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    Home » Air Fryer

    The 20 Best Frozen Foods for Air Fryer

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read the disclosure.    

    Published: Aug 6, 2022 | Updated: Oct 12, 2022 | Author: Paint the Kitchen Red | Leave a Comment

    Four images of frozen foods cooked - the best air fryer frozen foods

    From frozen egg rolls to french fries, and chicken nuggets to frozen pizza, you may have a hard time deciding what to make from this collection of quick, easy and tasty air fryer frozen foods. Frozen foods are my favorite foods to make in the air fryer because they cook fast and turn out super crisp.

    Four images of frozen foods cooked - the best air fryer frozen foods

    The air fryer is a great invention that allows you to cook your favorite foods in a healthier way by avoiding the use of a deep fryer. It’s also a good option when you want to bake smaller quantities of food but don’t want to heat up the oven.

    The air fryer is great for cooking all kinds of recipes. But can you put frozen food in an air fryer? Well, by far, my favorite reason to use the air fryer is to cook frozen foods.

    The air fryer is so good at heating up a frozen tasty snack or easy meal. The food comes out crispier and cooks faster than in a conventional oven.

    The circulation of hot air throughout the compartment helps the air fryer frozen foods to cook evenly and super fast. The air fryer mimics the technology of a convection oven but in a small space.

    Whether you’re using the Instant Pot air fryer lid, Cosori, or Ninja Foodi, frozen foods are ideal for beginners to learn how to use their air fryer.

    Tips For How to Cook Air Frozen Foods

    1. Keep foods frozen until ready to air fry.
    2. Preheat the air fryer before putting the frozen food in air fryer basket.
    3. For best results, don’t overcrowd the basket and do leave enough room around the food for the air to circulate.
    4. If the food is breaded and bite-sized, it can be stacked. Otherwise you’ll have better results if the food is placed in the air fryer basket in a single layer.
    5. In general, it’s not necessary to spray foods that are breaded or battered but you probably need to use oil spray for other foods. If you find the frozen food sticking to the bottom of the basket, next time use a little oil spray to coat the basket and the food. Don’t use grocery store cooking spray in a can because it can ruin the surface of the air fryer basket.
    6. If using aluminum foil or parchment paper, make sure they have holes in them to allow air to circulate. In general, using a liner will impede air circulation.
    7. Turn the food or shake the basket about halfway through the cooking process.
    8. Measure the internal temperature of meats with a food thermometer to ensure food safety.
    9. If you can’t find air fryer cook times for frozen foods, adjust the oven instructions by reducing the temperature by 25 degrees and the cook time by 20%.
    10. In general, when I don’t have air fryer instructions, I use a high heat (temperature 400 degrees F) and cook time of 8 to 10 minutes, and turn the food at the 4 minute mark. Then, I add more time as needed. The next time I make the food, I adjust the temperature and time if I need to.

    Favorite Frozen Foods for Air Frying

    Here are some of the best frozen food for the air fryer that can be cooked quickly and easily. They include fries, hash browns, tater tots, Trader Joe’s snacks like samosa and gyoza, chicken snacks like popcorn chicken and nuggets, egg rolls, and kid-friendly snacks like pizza rolls.

    Air fryer frozen fries

    1. Air Fryer Frozen French Fries

    There’s no need to turn on the oven to cook frozen french fries anymore! Air fryer frozen french fries turn out crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. And you can make them in less time than it takes to cook them in the oven or deep-fry them.  If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can also use a traditional air fryer or bake them in the oven.
    GET RECIPE DETAILS
    French fries with sea salt and parsley wrapped in white parchment and a glass bowl with ketchup

    2. Air fryer frozen steak fries

    Cooking frozen steak fries in the air fryer gets them crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. And you can make them in less time than it takes to bake them in the oven or deep-fry them. You can use a traditional air fryer or an Instant Pot air fryer.
    GET RECIPE DETAILS
    Black plate with steak fries garnished with parsley and bowl of red sauce

    3. Frozen sweet potato fries in the air fryer

    Cooking frozen sweet potato fries in the air fryer gets them crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. And you can make them in less time than it takes to bake them in the oven or deep-fry them. You can use a traditional air fryer or an Instant Pot air fryer.
    GET RECIPE DETAILS
    Black plate with sweet potato fries and bowl of white sauce

    Air fryer potatoes

    4. Frozen hashbrowns in air fryer

    Air Fryer frozen hash browns are an easy way to cook crispy hash browns that make an ordinary breakfast extra special. Make diner-style breakfast hash browns with very little effort by using your air fryer to make them extra-crispy. Using the air fryer is a quick, no-mess way to make hash browns.
    GET RECIPE DETAILS
    Blue plate with golden brown shredded hashbrowns, fried egg and sliced sausage.

    5. Air fryer tater tots

    Air Fryer tater tots are kid-friendly snacks that come out exceptionally well in the air fryer. Cooking tater tots in the air fryer is quicker than in the oven and they come out crispy and crunchy on the outside and tender and fluffy on the inside. These golden potato puffs are a great alternative to french fries and kids seem to love them.
    GET RECIPE DETAILS
    Air fryer tater tots stacked on a dark plate with a bowl of red sauce

    6. Air fryer frozen potato skins

    Making frozen potato skins in the air fryer is quick and easy. Sometimes, you just don’t have the time or energy to cook from scratch when you’re having company. If you need a quick appetizer for entertaining, such as for a Superbowl party or New Year’s Eve party, grab a few boxes of potato skins and you’ll be ready for your guests in no time!
    GET RECIPE DETAILS
    5 potato skins in a row with melted cheese and bacon and garnished with parsley with a glass bowl of white sauce.

