Whether you have minimal kitchen equipment or you’re just trying to keep your house cool in the heat of the summer, we’ve got you covered with three complete dinners made in the air fryer.
Table of Contents
These complete air fryer dinners were inspired by Cassy’s sister, Kim (she developed the steak one!). She was in the middle of a kitchen reno, had limited cooking gadgets, and no oven or stove. Enter the air fryer! She realized it was still entirely possible to cook a home meal from start to finish (including dessert) in the air fryer.
We are always looking for new and inventive ways to make getting dinner on the table a little easier and more efficient, so we’re bringing you 3 different air fryer dinners! They’re easy to prep and cook up so quickly. I’ll be the first to share: I was a little skeptical about cooking meat in the air fryer, but now I am a believer! The steak was beautifully medium (the way I like it) with a crust on the outside, the chicken was super juicy, and the salmon had crispy skin and a tender flake.
Can you cook an entire meal in an air fryer?
You can absolutely cook an entire meal in the air fryer! Each of these recipes is written for 2 servings, and everything cooks together in the air fryer. How easy is that?!
Dinner 1: Steak, Fries, Broccoli, and Chocolate Chip Cookies
It doesn’t get more classic than a steak and potato meal (with some crispy broccoli for an added veggie component) finished with chocolate chip cookies. If you’re a fan of classic flavors like I am, this meal is for you!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 8-10 ounce ribeye (or steak of choice)
- 1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
- 8 ounces of frozen steak fries
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 package of Immaculate Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
How to Cook a Steak Dinner in the Air Fryer
- Preheat the air fryer. Preheat your air fryer to 400℉.
- Prep the ingredients. Season both sides of the steak with salt and pepper. Toss the broccoli florets in a bowl with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
- Cook the steak. Add your steak to the air fryer first and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the steak from the air fryer and let it rest on a cutting board.
- Add the fries and broccoli. Add the fries and broccoli to the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes. Then remove the broccoli and toss the fries. Cook the fries for an additional 8 minutes.
- Enjoy the steak, potatoes, and veggies. Slice the steak against the grain and serve alongside the broccoli and fries.
- Bake the cookies. Preheat the air fryer to 330℉. Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper. Place the cookies approximately 1” apart in the basket. Bake for 12 minutes.
- Serve dessert and enjoy!
Dinner 2: Salmon and Veggies
Light, satisfying, and full of flavor, this air fryer salmon and veggies dinner makes for a delicious summer-inspired meal.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 8-10 ounce salmon filet
- 1 small zucchini, sliced
- 1 small yellow squash, sliced
- 1 small red onion, cut into large chunks
- 1 teaspoon of dill
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 lemon, sliced, for garnish
How to Cook Salmon in the Air Fryer
- Preheat the air fryer. Preheat your air fryer to 400℉.
- Prep the ingredients. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the salmon filet and season with salt and pepper. Slice the zucchini and yellow squash into half-inch slices and cut into half-moons (depending on the size of your squash). Cut one small, red onion into quarters, and then halve the quarters. Toss the vegetables in a bowl with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with dill.
- Cook. Add the salmon filet, skin side down, to one side of the air fryer basket and the prepared vegetables to the other side. Cook for 10 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy! Finish the salmon with a squeeze of lemon juice and serve alongside the vegetables. Enjoy!
Dinner 3: Chicken, Peppers, and Potatoes
This air fryer chicken breast is so delicious that, once you try it, you may never want to prepare your chicken breast another way! This meal is beautifully rounded with plenty of protein, carbs, and healthy fats, and one of the juiciest preparations of chicken breast you’ll ever eat.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 8-10 ounce chicken breast
- ¼ red bell pepper, sliced
- ½ yellow onion, sliced
- ¾ pound of red potatoes, cut into wedges
- 2 tablespoons Balanced Bites Diner Blend
- Salt and pepper, to taste
How to Cook Chicken in the Air Fryer
- Preheat the air fryer. Preheat your air fryer to 400℉.
- Prep the ingredients. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the chicken breast and season with 1 tablespoon of the Diner Blend. Slice the bell pepper and yellow onion into half-inch slices and quarter your red potatoes. Toss the potatoes in a bowl with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and season with 1 tablespoon of the Diner Blend. Keep the bell pepper and onion separate.
- Cook. Add the chicken breast to one side of the air fryer basket and the potato wedges to the other. Cook for 10 minutes. While the chicken and potatoes are cooking, toss the red bell pepper and onions in the bowl that the potatoes were in to pick up any remaining seasoning and a light coat of olive oil.
