For a quick keto meal, bring out the air fryer! This collection of keto air-fryer recipes keeps low-carb meals easy—and gives you plenty of reasons to change up your weekly menu.
The idea behind the keto diet is that your meals consist of good fats, a smaller percentage of protein and an even smaller percentage of carbohydrates. It can be a challenge to come up with unique keto meals night after night, but here’s the good news: You can rely on your air fryer for plenty of quick keto-friendly recipes.
To create our collection of keto air-fryer recipes, we’ve taken foods from this keto diet list and turned them into air-fryer favorites. Each recipe has 7 grams of carbs or fewer and plenty of healthy fat and protein.
1/24
Air-Fryer Chicken Wings
You can’t go wrong with these crispy air-fryer chicken wings. Our spice rub has a nice kick from the cayenne seasoning. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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2/24
Air-Fryer Hard-Boiled Eggs
This is a wonderful alternative to boiling eggs on the stovetop. These air-fryer hard-boiled eggs are just as easy and super quick—a perfect way to put your air fryer to use! —Rashanda Cobbins, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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3/24
Air-Fryer Garlic-Butter Steak
This quick and easy air-fryer steak recipe is restaurant quality. It’s about to become a staple at your house! —Lily Julow, Lawrenceville, Georgia
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4/24
MACKENZIE SCHIECK FOR TASTE OF HOME
Air-Fryer Steak Bites
This recipe for air-fryer steak bites will be on the table in minutes. It shouldn’t taste as good as it does for how little effort you’ll need to put in! —Mackenzie Schieck, Seattle, Washington
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5/24
Air-Fryer Chicken Thighs
This air-fryer chicken thighs recipe creates meat that is crispy on the outside but super juicy on the inside. The paprika and garlic seasoning blend comes through beautifully. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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6/24
Air-Fryer Bacon-Wrapped Scallops
Bacon-wrapped scallops seem so decadent and fancy that often I forget how easy they are to prepare. To keep this recipe keto, swap the pineapple quinoa for a dark leafy green salad or skip the base altogether.—Laura Greenberg, Lake Balboa, California
These air-fryer pork chops get their rich flavor from Creole seasoning and Parmesan cheese. —Dawn Parker, Surrey, British Columbia
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8/24
Air-Fryer Pork Tenderloin
I originally developed this air-fryer pork tenderloin recipe to cook on the stove and finish in the oven, but you can make it even quicker in an air fryer—and it’s just as tasty. —Lynn Faria, Southington, Connecticut
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9/24
Air-Fryer Roasted Green Beans
Our family loves roasted green beans, but they can take a long time in the oven. I tried these air-fryer green beans and we loved them! Use half the amount of onion to reduce the carbs and keep this recipe keto-friendly. —Courtney Stultz, Weir, Kansas
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10/24
Air-Fryer Asparagus
This air-fryer asparagus recipe is packed with flavor, thanks to the lemon-garlic dressing that the spears are tossed in before roasting. It’s a simple, quick side that goes with almost anything. —Tina Mirilovich, Johnstown, Pennsylvania
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11/24
Air-Fryer Salmon
Preparing salmon in the air fryer is, hands down, one of the easiest ways to cook it. Air-fryer salmon stays succulent, but still gets lightly browned on the outside. Use this simple salmon recipe as a starting point for different flavors and styles of salmon. The possibilities are endless! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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12/24
Air-Fryer Keto Meatballs
I have been following a keto diet for a year and a half and have lost 130 pounds. With this recipe for air-fryer keto meatballs, you won’t miss the breadcrumbs at all! I like to eat these saucy meatballs on their own, but they’re also great over zucchini noodles. —Holly Balzer-Harz, Malone, New York
My husband is not crazy about chicken, but one of his favorite snacks are jalapeno poppers, so I created this dinnertime recipe to give our chicken plenty of flavor. He loves it cooked this way and best of all is the quick cooking with little cleanup! — Donna Gribbins, Shelbyville, Kentucky
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14/24
Air-Fried Radishes
Radishes aren’t just for salads anymore. These fried radishes make a colorful side for any meal. Plus, they’re quick to make in your air fryer. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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15/24
