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More about Emily →Christmas is a whole day of cooking: breakfast while the kids open presents, maybe seafood the night before, then a big dinner. These air fryer Christmas recipes cover the whole day, so the oven is free for whatever needs it most.
Below are 16 recipes from our kitchen: 4 for Christmas morning, 4 seafood dishes for Christmas Eve, 4 dinner mains and 4 sides. For each one you get the temperature and the cook time copied from its full recipe card, plus a link to the complete recipe with ingredients and steps. Air fryers are not all the same, so the first time you make a recipe, check it a couple of minutes early.
Need a time for something that is not on this list? Keep our air fryer cooking times chart open in another tab while you plan.
Air Fryer Christmas Recipes at a Glance
Every recipe in this guide on one chart. Times are for one batch; crowd the basket and they will run longer.
| # | Recipe | Air fryer | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Twisted Bacon | 350°F 13–15 min |
Thick bacon: add 1-2 min |
| 2 | Shredded Hash Browns | 380°F 8–10 min |
Shake the basket halfway |
| 3 | Ham & Cheese Croissants | 350°F 8–10 min |
Seam side down |
| 4 | Homemade Bagels | 350°F 10 min |
Check at 8-9 min |
| 5 | Garlic Butter Lobster Tails | 400°F 5–6 min |
About 1 min per ounce |
| 6 | Garlic Butter Salmon | 390°F 8–10 min |
5 min, then 3-5 more |
| 7 | Seasoned Shrimp | 400°F 8–10 min |
Shake at 4-5 min |
| 8 | Buttery Scallops | 400°F 6 min |
Flip at 3 minutes |
| 9 | Herb Butter Steak | 400°F 8 min |
Rest 10 min |
| 10 | Herb Pork Tenderloin | 400°F 20–22 min |
Pull at 145°F |
| 11 | Garlic Butter Chicken Thighs | 350°F 25–30 min |
165°F inside |
| 12 | Bacon-Wrapped Chicken | 370°F 25 min |
Flip at 15 min |
| 13 | Baked Potatoes | 400°F 40 min |
Add 5-10 min if needed |
| 14 | Crispy Potatoes | 400°F 12–15 min |
Shake halfway |
| 15 | Lemon Parmesan Asparagus | 400°F 7 min |
Check at 5 min |
| 16 | Roasted Garlic | 390°F 20–25 min |
Wrap bulbs in foil |
Your Christmas Air Fryer Plan
One air fryer cooks one thing at a time, so here is a simple order for the busiest day of the year.
- Christmas Eve: the seafood. Lobster tails (5 to 6 minutes), scallops (6 minutes) and shrimp (8 to 10 minutes) all cook at 400°F, so they can go in back to back. Remember to thaw the lobster tails the night before.
- Christmas morning: twisted bacon first (13 to 15 minutes at 350°F), then the ham and cheese croissants at the same temperature (8 to 10 minutes), then the hash browns at 380°F.
- Afternoon: roast the garlic (20 to 25 minutes) for the butter or the mashed potatoes.
- About 45 minutes before dinner: start the baked potatoes (about 40 minutes at 400°F).
- Last: the steak (8 minutes at 400°F), then the asparagus (7 minutes, same temperature) while the steak rests for 10 minutes.
Half of these recipes cook at the same temperature: 8 of the 16 use 400°F and 4 use 350°F, so you rarely wait for the air fryer to change temperature between batches.
Christmas Morning Breakfast in the Air Fryer
Quick enough to make while the wrapping paper is still on the floor. Three of these four cook at 350°F, so they can go in one after another.
1. Twisted Bacon
Bacon strips twisted into spirals, then air fried at 350°F for 13 to 15 minutes, depending on how crispy you like it. If your bacon is thick, the recipe says to add a minute or two. Careful when you take the basket out: the fat is hot.
Air fryer: 350°F · 13–15 min
2. Shredded Hash Browns
Shredded potatoes cooked at 380°F for 8 to 10 minutes, with a shake halfway through. Want them crispier? Give them 2 to 3 more minutes. For a big batch, the recipe suggests keeping the first ones warm in a 200°F oven while the rest cook.
Air fryer: 380°F · 8–10 min
3. Ham & Cheese Croissants
Store-bought croissant dough rolled around deli ham and cheese. They bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes in a single layer, seam side down, until golden. Check them at 8 minutes.
Air fryer: 350°F · 8–10 min
4. Homemade Bagels
Homemade bagels with just three core ingredients. They air fry at 350°F for about 10 minutes until golden (check at 8 to 9 minutes), then cool for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing so they finish cooking inside.
Air fryer: 350°F · 10 min
Air Fryer Christmas Eve Seafood
Many families serve seafood on Christmas Eve. Each of these four needs 10 minutes or less in the air fryer.
5. Garlic Butter Lobster Tails
Lobster tails feel like a splurge, and they are fast. Thaw them first (overnight in the fridge, or about 30 minutes in cold water), then air fry 5-ounce tails at 400°F for 5 to 6 minutes, until the meat is opaque and reads 140°F. The recipe uses about 1 minute per ounce and does not recommend cooking them from frozen.
