Our Best Air Fryer Thanksgiving Recipes

Easy, healthy, and tasty holiday ideas

By
Cathy Jacobs
Cathy Jacobs
Cathy Jacobs
A freelance journalist and avid home cook, Cathy Jacobs has more than 10 years of food writing experience, with a focus on curating approachable menus and recipe collections.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 01/25/23
Air fryer turkey on a white plate

The Spruce / Leah Maroney

Got an air fryer? You can use it to cook up a festive, healthy Thanksgiving dinner with our best air fryer recipes for the holiday. Regardless of the size of your crowd, we have recipes for every dish you need.

  • 01 of 08

    Air Fryer Turkey

    Air Fryer Turkey

    The Spruce/Leah Maroney

    For a faster-cooking turkey that's juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside, look no further than your air fryer. This is the perfect Thanksgiving turkey recipe when you are hosting a smaller holiday gathering, or just looking to try a new method for cooking turkey. It all starts with a 24-hour brine, which is optional, but it's an easy, mostly hands-free way to produce ultra-moist and tender meat.

  • 02 of 08

    Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes

    Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

    The air fryer does a great job of roasting small potatoes (or halved, larger potatoes) with less oil than you would typically use. You need just 20 minutes, and a quick toss halfway through the cooking time, for crispy, browned potatoes that are perfectly fluffy in the center. This recipe includes a dried seasoning mixture, but feel free to tweak it to taste, or toss in a few fresh herbs with your spuds.

  • 03 of 08

    Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts

    Air fryer Brussels sprouts on a white serving plate

    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

    Brussels sprouts are a popular Thanksgiving side dish that stand up well to a little spice. These sweet and spicy air fryer Brussels sprouts tossed with chili garlic paste and honey are crispy, addictive, and healthier than deep-fried versions. Serve them as an addictive side for your holiday turkey and potatoes.

  • 04 of 08

    Air Fryer Mac and Cheese Balls

    Air Fryer Mac and Cheese Balls

    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

    Change up your holiday side dish game with these fun macaroni and cheese balls. Kids and adults alike will scarf down these one-bite wonders that are a great way to use a leftover mac and cheese casserole in your fridge or freezer. The mac and cheese balls come out of the air fryer crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, and so good your family won't believe they're not deep-fried. 

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  • 05 of 08

    Air Fryer Corn Bread

    Air Fryer Corn Bread on a white plate

    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

    Warm, moist, tender homemade cornbread is always a welcome accompaniment to the holiday roast turkey, and can even be chopped up to make cornbread stuffing. Preparing it in the air fryer frees up your oven for other cooking, and yields buttery cornbread with a great, crispy crust. This is small-batch recipe yields enough cornbread for 2 to 4 people. 

  • 06 of 08

    Air Fryer Green Beans

    Air fryer green beans on a white plate

    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

    Crisp-tender green beans are a beloved vegetable side dish for the holiday table. You need only 4 ingredients (plus salt and pepper) to prepare garlicky green beans in the air fryer, with no blanching required. They go great with other popular holiday sides, from mashed and scalloped potatoes to macaroni and cheese.

  • 07 of 08

    Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes

    Air fryer sweet potatoes with butter

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

    Get all the fluffy interior and crunchy exterior you love in oven-baked sweet potatoes, while leaving your oven free to juggle other dishes. These sweet potatoes cook inside the air fryer, and are ideal for splitting open and stuffing with a big pat of butter and a generous sprinkling of cinnamon. Or, once cooled, peel them for sweet potato mash or puree for sweet potato pie.

  • 08 of 08

    Air Fryer Doughnuts

    Air fryer doughnuts

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

    Want to bake up perfect, cake-like doughnuts in minutes for your holiday dessert? It's all possible with an air fryer and this straightforward yeast doughnut recipe. Scale it up or down to suit the size of your squad, and finish doughnuts with the included maple glaze or another flavor, such as our brown sugar caramel glaze.