Air-Fryer Sausage Bacon Bites
Try surprising your family on Sunday morning by pulling these bites out of the air fryer as they head to breakfast, and get ready for the oohs and aahs of delight. They’re equally delicious as a party appetizer. Make them without the sugar to keep the recipe keto-friendly. —Pat Waymire, Yellow Springs, Ohio
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16/24
Air-Fryer Herb and Lemon Cauliflower
A standout cauliflower side is easy to prepare with just a few ingredients. Crushed red pepper flakes add a touch of heat. —Susan Hein, Burlington, Wisconsin
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17/24
ANVITA BHATNAGAR MISTRY FOR TASTE OF HOME
Air-Fryer Zucchini Chips
Many recipes for air-fryer zucchini chips call for tossing the zucchini rounds in oil before air-frying, but this one is different. The result is a vegan, gluten-free, keto-friendly snack you’ll want to munch on every day. —Anvita Bhatnagar Mistry, Cary, North Carolina
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18/24
Air-Fryer Stuffed Zucchini
When your garden is overflowing with zucchini, it’s time to pull out your air fryer. Filled with ground beef and cheese, this quick-to-prepare meal is a delicious way to enjoy summer’s bounty. —Tracey Rosato, Markham, Ontario
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19/24
Air-Fryer Broccoli
I think broccoli was made to be cooked in an air fryer. It gets tender and still has a nice crunch. And it only gets better with a touch of lemon! —Liz Bellville, Tonasket, Washington
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20/24
Air-Fryer Fajita-Stuffed Chicken
I had all the ingredients for fajitas, but instead of heating up my big oven, I decided to try out the air fryer. Since mine is a small one, I wanted to get as much filling as I could in each stuffed chicken breast. This worked nicely by cutting slits in the breasts and then filling them. —Joan Hallford, North Richland Hills, Texas
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21/24
Garlic-Herb Fried Patty Pan Squash
The first time I grew a garden, I harvested summer squash and cooked it with garlic and herbs. This fried patty pan squash recipe is a creative twist. —Kaycee Mason, Siloam Springs, Arkansas
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22/24
Air-Fryer Bacon Egg Cups
These adorable bacon egg cups are a fresh take on the classic breakfast combo. I originally baked these, but they’re amazing in the air fryer—no need to heat up the oven! —Carol Forcum, Marion, Illinois
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23/24
Air-Fryer Eggs Lorraine
Whenever I’m looking to impress overnight guests, this is the recipe I serve for breakfast. It’s easy to assemble and it cooks quickly in the air fryer. —Sandra Woolard, DeLand, Florida
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24/24
TMB Studio
Air-Fryer Okra with Smoked Paprika
When you want to cook okra without frying it, roast it with lemon juice for a lighter version. The smoked paprika gives it even more roasty oomph. —Lee Evans, Queen Creek, Arizona
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FAQ
Is the air fryer good for a keto diet?
It is! Air fryers reduce the amount of unhealthy oils you’d need to fry or saute food. Air-frying also means you don’t have to coat things in batter before frying like you would normally.
Can you put raw meat in the air fryer?
Yes, you can put raw meat directly in your air fryer to cook, but it must be thawed. If you have frozen meat, the air fryer won’t thaw it during the cook time. To help get you started, here’s how to defrost chicken in three ways and how to thaw pork chops.
Does air-frying reduce carbs?
Air-frying your food will not reduce the amount of carbs in it. The appliance helps you cook quickly and without the use of unhealthy oils, but if you try a regular recipe in the air fryer, it won’t become keto just because you use the air fryer.
Originally Published: October 19, 2021
Rosemary Siefert
Rosemary has been writing and editing for digital and print publications for six years. Starting out as a freelancer for Taste of Home, she joined the team full time in 2022. She writes and edits food content and helps manage Taste of Home’s freelance community. Rosie focuses her writing on cooking tips, baking and cleaning techniques (gotta have a sparkling kitchen!). Rosie’s degrees in journalism and English from the University of Missouri contribute to her skills as an editor, while her penchant for trying new recipes and kitchen hacks shines in her writing.If Rosie isn’t making a (fun) mess in the kitchen, she’s scoping out new restaurants, trying foods she’s never heard of, holed up at a coffee shop with a book or clanging away on one of the typewriters in her collection.
