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Whether you just bought a new air fryer and are wondering what to make in it, or you’re just looking for something new and creative to make, these oil-free healthy Vegan Air Fryer Recipes are going to get you excited!
I used to eat a lot of crispy fried foods before I regained my health, and that is one thing I sometimes missed after switching to a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle. I thought the days of crunchy French fries, Jo Jo potatoes, and tempura were over. Thankfully, I found out that I was wrong!
What is an air fryer?
If you’ve never heard of an air fryer, you’ve really been missing out. I absolutely love mine and use it at least once a week.
Anair fryeris a terrific kitchen appliance that cooks by circulating hot air around the food at high speed. It is able toproduce crispy foods without using any oilwhich makes them much lower in calories and fat.
Air fryers are small enough to fit on your kitchen counter, and they allow you to make some great foods without needing to heat up the stove which makes them extra awesome during the hot summer months.
Discovering healthy air fryer recipes
When I first heard about air fryers a few years ago, I was intrigued. The information I was reading said that air fryers would cook food to a crisp without having to deep fry.
I have to admit that I was very skeptical. However, after a weekend of testing out a new air fryer, I discovered that all those crispy fried foods could indeed be back in my life. Only, this time, they would have zero oil and wouldn’t be clogging my arteries or causing inflammation in my body.
Take a look at some of the amazing air fryer vegan recipes I make regularly in my air fryer for the family. Bring on the crispy food!
NOTE: To see full recipes on most of these dishes, simply click on the recipe title in orange.
Vegan Air Fryer Recipes
Crispy French Fries
Healthy, homemade, oil-free, Air Fryer French Fries are simple to make and absolutely delicious!
These air fryer french fries are one of my favorite recipes, and we actually eat them for dinner as the main course about once a week.
Black Bean Burgers
ThisBlack Bean Burgersrecipe gets some of the highest reviews on this website. People love that the patties are firm and can even be cooked on the grill without falling through.
They can also be made in an air fryer!
After patting them out, place them in the air fryer and cook at 370°F for 15 minutes. That’s all there is to it!
Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
Making Air Fryer Baked Potatoes is so simple!! The best part is that they come out perfectly light and flakey on the inside with extra crispy skin on the outside.
Air Fryer Potato Wedges (aka Jo Jo Potatoes)
These Air-Fried Potato Wedges make a perfect side dish because they are crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. They are vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, and deliciously healthy!
Air Fryer Tofu
This delicious Air Fryer Tofu is crispy to perfection without a drop of oil in only about 15-minutes. Believe me, the whole family is going to love these little chunks!
They are great alone or served in stir-fries!
Fried Green Tomatoes
Crunchy on the outside and perfectly delicious, these Air Fryer Fried Green Tomatoes make a terrific appetizer or side dish. They are even great for sandwiches!
Crispy Air Fryer Chickpeas
These quick and easy Air Fryer Chickpeas are absolutely delicious andcompletely oil-free. Choose from this tasty assortment of flavors!
Roasted Asparagus
The absolute best way to Roast Asparagus is in an air fryer because it’s super quick and the asparagus is perfectly tender and crisp!
There are no fancy ingredients for this healthy asparagus recipe and absolutely no oil–not one drop. It’s as simple as a few spices andabout 7-minutes, and you’ve got a delicious wholesome side dish.
Air Fry Vegetable Tempura
Believe it or not, vegetable tempura can be made completely oil-free as well, and I love making sweet potato, mushroom, asparagus, broccoli, and more in my air fryer.
Tempura dishes need to be battered, and this is a simple way that I do that.
Tempura batter ingredients
- 3 Tbsp flax meal
- 1/2 cup water
- 1-1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
- 1 Tbsp onion powder
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
Begin by making flax eggs that will help the flour stick to the vegetables.
To do this place the flaxseed or meal with water in a blender and blend for about 1-minute. The finished product will have an egg-white-type texture that will allow the dry coating to stick well.
You can also skip the blender and just whip this up with a whisk and a bowl, but I prefer the blender method because it becomes much thicker and creamer.
If you are planning to cook a lot of veggies, you’ll want to double this flax egg recipe to have plenty.
Next, place the dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to mix well.
Cooking Instructions
Slice all vegetables. I did not slice the mushrooms but left them whole. If making tofu, drain and press the water out before slicing.
Pour the flax egg mixture from your blender into a medium to a large bowl that will accommodate coating the veggies.
In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients–panko and seasonings.
To begin the battering process, roll each vegetable (or vegetable slice) in the flax egg mixture to coat well.
Next, dredge the vegetable chunks in the large bowl with the panko and dry coating.
