If you’ve ever perused an air-fryer guide for beginners, then you already know air fryers are brilliant tools for making crispy, crunchy, fried-like foods in minutes. With almost zero work, you can have a full fryer basket of French fries, wings, or meatballs on the party platter without dealing with the mess of a deep fryer or heating up your oven. But air-fryer meal prep will be a real game changer for your everyday cooking too.

Air fryers create a crispy coating on foods using minimal oil by way of convection. This style of cooking uses fans to circulate hot air around your food, which activates the Maillard reaction (a term that refers to the delicious browning of protein you taste as you bite into a just-seared steak or fresh-baked biscuit). Air-fried food won’t necessarily taste like it’s been deep-fried, but it will have a crunchy coating and only needs about a tablespoon of oil. I like to use oven fries as an example—they aren’t French fries, but they’re delicious in their own right.

Because air fryers are often celebrated for their ability to make fried-like party foods, such as onion rings or fish sticks, we easily forget that convection cooking is actually a lot closer to the cooking you do in your full-size oven (i.e., roasting and baking) versus your deep fryer. Translation: Let’s start treating the air fryer like a mini-oven that sits on the countertop. Once you learn how to clean and maintain it, the air fryer will be your go-to piece of kitchen equipment. When you think of it this way, the number of foods you’ll see you can cook quickly in your air fryer increases tenfold.

Next time you’re powering through a Sunday cooking session, don’t bother preheating your oven. Your air fryer may be small, but this appliance is mighty when it comes to meal-prep potential. Here are 11 ways to make healthy foods in your air fryer you can eat all week long (buffalo wings not included).

Roast Vegetables

Just as you would with a sheet pan in the oven, you can roast several servings of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, or any other vegetable in your air fryer. Simply cut them into bite-sized pieces and toss in a bowl with a quick drizzle of olive oil before adding to the fryer basket. We like to shake them every five minutes or so to ensure even browning. The cook time and temperature will vary based on the veggie, but plan on cooking them at 375 degrees F for around 20 minutes. (Bonus: This is less than half the time it’ll take you in the oven!) You can also air-fry frozen veggies.

Cook Fish

If you’re intimidated by cooking fish, this air-fryer method couldn’t be easier. Coat a couple of 6-ounce filets of salmon, halibut, or tilapia (or any other type) with a bit of butter and lemon juice, or dredge them with eggs, flour, and panko crumbs before cooking in the air fryer at 375 degrees F for about 8 minutes.

Crisp Up Chickpeas

Dried, toasted chickpeas are a meal-prep powerhouse. They’re perfect for topping salads, mixing into trail mix, or snacking on as-is. And if you’re looking for some easy air-fryer meal prep, it can’t get much simpler than this. Drain a can of chickpeas and toss them with a bit of oil, salt, and pepper before air frying. Toss the basket every 5-10 minutes at 400 degrees F until crisp. Add savory spices like cumin, curry, or paprika if you want some extra flavor, or make them sweet with cinnamon and sugar and serve on yogurt.

Make Baked Potatoes

Use a fork to poke several holes in a Russet or sweet potato and air-fry for 30 to 40 minutes. Air-fried potatoes come out lighter and juicier than those baked potatoes in the oven. (And you can still use our epic air-fryer french fry recipe if you’d rather have fries!)

Crisp Up Chicken Tenders

Instead of grabbing a store-bought rotisserie chicken for your weeknight salads, sandwiches, and stir-fries, we love crisping up pieces of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs in the air fryer. The convection heat will give your nuggets a nicely browned exterior, but leaves their insides tender and juicy (wish we could say the same about that pre-made rotisserie chicken).

Cook Tofu

Gone are the days of prying sticky tofu from the surface of your pan. For an easy (and healthy) air-fryer meal prep hack, you can simply cube a block of extra-firm tofu and mix the pieces with a bit of oil, salt, and pepper. Air-fry for 15 to 20 minutes, and be gentle with shaking to not break up the bits. Toss with soy sauce, ginger, and sesame seeds after cooking.

Make 5-Minute Pizza

Seriously! Top slices of pita bread with marinara sauce, veggies, and cheese. Cook one pita pizza at a time in the air-fryer basket at 350 degrees F until cheese is melted and pita is crisp, 4 to 5 minutes.

Whip Up Crispy Corn on the Cob

Corn on the cob is a summer staple and a worthy side at any barbecue or outdoor gathering. But, if you don’t feel like firing up the grill or simply don’t have room to grill your corn, you can make it in the air fryer. All you have to do is husk the corn, lightly coat it in oil, and place it in the air fryer basket. Cook at 375 degrees for about 10 to 15 minutes, and you’ll be treated to crispy, caramelized kernels with very little clean up. If you can’t fit an entire ear of corn in your air fryer basket, just break it in half.

Poach an Egg

Poached eggs may sound fancy and seem intimidating to make, but once you realize you can whip them up in the air fryer, you’ll never want to start your day without this breakfast staple. When using the air fryer you can also poach more than one egg at a time, which is especially helpful if you’re cooking for more than one person. Start by preheating your air fryer to 400 degrees and greasing four ramekins with cooking oil. Then, crack an egg into each ramekin and add two tablespoons of water into each one as well. Place the ramekins into the air fryer basket, decrease the temperature to 360 degrees, and cook for four to five minutes. You’ll know the eggs are done when the white looks set and can withstand a gentle poke. Use a small spatula to remove each egg from its ramekin and serve. Eat the eggs solo, or use ‘em to top savory oatmeal or avocado toast. The choice is yours!  

Or Try Deviled Eggs

Not a poached egg fan? The air fryer can also make a batch of deviled eggs in about 25 minutes. All you need to do is place cold eggs in the air fryer (don’t crowd them) and cook at 250 degrees for 15 minutes. Then, let the eggs cool in an ice bath, and make the filling as you normally would.

Make Meatballs

Sure, you can go the traditional route and pan-fry your meatballs, or you can fire up your air fryer instead. Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees and prepare the meatballs as you normally would. Once you’ve shaped the meatballs, place them in the air fryer basket and cook for eight minutes. Give the meatballs a shake, and cook for an additional two minutes. Then, allow the meatballs to rest for five minutes before serving.