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20 gameday snacks you must make in your air fryer

More and more people are figuring out that air fryers can mimic the results of deep fryers without oodles of oil and the risk of kitchen fires. They’re also realizing that everything tastes better when cooked in an air fryer. Heck, we’d air fry our own hand if we could somehow figure out a way to close the basket. (Please don’t try this.) Instead, air fry some of your favorite gameday snacks, including these 20 delicious options. Keep in mind that cooking times and temps will depend on your specific air fryer model, but experimenting is half the fun!




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Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Don’t worry, we’ll get into chicken wings later in this slide show. And although those wings are already healthier thanks to the air fryer element, you can take even more guilt off your plate with buffalo cauliflower bites, like these oil-free beauties from Domestic Superhero. The little bit of butter in the buffalo sauce is the least healthy part—unless, like us, you like your bites slathered in chunky blue cheese. 




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Chicken Wings

There’s no excuse to skip the chicken wings (except a meatless diet, maybe) especially when the frozen kind can be prepared in your air fryer in just 30 minutes at 400 F. (Be sure to turn those little wingies every five minutes.) For fresh wings, try this extra crispy recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen.




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Crab Cakes

You can enjoy an iconic Maryland dish—crab cakes—with an air fryer twist. Crab, red peppers, green onion, mayo, breadcrumbs, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Old Bay Seasoning, and 10 minutes at 370 F are all you need for this recipe from My Forking Life. “Crab cakes and football—that’s what Maryland does!”




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Crispy Chickpeas

Pretzels, mixed nuts, and chips are classic snacks, but they don’t have the health benefits—or pack the flavor punch—of chickpeas. Chickpeas (a.k.a. Garbanzo beans) contain calcium, magnesium, and fiber, and may even lower your cholesterol and cancer risk, according to WebMD. For Air Fryer settings, we suggest this recipe from Sweet Peas and Saffron, which contains the words “ultra-crispy” (we’re suckers for anything ultra-crispy) and recommends frying for 12-15 minutes at 390 F.




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Fried Pickles

All you need are pickles, panko, eggs, and some spices to make these deep-fried disks of deliciousness. You can ditch the fatty fast-food oil and guilt in favor of some simple cooking spray without losing the crispy goodness you know and love. And with a quick 15-minute cook time, you won’t lose the “fast” food aspect, either! Try this recipe from Taste of Home for tips.




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Fries

There are two ways you can go with air fryer fries: make fresh, homemade fries, like this version from Sweet C’s Designs (all you need are potatoes, olive oil, and salt & pepper) or, to save time, just use your air fryer to kick frozen fries up a notch. Many frozen brands now include air fryer instructions right on the bag, or you can do a quick Google search. Remember, cooking times can vary, so you may have some very tasty trial and error ahead of you.




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Jalapeño Poppers

“Can we get a round of jalapeño poppers for me and the boys?” asks the protagonist of a popular insurance commercial, mistakenly pronouncing the “j” in “jalapeño.” The joke is the 30-something-year-old doesn’t realize he’s acting like a typical awkward “dad” while ordering out at the club, but to us, the bigger joke is that this goofy guy could be saving his money by making healthier jalapeño poppers at home! Try this four-ingredient version from Air Fryer Eats.




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Mini Calzones

Add something new to your usual gameday offerings with calzones that would make Parks and Recreation’s Ben Wyatt smile. That’s right, you can, in fact, make calzones in your air fryer! But if you’ve got a whole spread planned, you might want to opt for these mini calzones from Punchfork.




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Mozzarella Sticks

When dining out, don’t do the math on mozzarella sticks—they end up costing more than $1 per stick! Save your money and skip the oil by making your own mozzies at home in your air fryer. Frozen versions heat up in 5-6 minutes at 380 F, but we love this from-scratch recipe courtesy of Show Me the Yummy.




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Mushrooms

Eating mushrooms on game day can be a bad idea. The vivid colors on the screen tend to blend together, the sounds are too intense, and you could easily end up cowering in the corner mumbling about mascots coming to life. Oh, we’re talking about stuffed mushrooms? Yes, those are tasty…especially in an air fryer. These little caps—bursting with bacon and three types of cheese—require just a half-hour of your time, according to Spend with Pennies.




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Nachos

No, we’re not just talking about homemade tortilla chips here; you can actually make loaded nachos that are cheesier than a Hallmark holiday movie right in your air fryer. Feel free to tweak the toppings, but this healthier version from Skinny Taste calls for tortilla chips, taco seasoning, black beans, and cheese, with some savory suggestions, to boot! The best part? They only take three minutes at 350 F.




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Pigs in a Blanket

Pigs in a blanket have been our favorite Super Bowl snacks since we were kids. What could be better than mini hot dogs wrapped up and baked in fluffy, flaky dough, and dipped in a variety of sauces? Answer: Swapping out the oven for an air fryer! You still need only two ingredients (dogs and crescent roll dough) and a little cooking spray for this updated spin on a classic snack from Air Fryer Fanatics. 




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Potato Chips

You may be half in the bag by halftime, but that doesn’t mean you need to resort to stale bagged potato chips. If you have potatoes, a little oil, and a spoonful of salt, you can make fresh chips at home! Don’t be thrown by the 60-minute estimate on this recipe from The Spruce Eats—your fryer will be doing all the work during that time.




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Quesadillas

Quesadillas are already easy to make (even Napoleon Dynamite can make them by himself—gosh!) and they’re way simpler in the air fryer. Use your imagination with the ingredients, as well as this recipe from Plum Crazy About Coupons for guidance.




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Roasted Peanuts

We grouped mixed nuts in with pretzels and chips earlier, and that wasn’t entirely fair (forgive us!) because nuts are solid sources of fat, fiber, and protein, as well as nutrients like selenium, manganese, magnesium, and vitamin E. And they taste even better when roasted! For four different variations on this quick and easy gameday snack—including pub-style peanuts—try this recipe from Simply Vegetarian 777.




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Shrimp

Serving shrimp cocktail is just fine, but if you’ve shelled out money for shrimp (see what we did there?) you might as well step up your serving game, too. If you really want to wow your family, try bang bang shrimp, like this 20-minute version from Munchkin Time.




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Spanakopita Bites

Spinach dips are messy, require serving spoons, and pretend there’s a third convincing thing in this list so I can get to the point that spanakopita is what you should instead be serving on game day. Specifically, something similar to these spanakopita bites from Cooking Light, which clock in at just 82 calories with four grams of protein!




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Tater Tots

Some people prefer fries, others prefer tots, and some people like them both the same. But this is potato war, so pick a side! For the Tot Troopers out there, don’t try to be a hero and make this snack from scratch—frozen tots will taste as they came from a restaurant anyway! Place the tots in a single layer, spray with cooking oil, and heat on 350 F for 15 minutes (shaking halfway through).




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Toasted Ravioli

Ravioli is a meal, but toasted ravioli? That’s your new favorite gameday snack. (It’s ours, at least.) Cooked and refrigerated ravioli need only be dunked in egg and tossed in parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs before going into the air fryer, and An Affair from the Heart will take you the rest of the way with this recipe. Don’t forget the marinara!




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