Some nights call for dinner. Other nights, putting a tray of crispy, cheesy things in the middle of the table counts as dinner. I am not here to argue with either one.
These air fryer appetizers are all recipes that already live here on For Frying Out Loud. There are wings, poppers, pizza rolls, chicken tenders, garlic knots, and a few low-carb options for game day, parties, or a random Tuesday when everybody would rather snack than sit down to a whole production.
Every photo below is from the original FFOL recipe. Click through for the complete ingredient list, temperature, cook time, and tested instructions.
Pick the appetizer that fits the situation
| What you want | What to make | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Homemade bread | Air fryer garlic knots | Made from scratch with an 8-minute air-fryer cook time |
| A bacon-heavy bite | Bacon-wrapped onion rings | Two simple main ingredients and 10 rings per batch |
| Something spicy and cheesy | Philly cheesesteak jalapeño poppers | Beef, cream cheese, and provolone inside jalapeños |
| Tangy wings | Dill pickle wings | A pickle-juice marinade with dill seasoning |
| A meatless option | Cheesy cauliflower tots | Cauliflower and cheese in an easy-to-grab shape |
| Something filling | Keto chicken tenders | Chicken with a seasoned pork-rind coating |
A few things before you start air frying
Use the temperature and timing on each individual recipe instead of trying to cook every appetizer the same way. Basket size, food thickness, and the air fryer itself can change how quickly things cook. Leave room for air to move, work in batches when you need to, and start checking before the timer runs out. If wings or breaded snacks come out soft, our guide to why air fryer food is not getting crispy helps you check moisture, overcrowding, and coating problems.
Chicken should reach 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part. If you are making several recipes for the same spread, start the longer-cooking chicken first and save the quick poppers or pizza rolls for closer to serving time. The air fryer is useful, but it is still only one basket.
1. Air Fryer Garlic Knots
These air fryer garlic knots are made from scratch with bread flour and yeast, so the dough needs time to rise. The actual air-fryer part takes just 8 minutes. Finish the knots with the garlic, butter, and olive oil mixture from the recipe, then add Parmesan and Italian seasoning if you want them.
2. Air Fryer Bacon-Wrapped Onion Rings
These air fryer bacon-wrapped onion rings use white onions and bacon, with toothpicks to keep any stubborn pieces in place. The recipe makes 10 rings and cooks them at 375°F (190°C) for about 10 minutes, or until the bacon is completely cooked. They are not exactly the shy item on the snack table.
3. Philly Cheesesteak Jalapeño Poppers
Regular poppers were already pretty well suited for game day. These Philly cheesesteak jalapeño poppers add cooked shaved steak, cream cheese, and provolone to the middle of halved jalapeños. The recipe makes 16 poppers, and they cook at 350°F (175°C) for 5 minutes after the filling is ready.
4. Korean-Style Air Fryer Chicken Wings
These Korean-style air fryer chicken wings get their sauce from gochujang, soy sauce, ginger, and mayonnaise. The wings cook first at 350°F (175°C), get tossed in the sauce, and go back in at 400°F (205°C) for the final 5 minutes. Check that the thickest wing has reached 165°F (74°C) before serving.
5. Keto Dill Pickle Air Fryer Wings
If tangy wings are the goal, these keto dill pickle air fryer wings start with a 2-to-4-hour pickle-juice marinade. Salt, pepper, ground dill, and baking powder go on before the wings are arranged in a single layer. This is the one to prep early so the pickle juice has time to do its thing.
6. Air Fryer Keto Pizza Rolls
These air fryer keto pizza rolls use a dough made with mozzarella, cream cheese, and almond flour. Add the pepperoni, roll the dough, and slice it into 16 pieces. The rolls cook in a buttered 6-inch cake pan at 375°F (190°C) for about 6 minutes, with the source recipe divided into two batches.
7. Air Fryer Cheesy Cauliflower Tots
These air fryer cheesy cauliflower tots start with steamed cauliflower that gets squeezed dry before the rest of the mixture comes together. That moisture-removal step matters. The recipe makes four servings and gives you a meatless, low-carb option for a table that may already have quite a bit of chicken and bacon happening.
8. Keto Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Poppers
These keto broccoli cheddar chicken poppers wrap a broccoli, cheddar, and cream cheese filling inside a ground chicken and Parmesan mixture. The recipe makes 10 poppers. They can sit with the appetizers, but they are substantial enough that nobody is going to complain if they start turning into dinner.
9. Keto Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
These keto air fryer chicken tenders use crushed pork rinds and seasonings for the coating. An egg, heavy cream, and optional hot-sauce mixture helps it stick to the chicken. Depending on your air fryer, the two pounds of tenderloins may need to cook in batches. Use a thermometer and take each batch to 165°F (74°C).
10. Air Fryer Scotch Eggs
The air fryer Scotch eggs wrap five hard-boiled eggs in breakfast sausage and skip the usual batter and deep fryer. They cook at 350°F (175°C) for 15 minutes, with a turn halfway through. Slice them for a party plate, or keep them whole when the appetizer table has quietly become breakfast.
How to time a few appetizers in one air fryer
Do not try to make all 10 at once unless standing in the kitchen and doing appliance math is your idea of a relaxing party. Pick one main item, one cheesy item, and maybe one bread or vegetable option. Prep the cold ingredients first, then work backward from serving time using the cook time on each recipe.
The poppers and pizza rolls have short air-fryer times, so those make sense closer to serving. Wings and chicken tenders take longer and may need batches. Start the pickle-wing marinade or garlic-knot dough early if either is on your menu. Keep raw chicken and its utensils away from ready-to-eat food, and hold cooked food safely if it will be waiting before everybody eats. For refrigerated leftovers the next day, use the air fryer reheating chart for starting temperatures, timing, and doneness checks.
More air fryer recipes to try
If the snack table is only the beginning, browse these 20 keto air fryer recipes or these keto air fryer chicken recipes. New to the appliance? Start with the beginner's guide to using an air fryer. The oven-to-air-fryer conversion chart is there for recipes that were written for a regular oven.