Air fryers are a keto dieter's best friend for several reasons. They use hot air to cook food, eliminating the need for unhealthy oils. This aligns perfectly with the keto diet's focus on high-fat, low-carb meals.
A lazy keto diet consists of low-carb foods like meat, fish, full-fat dairy and non-starchy vegetables, but limits high-carb foods such as bread, potatoes, sugary snacks and some fruits. If you've tried the keto before and found it too tedious, lazy keto could be a good compromise.
The dirty keto diet involves decreasing your carbs and increasing your fats intake, but without any considerations for the quality of food you consume. It allows processed and fast foods, as well as prepackeged snacks. The dirty keto diet is more flexible and less costly than the clean keto diet.
Some of the popular things to make in the air fryer are potatoes (chips, roasted, baked), muffins, scones, and cakes. It's also great for getting dinner on the table fast – we love to use our air fryer to make fritters, rissoles, nuggets, and pork belly (yes, you can cook raw meat in an air fryer).
It's totally fine and safe to eat up to 6 eggs a day while on the keto diet. You can consume even more eggs per day occasionally, as long as you make sure that you eat your greens, healthy fats and proteins from other sources.
The cardinal rule to lazy keto is to eat no more than 20 grams of carbs per day. Unlike the original keto diet, you do not have to track your calories. You also do not have to count other macronutrients: fat and protein.
Eating as much food as you want is not recommended on the keto diet. Eating too much food can lead to weight gain, which is counter to the goal of the keto diet. The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that promotes weight loss by forcing the body to switch from burning glucose for fuel to burning fat.
Peanut butter can definitely be part of a keto diet, but it's best to stick to plain options that are free of extra flavors and sweeteners. Almond butter is a good choice, too, and it's slightly lower in carbs. Additionally, you should be mindful of your portion size if you're trying to lose weight.
Sure. Indeed, you can eat anything, so long as you track your net carbs (total carbs minus dietary fiber) and stay within your limits. As this site reports, KFC Original Recipe Chicken Breast Nutrition Facts show that one serving has 9gm carbs and 2g dietary fiber, so only 7g net carbs. Not bad.
Can You Eat Bacon On a Keto Diet? While you may not think of bacon as diet food, most types of bacon fit perfectly into a keto diet plan since they're low in carbs yet high in protein and fat. That means bacon is perfect for snacking on in the afternoon or mixing into your chicken dinner dish for some extra flavoring.
As with all dry-heat cooker methods (grilling, broiling, pan frying and oven roasting), tender beef cuts perform best in the air fryer. Those cuts include Top Sirloin, KC Strip, Ribeye, Tenderloin and Tri Tip. Ground beef also can be easily prepared in an air fryer.
Veggies like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, potatoes, zucchini, mushrooms & onions, and cauliflower all turn out incredible in the air fryer. You can also make your main dish IN the air fryer. It works magic with proteins like tofu, chicken drumsticks, meatballs, pork chops, fried chicken… even steak.
Because cooking in the oven and air frying utilize similar heating techniques (i.e., hot air), food will generally end up with the same nutrient profile regardless of the appliance you choose. However, any time a food is cooked, its composition changes, and inflammatory compounds can form.
Out of the top three reasons restaurants don't use air fryers, the taste is the leading cause. It has numerous benefits and can cook food efficiently. However, the taste can be subpar compared to other cooking methods available at the commercial level.
Less oil: One of the main benefits of air frying is that it significantly decreases the amount of oil absorbed into foods compared to deep frying. This can lead to fewer calories which can be helpful when following a calorie controlled diet.
The evidence so far suggests that air frying is healthier than deep-frying, but it's not necessarily healthier than pan frying or baking in an oven. What really matters is your overall dietary pattern and the quality of the food you're eating.
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Rosemary SiefertUpdated: Mar. 21, 2024