- Toss and add vegetables. Flip the chicken over and toss the potatoes, making room in the air fryer basket for the peppers and onions. Add the bell pepper and the onions and cook for an additional 8 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
There are so many different options for cooking in the air fryer – the sky is *almost* the limit! The air fryer is a great way to crisp up vegetables (think: brussels sprouts, asparagus, cauliflower, green beans, etc.) and perfect for meats because the high-speed air gives a great crust to the outside while keeping the inside moist and perfectly cooked (air fryer bacon might just change your life). Any form of potato (French fries, potato wedges, tater tots, hash brown coins, etc.) come out super crisp. It’s fun to see what delicious concoctions you can create with the air fryer!
Yes! Air fryers use high-speed, hot air to cook the food, and it brings the food to temperature just like you would achieve in an oven or on the stove. When in doubt about cook times, I always like to use a meat thermometer to make sure the internal temps are where I would like them to be.
We’ve tested and can recommend 2 different air fryers – the Cosori Max XL and the Ninja AF 101. Both of these models perform great! If you’re looking to save space, go with the Ninja. If you want a bigger air fryer that can make more food per batch, the Cosori is your best bet!
More Favorite Air Fryer Recipes
3 Full Air Fryer Dinners
Ingredients
Steak Air Fryer Dinner
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8-10 ounce ribeye (or steak of choice)
- 1 head of broccoli cut into florets
- 8 ounces frozen steak fries
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 package Immaculate Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Salmon Air Fryer Dinner
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 8-10-ounce salmon filet
- 1 small zucchini sliced
- 1 small yellow squash sliced
- 1 small red onion cut in large chunks
- 1 teaspoon dill
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lemon sliced, to garnish
Chicken Air Fryer Dinner
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 chicken breast
- 1/4 red bell pepper sliced
- 1/2 yellow onion sliced
- 3/4 pound red potatoes cut into wedges
- 2 tablespoons Balanced Bites Diner Blend
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Steak Air Fryer Dinner
- Preheat your air fryer to 400℉.
- Season both sides of the steak with salt and pepper. Toss the broccoli florets in a bowl with the olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
- Add your steak to the air fryer first and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the steak from the air fryer and let it rest on a cutting board.
- Add the fries to the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes. Then toss the fries and push them to one side of the air fryer basket and add the broccoli to the other half. Cook for an additional 8 minutes.
- Slice the steak against the grain and serve alongside the broccoli and fries.
- To make the cookies, preheat the air fyer to 330℉. Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper. Place the cookies approximately 1” apart in the basket. Bake for 12 minutes.
- Serve dessert and enjoy!
Salmon Air Fryer Dinner
- Preheat your air fryer to 400℉.
- Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the salmon filet and season with salt and pepper. Slice the zucchini and yellow squash into ½” slices and cut in half (depending on the size of your squash). Cut one small, red onion into quarters, and then halve the quarters. Toss the vegetables in a bowl with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with dill.
- Add the salmon filet, skin side down, to one side of the air fryer basket and the prepared vegetables to the other side. Cook for 10 minutes.
- Finish the salmon with a squeeze of lemon juice and serve alongside the vegetables. Enjoy!
Chicken Air Fryer Dinner
- Preheat your air fryer to 400℉.
- Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the chicken breast and season with 1 tablespoon of the Diner Blend. Slice the bell pepper and yellow onion into ½” slices and quarter your red potatoes. Toss the potatoes in a bowl with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and season with 1 tablespoon of Diner Blend. Keep the bell pepper and onion separate.
- Add the chicken breast to one side of the air fryer basket and the potato wedges to the other. Cook for 10 minutes. Toss the red bell pepper and onions in the bowl from the potatoes to pick up any remaining seasoning and a light coat of olive oil from the bowl.
- Flip the chicken over and toss the potatoes, making room in the air fryer basket for the remaining vegetables. Add the bell pepper and the onions and cook for an additional 8 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Using the temperature and timing in this recipe, both the broccoli and the fries burned horribly. Also, the directions are different in the two places they exist on this site. The first set of directions say cook the broccoli and fries together for 10 minutes, then just the fries for 8 minutes. The second set of directions say cook the fries only for 10 minutes, then add the broccoli for 8 minutes.
Ah, thank you for pointing this out, Rachel. I will fix it now!
Please can you explain what Diner Blend actually is? (Air fryer dinners) I live in UK. Thank you.
Kind Regards,.
Joan
Hi Joan, HERE is link to the Diner Blend. It’s a blend of sweet paprika, oregano, onion, garlic, black pepper, sea salt, and rosemary. I hope that helps!
I’m 77 years old, and trying to cook for one on a very strict budget.
We hope this helps, Walter! -Team FF
This is the steak-cooking method of my dreams! No grill. No sear/finish in oven. Came out perfectly pink in the middle. Tender, juicy. Beyond my expectations. Exactly what I wanted for my F&F Greek rice bowl (since I was out of chicken).
So glad that this cooking method was helpful for you! Sounds like a delicious pair with the Greek bowl. Thank you for taking the time to share with us! -Team F&F