    Trader Joe’s Air Fryer

    7. Air fryer frozen falafel

    Trader Joe’s falafel in the air fryer are seriously amazing. They’re pillowy soft on the inside and crispy crunchy on the outside. They’re also so delicious, healthy and can be a super easy snack, appetizer, or main dish.
    GET RECIPE DETAILS
    Golden brown, crunchy falafel stacked on a plate with lettuce tomato, white sauce and lemon in background

    8. Air fryer frozen samosas

    These air fryer frozen samosas are an easy appetizer or side dish for Indian food or an all-around great snack. Perfectly crispy, with just the right amount of spice, the delicious samosas are golden brown in just minutes when you make them in the air fryer. I love Trader Joe's samosas.
    GET RECIPE DETAILS
    Golden mini samosas on dark background

    9. Air fryer frozen gyoza

    Air fryer frozen potstickers are an easy appetizer or side dish for an Asian meal or as a crowd-pleasing snack. Air frying gyoza, wontons, dumplings, or potstickers is so easy and they become crispy on the outside and tender and perfectly cooked on the inside.
    GET RECIPE DETAILS
    Golden gyoza potstickers in a circle with chili sauce in the middle

    10. Frozen empanadas in air fryer

    Air fryer frozen empanadas can be ready in less than 15 minutes. These delicious savory pastry turnovers of meat, cheese, or vegetables are cooked to flaky perfection when you make them in the air fryer.
    GET RECIPE DETAILS
    Two golden brown empanadas on blue plate

    Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets and Fish

    11. Air fryer chicken fries

    Making these Tyson chicken fries in the air fryer is so easy that you’ll find yourself making them again and again. Frozen chicken fries are a kid-friendly snack and a great alternative to chicken fingers or chicken nuggets because kids have so much fun eating them!
    GET RECIPE DETAILS
    Chicken fries with red and white sauce garnished with parsley

    12. Air fryer frozen popcorn chicken

    Air fryer frozen popcorn chicken cooks up perfectly crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. And you can make them in less time than it takes to bake them in the oven or deep-fry them. Use a traditional air fryer or an Instant Pot air fryer.
    GET RECIPE DETAILS
    Black plate with crispy popcorn chicken with orange sauce in glass bowl

    13. Air fryer frozen chicken nuggets

    Air fryer dinosaur nuggets cook up perfectly crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. And you can make them in less time than it takes to bake them in the oven or deep-fry them. Air fryer Tyson fun nuggets are kid friendly chicken nuggets in dinosaur shapes that are an easy snack for picky eaters.
    GET RECIPE DETAILS
    White plate with crispy golden chicken nuggets with red sauce in white bowl

    14. Air fryer frozen fish fillets

    Making frozen fish fillets in the air fryer is a game changer. You can get crispy, perfectly cooked fish that can be used in a variety of recipes, without having to deep fry the fish. Delicate fish coated in a crisp coating can be cooked in less than 15 minutes in the air fryer. Use these fish fillets in fish tacos (recipe included.)
    GET RECIPE DETAILS
    Golden fish fillets on dark surface with white sauce, dill and lemon

    Air Fryer Frozen Appetizers and Side Dishes

    15. Air fryer frozen egg rolls

    This air fryer egg rolls recipe is so convenient and easy! Whether you need a quick appetizer for a Chinese meal or a quick snack, cooking egg rolls in the air fryer is so much faster than baking them in the oven.
    GET RECIPE DETAILS
    4 whole egg rolls and glass bowl with red chili sauce.

    16. Air fryer frozen onion rings

    Air Fryer frozen onion rings are a quick and easy side dish or snack. Cooking frozen onion rings in the air fryer is much quicker and the onion rings turn out much crispier than baking them in the oven. Air fried frozen onion rings are also healthier than deep-fried onion rings.
    GET RECIPE DETAILS
    Onion rings on a black plate with red and white sauces in background

    Air Fryer Frozen Snacks for Kids

    17. Air fryer frozen party pizza

    When you need a quick snack for a crowd or a bunch of hungry kids, there's nothing that's more of a crowd-pleaser than this Totino's party pizza. This air fryer frozen pizza is so convenient and easy!
    GET RECIPE DETAILS
    Pizza on dark surface with melted cheese and fresh tomato slices and basil

    18. Air fryer frozen pizza rolls

    When you need a quick snack for a crowd or a bunch of hungry kids, there's nothing that's more of a crowd-pleaser than pizza rolls. These air fryer frozen pizza rolls are so convenient and easy!
    GET RECIPE DETAILS
    Air fryer pizza rolls stacked on a dark plate

    19. Air fryer frozen taquitos

    This frozen taquitos air fryer recipe is one of the easiest ways you can make snacks for a hungry crowd! Serve them plain or dress them up with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, green onions, or cilantro. The taquitos turn out so crispy in the air fryer.
    GET RECIPE DETAILS
    Rolled filled tortillas stacked on each other in a blue speckled platter

    20. Air fryer cinnamon rolls

    Freshly baked air fryer cinnamon rolls are such a delicious treat! Use Pillsbury's ready-to-bake dough and you can have piping hot, fragrant cinnamon rolls on the table in less than 15 minutes. Though NOT frozen, they're refrigerated, and I had to include them in this list because they come out so well.
    GET RECIPE DETAILS
    7 cinnamon rolls with icing on a black plate

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    Hi, I'm Neena and welcome! I am the creator, photographer, and author of recipes and tips at Paint the Kitchen Red. I live in the glorious west in Salt Lake City, Utah with my family.

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