Place the battered veggie chunks into the basket of the air fryer, and sprinkle with salt, if desired.
Set the temperature to 400°F and timer at the following times.
- Asparagus, tofu, and broccoli–20 minutes.
- Whole mushrooms, sweet potatoes, and Jo Jo potatoes–25 minutes.
Don’t overfill the basket, and if there are layers of veggies, you’ll need to stop the cooking halfway through and shake the basket to redistribute the chunks.
Once the air fryer timer goes off, leave vegetables in the basket or place them on a plate, and allow them to cool. They really do get brown and crispy.
One of the best things of all about air frying without oil is the cleanup. Simply amazing!
Tips for using your air fryer
- Shake the basket a couple of times during cooking to make sure everything is browning properly.
- Make sure not to overcrowd the air fryer.
- Never use nonstick spray on your basket, because it can damage the air fryer.
- Parchment paper can be used to make cleanup easier.
- Air fryers get pretty hot, so make sure there is at least 5″ of space around your device.
- The sauces I used for dipping are my Asian Sauce and Chipotle Ranch Sauce.
I am thrilled to have all these crispy-fried foods back in my life. Only this time, they are working to nourish my body and keep my arteries clean as healthy vegan recipes.Air fryer recipes are tha’ bomb!
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5 from 2 votes
Crispy Fried Green Tomatoes
Crunchy on the outside and perfectly delicious, these Air Fryer Fried Green Tomatoes make a terrific appetizer or side dish. They are even great for sandwiches!
Prep: 15 minutes mins
Cook: 10 minutes mins
Total: 25 minutes mins
Print Pin Rate Save
Servings: 4 servings
IngredientsUS Customary – Metric
US Customary – Metric
- 2 medium green tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons flax meal
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 1 heaping tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Begin by washing and then cutting the green tomatoes into 1/4″ to 1/2" slices.
Whip upflax eggsby combining 2 tablespoons flax meal and 1/2 cup warm water in a bowl. Whisk together vigorously. Allow it to sit for about 5-minutes to gel up to the consistency of egg whites.
Place the flour in a shallow bowl or dish. This can even be done on a paper plate if you want to mess up fewer dishes. In another medium bowl, stir together the cornmeal, bread crumbs, and spices.
Line the three bowls up in the order that they will be used–flour, flax egg, and bread crumb/cornmeal mixture.
First, coat each tomato slice in flour by rolling it around in the dish until completely covered. Next, dip it into the flax egg bowl to coat well. Lastly, press it into the bread crumb mixture firmly on each side.
Place each tomato slice onto a plate or platter and continue the process until every piece has been battered.
Mist each side of the battered tomatoes with lime juice or water in a spray bottle. This is for flavor and to keep the batter from being too crumbly.
Place the slices into your air fryer in a single layer and sprinkle a little more garlic powder, smoked paprika, and salt on top if desired. Be sure not to overlap the slices or they won’t cook evenly. You will likely need to cook these in a couple of batches.
Set the air fryer temperature to 400°F and the time to 10 minutes. Check them after 5-8 minutes to make sure they are cooking evenly. If they are drying out too much, spritz them with a little more lime juice or water.
Once cooked, serve immediately while still warm. I highly recommend whipping up a batch of myChipotle Sauceto dip them into because it’s out of this world. I’m serious here…the sauce will take these fried tomatoes to a whole new level, just trust me! I've also included more dipping sauce options below.
Video
Notes
Tips for making air fryer fried green tomatoes:
- Oven cooking method-These can also be made in your oven. Preheat the temperature to 400°F. Line a baking sheet withparchment paperto prevent sticking and lay the battered sliced in a single layer. Bake for 10 minutes until golden on the top. Flip them over, spritz the other side with lime juice and cook for another 8-10 minutes until browned on top.
- Choosing tomatoes- Even though red tomatoes can be air-fried, green tomatoes work best. I did both and found that the green ones are much firmer and better suited for air frying. The red tomatoes were just too soft and sweet for my taste.
- Spritz-I highly recommend spritzing the tomato slices with lime juice to keep the batter from becoming too dried out. Water can be used, but lime (or lemon) juice gives a great added flavor.
Dipping Sauce Options
Please, please try my chipotle sauce with this recipe. It’s not too spicy, unless you want it to be. Here are some greatdipping sauce options.
- Chipotle Sauce
- Creamy Vegan Ranch
- Tzatziki Cucumber Sauce
Nutrition
Serving: 2slices | Calories: 125kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 3.9g | Fat: 2.3g | Sodium: 30mg | Fiber: 3.5g | Sugar: 2.1g
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
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About Terri Edwards
Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…
