7 Game-Day Foods I Make in the Air Fryer That Aren’t Wings

Chicken wings have been typecast as football food, especially around this time of year. I’m not saying those crispy flats and drumettes aren’t perfect for a watch party, but there are other masterpieces you can make in your air fryer for this Sunday.

I use my air fryer daily, but it’s especially helpful when planning a watch party menu. Food comes out fast, even if you have to make it in batches, and it’s hard to screw it up.

We’d never try to talk you out of making a batch of crispy, tender-on-the-inside wings. In fact, here are our tips for making perfect air fryer wings. But we’d like to throw a few more suggestions out to diversify your menu.

Below you’ll find seven tried-and-true bangers that work just as well in the air fryer as in any other cooking device we’ve found.

For a healthier twist, try these dietitian-approved air fryer snacks for game day.

1. Mini burgers

You might think it’s impossible to get a burger perfectly medium or medium rare in the air fryer, but you’d be wrong. We’ve done the testing to prove it. Instead of making full-size burgers for your guests, consider a dozen or so mini burgers cooked in batches. 

It’ll take only about 10 minutes on high to sizzle these little beef sliders to perfection, and you can top them with cheese right there in the air fryer basket. Just don’t forget the slider rolls and chopped onion.

Here’s how to make a perfect cheeseburger in the air fryer. 

2. French fries

We’ve done extensive testing and found the absolute best french fries to make in an air fryer. You can see our full ranking here. We’ve also got tips for making those potato slices as crispy as possible. As a bonus, french fries go with everything. Like, everything.

Here’s our list of the best french fries to make in the air fryer.

3. Chicken tenders

Instead of wings, which can be a pain to eat and a mess to clean up, try a batch of keto-coated chicken tenders for the game. These puppies aren’t dripping in grease, and the light coating means you can eat and eat without feeling gross. 

While you can’t make dipping sauce in the air fryer, the perfect buffalo or honey mustard will take your tendies to new heights.

Here’s a recipe for air fryer Keto chicken tenders.

4. Hot dogs and sausages

If you haven’t made a hot dog or sausage link in the air fryer yet, it’s time you learn this year-round hack. They cook fast, require almost no attention or cleanup, and the resulting links have as much snap as when cooked on a grill. Try making hot dogs on the stove, and you’ll get grease splatter for days. 

Serve quality sausage links with sauteed onions and peppers, and your guests will sing your praises.

Here’s how to make hot dogs in the air fryer in minutes.

5. Loaded baked potatoes

Baked potatoes are normally off the table for busy meal prep since they take so long, but that’s not the case when you employ the air fryer’s fierce heat. Start them in the microwave for a few minutes, slice them open, load them with your favorite fillings like cheese, chili, or bacon, and finish them in the air fryer for the crispiest loaded baked potatoes in 12 minutes.

Here’s how to make baked potatoes in under 15 minutes in the air fryer.

6. Nachos 

Nachos come out great when baked in the oven, but it takes longer to preheat and melt the cheese. If your air fryer is vacant, use it to melt nachos for your Sunday party. We recommend putting foil beneath the chips for easy lifting when the nachos are done.

7. All the frozen foods

This is a wide-ranging category that includes whatever strikes your fancy as you stroll down the frozen foods aisle, such as empanadas, mozzarella sticks, jalapeno poppers or stuffed mushrooms. Any of these get crispy in roughly 15 minutes in an air fryer basket.