5-Day Meal Plan Using Your Air Fryer

Air fryers are a popular kitchen appliance, and for good reason. By circulating hot air, the appliance produces crispy, crunchy food with far less oil than traditional deep-frying. Air frying is perfect for a wide range of recipes, from sweet potato fries to doughnut holes. To make the most of your appliance, we've come up with a five-day meal plan for dinner using an air fryer as the primary cooking source. This meal plan is intended to serve two people each night. With an air fryer on hand, you can make a delicious dinner with ease.

Day 1: Air-Fryer Salmon Cakes

Get the recipe: Air-Fryer Salmon Cakes

These salmon cakes are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Made with canned salmon for convenience, these cakes can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Toss together your favorite salad kit and add one of the cakes for a boost of protein. Or, use the cakes as the patty in a burger or sandwich with toppings like lettuce, tomato and a creamy aioli. However you enjoy these salmon cakes, you'll love the classic combination of salmon, dill and Dijon mustard.

Day 2: Air-Fryer Turkey Stuffed Peppers

Get the recipe: Air-Fryer Turkey Stuffed Peppers

Filled with a mixture of ground turkey and brown rice, these stuffed peppers will please any palate. While some stovetop cooking is required, the air fryer does the bulk of the work, turning the bell peppers crisp-tender and melting the cheese topping. This recipe yields three servings, so if you only need two (and don't want the leftover pepper to turn soggy in the fridge), wait to stuff and air fry the remaining pepper until you're ready to eat.

Day 3: Air-Fryer Fish Sticks and Air-Fryer Asparagus

Get the recipes: Air-Fryer Fish Sticks (pictured above) and Air-Fryer Asparagus

Tonight, you'll make two recipes for a filling, tasty dinner. The fish sticks and asparagus both cook at the same temperature, 400℉, so you don't have to worry about preheating the air fryer twice. First, make the Air-Fryer Asparagus, which yields four servings. You can either make a whole batch and save leftovers for another day, or cut the recipe in half so you have two servings instead. While the asparagus cooks, you can prepare the fish. As you cook the fish, keep the asparagus warm by transferring it to a serving dish and covering with foil.

Day 4: Air-Fryer Chicken Parmesan

Get the recipe: Air-Fryer Chicken Parmesan

In this twist on classic chicken Parmesan, we use the air fryer to achieve a crispy, golden-brown exterior. Fresh mozzarella and marinara sauce complete this tasty main dish. While the chicken cooks, you can make pasta to go alongside it or use the chicken to make a saucy sandwich. Better yet, you can do both! This recipe yields four servings, so enjoy the chicken one way on the first night and switch things up the next day.

Day 5: Air-Fryer Scallops

Get the recipe: Air-Fryer Scallops

While they won't get the same golden crust that pan frying achieves, these scallops turn succulent and tender in the air fryer. A quick lemon-herb sauce adds extra flavor to these scallops. Serve with pasta or rice to soak up the delicious sauce (you can opt for a microwave pouch of rice so everything is ready and hot at the same time). Cooking scallops in the air fryer proves that just about anything can be made in this handy appliance.