Time to share the best air fryer meat recipes. Air fryers were originally marketed as a low-fat way to make french fries. More adventurous owners soon discovered that these turbo-charged convection ovens are capable of more. Much more.
We’ve already shared what we think are the 30 best low-carb keto air fryer recipes, as well as vegan air fryer recipes, air fryer chicken recipes, omega-3 rich air fryer fish and even air fryer dessert ideas.
We’ve found you can do amazing things with eggplant and asparagus, even make a chocolate cake. Now we’ve gathered the best easy air fryer recipes, covering beef, chicken, lamb and pork.
How to make the most of your air fryer: Accessorize!
To make the most of your air fryer, buy an accessory kit. There are some truly great kits available now that convert any old air fryer into a multifunctional oven replacement. Think cake tins, pizza trays, muffin cups and meat skewers! Amazon is the best place to pick up the latest air fryer accessories set.
1. How to make bacon in the air fryer
Let’s cut to the chase… bacon is great in the air fryer. This is one of the easy air fryer recipes people look up first. Turn up the air fryer to a high temperature, lovingly lay out your bacon, wait for 10-12 minutes (depends how crispy you like it) and you’ll be rewarded with perfect results but without time spent cleaning bacon fat from your hob.
From: Simply Made Recipes
2. Cooking air fryer ham
It can take hours to bake a ham in the oven. It’ll be ready in more like thirty minutes in an air fryer!
From: Airfrying.net
3. Air fryer Char Sui pork
AKA Cantonese sweet and spicy barbecue pork. Five spice is the key ingredient and it goes well with crispy pork fat. Make enough of the sauce to dip the finished pork in after serving.
From: Two Sleevers
4. Air fryer pork chops
The creators of this recipe tested many different timings and temperatures so you don’t have to. Thick pork chops work best in the fryer.
From: Courtney Sweets
5. Air fryer crispy pork belly
If you love meat that is crispy on the outside, and juicy and tender on the inside, this recipe is everything you need. Crunchy, delicious, and something you will want to make over and over again. Pork belly was made for air fryers!
From: Two Sleevers
6. Air fryer bacon-wrapped hot dogs
AKA air fryer pigs in blankets. I had these for lunch yesterday. Cooking time may vary widely depending on how well you like them done, thickness of the bacon and calibre of the sausage.
From: Recipes that Crock
Roasted bone marrow & pecan-crusted chicken tenders
7. Roasted bone marrow
Once neglected, bone marrow has become a respected ingredient in recent years. The perfect example of nose-to-tail eating, it’s also supremely nutritious.
I read a recent report suggesting eating bone marrow was a habit that helped our ancestors develop bigger brains, brighter minds and ultimately civilisation.
From: Goodfood Australia
8. Pecan-crusted chicken tenders
A keto-friendly, low-carb chicken tender recipe that is deeply delicious and nutritious. Pecans are used in place of breadcrumbs for the savory coating.
From: Two Sleevers
9. Turkish chicken kebab shish tavuk
Another low-carb, keto recipe from the ever-brilliant Two Sleevers. Cooking time is short but you should leave the chicken to marinate overnight or up to about twenty-four hours. Serve with tzatziki and a salad.
From: Two Sleevers
10. Keto fried chicken in the air fryer
KFC without the wheat flour! This recipe uses that favorite low-carb standby, coconut flour with pork rinds and spices. A very well-conceived take on fried chicken that products great results, especially with an air fryer.
From: Wholesome Yum
11. Air fryer Nashville chicken
Cayenne pepper-spiced coated chicken, on top of a white slice with pickles. Spicy, filling, definitely not keto or low-carb! This hot chicken fresh out of the air fryer could become a family favorite outside of Tennessee…
From: Kitchen Fun with my 3 Sons
Air fryer crispy wings & whole chicken
12. Extra crisp air fryer chicken wings
Almost worth buying an air fryer for, or at least a bigger one to make more of these wings! It’s what they’re so good at, getting everything extra browned & crispy, but without losing any juiciness, whatsoever. Air fryer chicken wings are the best.
From: I Food Blogger
13. Air fryer whole chicken
You can get by with a small air fryer but, if you own a larger one, why not let it do its stuff on a whole chicken? Breast side down seems to be the best way to do it according to Jennifer, flipping it over for the last ten minutes of crisping up.
From: Low Carb with Jennifer
12. Air fryer turkey breast with herb butter
Air frying a whole turkey could be a challenge. I just don’t think they make them that big. But a turkey breast? No problem.
From: Happyway
Air Fryer Roast Beef & Juicy Beef Kabobs
13. Roast beef in an air fryer
So you can roast a whole chicken, turkey breasts, pork chops… What else can you roast? Beef! The King of Roasts. This recipe seasons simply with salt and rosemary.
One great thing about the air fryer is how it collects all of the juices that ooze out during cooking – you can make incredible gravy with that stuff, don’t discard it!
From: Love Food not Cooking
14. Air fryer juicy beef kabobs
Oil-free but ever so juicy marinated beef kabobs. You can mix up the beef chunks with veg of your choice. I would add halloumi cheese and onion cubes with a spicy dipping sauce.
From: Berry Maple
15. The ultimate air fryer lamb burgers
I do like a lamb burger. If the recipe uses spices and mint, even better. Harissa paste is the secret ingredient here, in both the burgers and the dip. Wrap each pattie in a bun or low-carb alternative. Air fryer as indoor barbecue.
From: Recipe This
Air fried rack of lamb and Sichuan cumin lamb sirloins
16. Air fried rack of lamb
An elegant dish that impresses on the table. Delicate cuts of lamb cook very quickly in the fryer, so keep a close eye on this one!
From: Fork to Spoon
17. Sichuan cumin lamb
Rich and with the unique spicy heat that comes from Sichuan peppercorns. It’s actually pretty interesting how the sichuan sensation comes about – those aren’t heat receptors that are being lit up, they’re touch receptors!
They get activated over and over again by a molecule called hydroxy-alpha-sanshool. It happens so intensely that the touch receptors eventually give up and shut down, leaving a characteristic numb sensation. Cool. Go here for the science.
From: Two Sleevers
18. Spicy lamb sirloin steaks
A tandoori lamb recipe that doesn’t need a specially-built clay oven and hours of cooking. Fifteen minutes and juicy, spicy, aromatic lamb is yours to enjoy and share.
From: Two Sleevers
19. Classic homestyle air fryer meatloaf
Meatloaf loaded with chorizo, ground beef AND ground pork. Sounds good to me. Cut me a large slice, please! Many more chorizo recipes here
From: Recipes from the Pantry
20. Air fryer ribeye steak
I was thinking of leaving this recipe out. Some people have taken against cooking steak in an air fryer as it’s hard to get the sear that gives steak much of its flavor. But this recipe with blue cheese is a winner – the clever use of smoked salt solves much of the no-sear problem.
From: This Old Gal
If you found this air fryer meat recipes post useful, also check out our 30 best low-carb keto air fryer recipes, air fryer dessert recipes, air fryer fish and air fryer egg recipes
Or put the air fryer aside and cook your next steak sous vide