6 Easy Air Fryer Side Dish Recipes

These 6 air fryer side dish recipes are made with simple seasonings and can be cooked quickly and fast.

There are so many ways to use these six side dishes. You can serve it as an appetizer or as a side dish with any chicken, beef, pork or seafood dinner.

Air Fryer Baby Potatoes

Probably my absolute favorite thing to make in the air fryer! Getting crispy potatoes is almost foolproof. I love serving with ketchup and eating them on the days I’m craving french fries. I’ve also got a dedicated blog post on air fryer baby potatoes with more details here.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lbs baby potatoes – yellow or red potatoes
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese – optional, but tastes great!
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• ½ tsp dried parsley
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Wash and slice the 1 ½ lbs baby potatoes in half. No need to peel. Add them to a large bowl.
2. Add the ¼ cup grated parmesan, 3 Tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp dried thyme, ½ tsp dried parsley, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp ground black pepper.
3. Toss the potatoes evenly with all the seasonings.
4. Preheat the air fryer at 400°F for 2 minutes.
5. Add the potatoes in a single layer. Cook for 15-18 minutes, giving them a toss halfway through.
6. Cook until the edges are brown and crispy and potatoes are tender when poked with a fork.

Air Fryer Carrots

Another personal favorite over here! Carrots have a bit of natural sweetness to them that tastes great with the crispy parmesan bits! The trick to air fryer carrots is to cut them into small pieces that are similar in size. This will help them to cook more evenly. You can use regular carrots that are peeled and chopped or baby carrots.

Quick Note: If the carrots are too thick, I would definitely recommend chopping them in half so they cook faster.

Ingredients

• 1 lb carrots, peeled and chopped into similar size pieces
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese – optional, but delicious.
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the air fryer at 390°F for 2 minutes.
2. Wash, peel and chop the carrots into a similar size. Add them to a large bowl.
3. Add the 2 Tbsp olive oil, 2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp ground black pepper. Toss the carrots together evenly with the seasonings.
4. Add to the preheated air fryer and bake for 16-18 mins at 390°F, tossing halfway through.
5. Done carrots will be tender when poked with a fork, with charred crispy on the outside edges.

 Air Fryer Broccoli

There’s a trick to cooking broccoli in the air fryer… you want to start at a lower temperature so that the broccoli will soften and tenderize without burning. Once it’s tender enough to poke with a fork, the temperature is raised to cook a few quick minutes which will give it those crispy edges.

Parmesan cheese and drizzled fresh lemon juice really add more flavor! I also recommend serving it with your favorite sauce including ranch dressing, hot sauce, or buffalo sauce. See my full air fryer broccoli recipe here.

Ingredients

• 12 oz small broccoli florets – fresh or frozen broccoli will work, but fresh broccoli will give the best texture.
• 3 Tbsp olive oil – or vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese – optional but adds flavor and crispy bits!
• ½ Tbsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• ½ freshly squeezed lemon – drizzled over cooked broccoli

Instructions

1. Prep the broccoli: Cut into same-size florets, wash, and dry with a towel. If you’re using frozen broccoli, it needs to be thawed before tossing it with the spices.
2. Add 12 oz of broccoli florets to a large bowl along with 3 Tbsp olive oil, 2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese, ½ Tbsp garlic powder, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper. Toss the broccoli with the seasonings until it’s evenly coated.
3. Preheat the air fryer to 320°F for 2 minutes. Once heated, add in the broccoli and place in a single layer. Cook for 8 minutes. Poke the broccoli with a fork, it should be crisp-tender. If it isn’t, cook another 1-2 minutes or until it can be poked with a fork but is still firm.
4. Increase the temperature to 400°F. Toss the broccoli in the air fryer basket. Bake for another 2-4 minutes, or until broccoli reaches your desired crispy edges. (Keep an eye on it during this step as it can start to burn easily!)
5. Add the broccoli to a serving plate and drizzle with fresh lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Air Fryer Baked Potato

This is definitely the best way to make a baked potato! Cooking russet potatoes in the air fryer is SO EASY and there’s no foil needed. The most important step is to poke the sides of the potato multiple times with a fork. This will release the steam as the potato cooks.

