The 3 Best Air-Fryer Appetizers for Game Day, According to Trader Joe's Employees

These freezer finds are perfect for making hosting at home that much easier.

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Trader Joe's storefront with a designed treatment
Photo: Adobe Stock / ColleenMichaels

And just like that, January has up and gone, which means it's almost time for Super Bowl Sunday. Whether you're the consummate host or prefer to show up with a bottle of wine, a Super Bowl party is the perfect occasion to enjoy an evening of sports, top-tier commercials and some fabulous finger foods.

This year, Trader Joe's has us covered with several suggestions for frozen apps that are perfect for cooking in the air fryer, so your stovetop can be saved for a favorite buffalo chicken dip and the oven for a big batch of cookies. Plus, the brand shared their perfect pairings for the ultimate party menu.

TJ's recommends serving up their Black Bean & Cheese Taquitos in the air fryer because this appliance gets the crunchy corn tortillas extra crisp. The grocer suggests serving the taquitos with its Organic Chunky Home Style Guacamole (we love the Salsa Authentica, too).

Meat-eaters will especially love the Parmesan Pastry Pups, which are even more aromatic and flaky in the air fryer, paired with Trader Joe's Organic Yellow Mustard. To round out the selections, there's also a vegan option: Organic Veggie Bites, made with potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, kale, sweet potatoes, broccoli and tomatoes. The air fryer gets these veg-filled bites nice and crisp on the outside and soft on the inside for a perfect bite-sized treat. Serve along with Trader Joe's Vegan Creamy Dill Dressing.

Not only did our beloved grocery store chain serve up some amazing recs, TJ's also created a video to share the best air-fryer cooking method for serving the most appealing appetizers. First, arrange 4-6 pieces of each appetizer in the air fryer basket, leaving room for crispy magic to be made. Set the temperature to 400℉ and the timer for 8-10 minutes, pausing halfway to gently shake the basket. Repeat these steps as needed until you have plenty for all your guests, serve with the recommended dip pairings and you have yourself a party!

If you don't have an air fryer, we're big fans of this one from Ninja since it has a roomy 8-quart capacity. The two baskets also have separate time and temperature settings, so you can cook your Parmesan Pastry Pups in one basket and Organic Veggie bites in the other. Score!

Ninja Foodi 6-in-1 8 Quart 2-Basket Air Fryer with DualZone Technology

Ninja Foodi 6-in-1 8 Quart 2-Basket Air Fryer with DualZone Technology
JC Penney

TJ's execs also shared on a recent Inside Trader Joe's podcast episode that the ever-popular Mandarin Orange Chicken is also a hit in the air fryer. There's enough flavor there to serve without a dip, but you could have some sweet and sour sauce at the ready.

Need some more air-fryer inspo for game day? Check out these 15 healthy air-fryer recipes to make for the Super Bowl.

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