, which is usually about half the time of a conventional oven.
What Are Some Benefits of Cooking in an Air Fryer?
Air frying is as easy to use as a microwave, but your food doesn’t come out soggy. If you like the crunch of fried chicken without the grease, the air fryer is a must in your kitchen. Oil-less buffalo wings can be more guilt-free when you’re not dunking them in a gallon of fat. An added bonus is not having to scrub any grease off your countertop.
An air fryer heats up food much more quickly than a traditional oven, so you no longer have to spend a lot of time to create healthier versions of classic foods. You might even be able to retire your old fryer once you give the healthier air fryer a chance to create healthier versions of old-time fried food favorites like onion rings or potato chips.
Healthy Vegetarian Air Fryer Recipes
Roasted vegetables are a breeze in the air fryer. When you want a fix-it-and-forget-about-it vegetable dish, the air fryer lets you create healthy side dishes for the whole family without having to slave at the stove all day.
Whether you decide to roast air fryer cauliflower, carrots, kale chips, or crisp green beans, the same premise applies. Toss your veggie of choice in oil, add your favorite seasoning and a pinch of salt which is optional, place it in the air fryer and set your timer, decide on your temperature, and press start. Remember to shake midway through so your veggies cook evenly. Best of all, these are heart-healthy dishes that are both tasty and good for you!
Savory Parmesan Garlic Brussel Sprouts
Ingredients
- 1 lb Brussel sprouts Trimmed, outer leaves removed, cut in half length wise.
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp sea salt You can just add a pinch depending on your taste.
- 1/8 tsp black pepper Freshly ground optional.
- 1/4 cup Italian seasoned Panko bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 pinch nutmeg optional
Instructions
- Combine Brussel Sprouts, olive oil, garlic powder, salt, nutmeg (optional), and pepper; stir until evenly coated.
- Transfer Brussel sprouts to the air fryer’s basket and cook for 6 minutes at 400˚F.
- When cooking time stops, open the air fryer, mix Brussel Sprouts. Sprinkle Brussel Sprouts with parmesan cheese and Italian seasoned panko crumbs.
- Arrange in one layer and continue to air fry for an additional 5 to 7 minutes, or until crisp and tender.
- Remove sprouts from air fryer.
- Taste test seasonings and adjust accordingly. Serve and plate.
Nutrition
Kid-Friendly Crispy Sweet Potato Fries
Air-fried foods are thankfully kid-friendly and fast. Grab one sweet potato and cut it into 1/4-inch strips. The thinner you cut your fries, the speedier and crispier they turn out. Toss your sweet potato fries in 2 Tbs olive oil, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, a pinch of salt, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp paprika, and 2 tsp of cornstarch or arrowroot. Set your air fryer to 360 degrees, preheat as directed, and cook for 10 minutes total. Take the basket out at the 5-minute mark to shake the sweet potato fries and cook for the remaining 5 minutes. You may need to add an additional 2 minutes of cooking time depending on your make and model. This recipe can also easily be adjusted for multiple kids; just add more sweet potatoes.
Crispy Garlic Baby Carrots
Air fryer white potato chips may be a go-to favorite, but roasted baby carrots are a healthier and easy alternative. Toss one bag of baby carrots into a bowl and add 2 Tbsp of olive oil, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp paprika, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix and coat olive oil, garlic powder, and paprika together.
Afterward, place well-coated baby carrots in the air fryer basket, and cook at 380 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. Take the basket out at the 10-minute mark and give it a good shake for even cooking. Cook for ten additional minutes. Take baby carrots out and toss with salt and pepper to taste and 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese for a savory side dish. Definitely one of the most delicious air fryer vegetarian recipes!
Roasted Air Fryer Cauliflower
Healthy recipes don’t have to taste bad– especially if they’re healthy vegetarian air fryer recipes. Roasted vegetables often have a sweet and caramelized taste to them, but they usually take at least 45 minutes to an hour in the oven. Thankfully, with your air fryer, you can roast vegetables in 15 minutes to create some crunch and a roasted feel. For this savory cauliflower dish, start with three cloves of garlic, 1 Tbs peanut oil, 1/2 tsp sea salt, 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, and 4 cups of cauliflower florets.
First, cut the garlic in half and smash it with the blade of a big knife. Then, place in a bowl with oil, sea salt, and smoked paprika. Add cauliflower, mix, and coat. Place the mixture in the air fryer basket for 15 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Take the basket out every 5 minutes to shake. At the 15-minute mark, do a taste test, and if you’d like your cauliflower to be softer, add an additional 5 minutes to the cooking to make one of the best vegan air fryer recipes out there.
Baked Potatoes
Air fryer baked potatoes are delicious for any meal! The air fryer cooks them beautifully, making them crispy on the outside but tender on the inside. The air fryer can also cut your cooking time nearly in half!
You first want to grab some Russet potatoes, olive oil, and a seasoning like pink Himalayan salt, dried rosemary, or Herbs de Provence for the recipe. Once you rub the potatoes with the oil, cook them in the air fryer at 400˚F for about 30 minutes before flipping and finishing them off for an additional 5-15 minutes or until a knife can easily pierce through the center.
Extra Air Fryer Cooking Tips
Whether you’re making healthy vegetarian air fryer recipes or want to reheat pizza from the night before, here are some tips to get you started.
- Preheat your air fryer for 3 minutes at the temperature you will be cooking.
- Use oil on your food unless it’s already oily, like last night’s pizza or buffalo wings.
- Grease your air fryer basket so your food won’t stick.
- Don’t overcrowd the fryer basket, or else your food will not cook evenly.
- Shake the basket every few minutes for fries, wings, etc. This helps distribute the heat evenly.
- You can use silicone tongs to move your food around in mid-shake.
- Adjust the time and temperature for certain foods.
- Small amounts of food don’t need to cook for as long.
- Re-heating last night’s pizza does not require a long cook time.
- Have fun and experiment with times and temperatures.
Remember– these recipes are just a starting point. Be sure to try air fryer kale chips, air fryer zucchini, air fryer butternut squash fries, kebabs, and more. You can even use most air fryers to roast larger vegetables, like spaghetti squash.
What are your favorite vegetarian air fryer recipes? Be sure to share them with friends and loved ones or let us know on social #getFamilyApp!