Air fryer baked potatoes can be served with your favorite toppings including butter, sour cream, salsa, shredded cheese, chives or green onion, and crumbled bacon!

Ingredients

• 4 medium russet potatoes – washed and dried with a towel
• 1 Tbsp olive oil – or vegetable oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the air fryer to 375°F for 5 mins.
2. Prick each baked potato with a fork multiple times on the outside. Drizzle the outside with olive oil, over top, and generously season each one with salt and pepper.
3. Place the potatoes in a single layer in the air basket. Bake at 375°F for 35 minutes, flipping them halfway through using tongs. The potatoes are done when they are tender when poked with a fork.
4. Transfer the potatoes to a plate using tongs or an oven mitt. Let them cool enough to handle. Slice open the center with a knife and fluff with a fork. Add your favorite toppings and serve.

 Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts can also be tricky to cook if you don’t know this easy trick. I’ve heard people complain that they get burnt on the outside and are basically raw on the inside. The trick is similar to air frying broccoli, where you need to start them out at a lower temperature and then raise them for a couple of minutes at the end.

But it’s definitely worth it! Air fryer brussels sprouts turn out soo crispy and remind me a lot of kale chips! They are truly delicious, especially with the added parmesan.

Ingredients

• 1 lb brussels sprouts – washed, stems removed and sliced in half.
• 3 Tbsp olive oil – or vegetable oil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Wash and slice the brussels sprouts in half. Pat them dry with a towel.
2. Add the brussels sprouts to a large bowl along with 3 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp ground black pepper, and 2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese. Toss the ingredients together until evenly mixed.
3. Preheat the air fryer to 325°F for 2 minutes. Add the brussels sprouts and cook for 7-10 minutes, or until tender when poked with a fork. Then raise the temperature to 350°F and cook an additional 2-4 minutes, until you get those crispy outsides.

Air Fryer Cauliflower

Cauliflower is so easy to make in the air fryer! Consider drizzling some buffalo sauce and dipping it into ranch dressing while you serve.

• 32 oz cauliflower florets – fresh or frozen cauliflower will work, but fresh will give the best texture.
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Remove the cauliflower stem and chop it into small bite-size pieces. Wash the cauliflower and pat dry with a towel. Add cauliflower pieces to a large bowl.
2. Add in the 2 Tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp paprika, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp ground black pepper to the bowl. Toss everything together until it’s evenly coated.
3. Preheat the air fryer to 380°F for 2 mins. Place the cauliflower in the air fryer in a single layer. Cook for 7-10 minutes, flipping the cauliflower halfway. Check that it’s done by poking with a fork.

Air Fryer Green Beans

Green beans do not get really crispy in the air fryer, but they certainly taste delicious! This is another recipe that I highly recommend serving with freshly grated parmesan cheese. It will create these perfect crispy bits that compliment the green beans nicely. See more air fryer green beans details here.

Ingredients

• 1 lb green beans
• 3 Tbsp olive oil – or canola oil
• 2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese – this is optional
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp salt

Instructions

1. Wash the green beans and trim off the ends if needed.
2. Add the green beans to a large bowl. Drizzle the 3 Tbsp olive oil over top. Add the 2 Tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese (if using, it’s optional). Sprinkle the ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp ground black pepper and ¼ tsp salt.
3. Toss the green beans together with all the seasonings so that they are evenly coated.
4. Preheat the air fryer at 350°F for 2 minutes.
5. Add in the green beans. Use a spatula to scrape along the side of the bowl to get all the oil, parmesan and spices as well. Spread the green beans into an even layer.
6. Cook for 14 minutes, tossing and shaking the basket with green beans halfway through the process. The edges will start to turn golden brown and the parmesan cheese will crispen up during the process.

 Air Fryer Zucchini

Zucchini naturally has more moisture, so you will notice excess liquid at the bottom of the air fryer as you cook these. Zucchini doesn’t get crispy the same way that potatoes and brussels sprouts do. You might think that this zucchini looks crispy, but it isn’t. It is, however, really delicious!

Ingredients

• 2 medium zucchinis – cut into ¼ inch slices (this equals about 3–3 ½ cups)
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese – optional
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper