20 Easy Air Fryer Appetizers

There are so many reasons to love your air fryer, only one of which is its sheer versatility. You can whip up a frittata for breakfast, pork chops for dinner, Brussels sprouts to serve on the side and even chocolate chip cookies for dessert. And, while there are plenty of easy and delicious recipes that are well suited to this must-have gadget (including healthy ones!) there’s no denying that the air fryer is the appliance of choice when it comes to appetizers — especially golden-fried delicious ones! Whether you’re hosting dinner guests or entertaining a crowd, you’ll find that the air fryer is perfect for everyone's favorite small bites: stuffed mushrooms, crab cakes, crispy taquitos and more. One of our favorite ways to put this countertop gadget to good use? These incredibly delicious arancini. The cheese-stuffed balls of risotto are rolled in seasoned breadcrumbs and air fried to perfection for an appetizer everyone is sure to enjoy.

These air-fryer shrimp are perfectly crispy and easy to make without the hassle of heating up a large pot of oil. Serve with our spicy remoulade, or substitute any of your favorite condiments for dipping.

Mushrooms stuffed with garlicky, cheesy breadcrumbs make a perfect appetizer for parties and gatherings. Best of all, there's no need for pots, pans or an oven!

You know you’ve reached buffalo cauliflower perfection when everyone proclaims these bites "as good as the best wings ever!" And that’s no big surprise: Cauliflower florets have the same crispy "fried" exterior and piquant buffalo flavor as the classic chicken variety. The secret lies in double breading each floret in cheesy breadcrumbs, then carefully coating every nook and cranny with nonstick spray. Serve this appetizer with your favorite ranch or blue cheese dressing and watch it disappear in minutes.

Sure, you could just heat up frozen mozzarella sticks. But DIYing with your air fryer is so darn easy and allows you to make them ranch flavored. Pro tip: make a double batch and stash them in your freezer in a resealable freezer bag so they're waiting for you when you need them most.

If you are looking for a quick and easy appetizer that serves a crowd, this is it! Delicious Swedish meatballs take less than 10 minutes to cook in an air fryer and come out juicy and tender for irresistible party bites.

The appeal of crab Rangoon is the contrast between the crispy fried wonton wrappers and melty cheese and crab filling. Making the popular American Chinese restaurant appetizer whose origins are traced back to Trader Vic’s Polynesian-themed restaurant at home just got easier thanks to the air fryer. This handy machine combines the simplicity of baking (no spattering oil to deal with) and the flavor of deep-frying (hello crispy, craggy wonton shells) for irresistible results.

These deliciously crisp cakes are loaded with sweet crab. Not overmixing and allowing the mixture to rest before cooking helped the crab cakes hold their shape better, as did cooking them in an air fryer.

Taquitos are the ultimate finger food — mini rolled tacos that are warm, cheesy and super crunchy! An air fryer makes this crowd-pleasing appetizer surprisingly easy to cook up at home. We fill them with chunks of chicken and melty Colby Jack, but you can customize the ingredients to please even the pickiest of eaters with different proteins and cheeses. And while you have the air fryer fired up you can make a delicious charred salsa to serve alongside.

The ideal make-ahead appetizer, you can store the fully cooked quiche in your freezer and simply reheat in the air fryer when you're ready to enjoy.

Skip the deep-fryer and forget soggy oven chicken wings. The air fryer offers the best of both worlds for crispy wings without extra fat!

Creamy ricotta, sharp provolone, and salty pecorino blend together to create the perfect cheesy filling for these easy-to-prepare appetizer-sized turnovers.

You won't believe how crisp and crunchy these fried pickles get — with barely any oil!

These air fryer pork wontons are just as crunchy and crispy as traditionally fried pork wontons, except you can forget about the mess of deep frying. These are folded in an envelope shape, which is optimal for even browning and crisping in the air fryer.

These air-fryer coconut shrimp are the perfect combination of savory and sweet. Serve with a sweet chile sauce, for dipping.

With rice paper wrappers, you can wrap chicken tenders and air fry them for a "fried" experience without the mess of deep frying. Simply soak a rice paper wrapper for few seconds, roll up a chicken tender in it and then let it cook in an air fryer until it's super crispy and crunchy.

The key to these crispy artichokes is to make sure they are split in half and fully patted dry. This prevents the inside of the artichokes from getting mushy and steamy. They are dipped in a lemony, garlic aioli that complements the lemon zest and oregano flavor in the crisp exterior of the artichokes.

Triple this recipe and freeze some of the breaded cheese — and you can have warm, gooey mozzarella sticks whenever you want!

We created an air fryer version of egg rolls that’s crisp, savory and satisfying without all the oil of deep frying. We kept the filling classic with shredded cabbage, carrots, and strips of char siu, which you can buy from Chinese barbecue restaurants (you’ll likely see this red-tinged roast pork hanging on hooks in the window). Make a large batch and freeze extras so you can have this Chinese-American takeout favorite as an appetizer any time. They reheat very well in the air fryer. Just be sure to enjoy the egg rolls while still warm — the wrappers will soften as they cool.