Air fryer: 400°F · 5–6 min
6. Garlic Butter Salmon
Salmon fillets with a garlic butter topping. They cook at 390°F for about 5 minutes until the skin crisps, then 3 to 5 more minutes to the doneness you like. Serve with lemon.
Air fryer: 390°F · 8–10 min
7. Seasoned Shrimp
Simple seasoned shrimp at 400°F for 8 to 10 minutes, with a quick shake at the 4 or 5 minute mark. The recipe aims for 145°F inside. Smaller shrimp cook faster, so keep an eye on them near the end.
Air fryer: 400°F · 8–10 min
8. Buttery Scallops
Scallops in a single layer, 6 minutes at 400°F, flipped halfway at about 3 minutes. Golden on the outside, tender inside, and ready faster than the table is set.
Air fryer: 400°F · 6 min
Air Fryer Christmas Dinner Mains
A smaller Christmas dinner does not need a big roast. These mains fit in a standard basket air fryer.
9. Herb Butter Steak
A steakhouse-style dinner without a cast iron pan. The air fryer preheats at 400°F for 5 minutes, the steaks cook for 8 minutes, turned once halfway, then rest for 10 minutes under garlic herb butter. The recipe notes that 7 to 8 minutes gives medium rare.
Air fryer: 400°F · 8 min
10. Herb Pork Tenderloin
A herb-rubbed pork tenderloin that cooks at 400°F for 20 to 22 minutes, until it reaches 145°F inside. Rest it 5 minutes on a cutting board, slice, and pour the collected juices over the top.
Air fryer: 400°F · 20–22 min
11. Garlic Butter Chicken Thighs
Crispy-skinned chicken thighs with garlic butter, 25 to 30 minutes at 350°F, turned once halfway. Check that they reach 165°F inside. An easy main if part of the family would rather skip steak or seafood.
Air fryer: 350°F · 25–30 min
12. Bacon-Wrapped Chicken
Chicken thighs wrapped in bacon, placed seam side down and cooked at 370°F for 25 minutes, flipped at the 15-minute mark so the bacon crisps on both sides. They are done at 165°F inside.
Air fryer: 370°F · 25 min
Air Fryer Christmas Side Dishes
Potatoes, a green vegetable and roasted garlic for the butter or the mash.
13. Baked Potatoes
Whole potatoes at 400°F for about 40 minutes for a medium potato. If a knife does not slide in easily, give them 5 to 10 more minutes. Smaller potatoes need less time, bigger ones more.
Air fryer: 400°F · 40 min
14. Crispy Potatoes
Cut potatoes at 400°F for 12 to 15 minutes, shaken halfway, plus a few extra minutes if you want them crispier. The recipe suggests soaking the slices in cold water for at least 30 minutes first to remove extra starch.
Air fryer: 400°F · 12–15 min
15. Lemon Parmesan Asparagus
A green side that takes 7 minutes at 400°F. Check at 5 minutes if you like it crisper, and add a minute or two for thick stalks. Lemon and Parmesan go on at the end.
Air fryer: 400°F · 7 min
16. Roasted Garlic
Foil-wrapped garlic bulbs roast at 390°F for 20 to 25 minutes until the cloves are soft and golden. Squeeze them into butter for the bread, into mashed potatoes, or onto the steak.
Air fryer: 390°F · 20–25 min
Tips for Air Frying on Christmas Day
- Cook in batches. Food needs room for the hot air to move. A crowded basket steams instead of crisps.
- Preheat for meat and seafood. The steak, pork, lobster and scallop recipes all start with a preheated air fryer, which helps them brown fast.
- Use a thermometer. Pork tenderloin is done at 145°F and chicken at 165°F. The lobster recipe cooks the tails to 140°F.
- Check early the first time. Basket and oven-style air fryers do not run at the same heat. Start checking a couple of minutes before the shortest time.
- Want more ideas after the holidays? Our 27 easy air fryer recipes cover everyday dinners and snacks.
Air Fryer Christmas FAQ
What can I make in the air fryer for Christmas dinner?
Herb butter steak, herb pork tenderloin, garlic butter chicken thighs and bacon-wrapped chicken all fit in a standard basket air fryer. For sides, baked potatoes, crispy potatoes, lemon Parmesan asparagus and roasted garlic work well.
Can you cook lobster tails in an air fryer?
Yes. The recipe in this guide thaws the tails first, then cooks 5-ounce tails at 400°F for 5 to 6 minutes, until the meat is opaque and reads 140°F. It does not recommend cooking them from frozen.
How long does steak take in the air fryer?
In this guide's recipe, the steaks cook for 8 minutes in an air fryer preheated to 400°F, turned once halfway, then rest for 10 minutes. The recipe notes that 7 to 8 minutes gives medium rare.
What can I make for Christmas breakfast in the air fryer?
Twisted bacon, shredded hash browns, ham and cheese croissants and homemade bagels. Three of them cook at 350°F, so they can go in one after another.
Pick a few of these, and the oven is free for everything else on your menu. Merry Christmas!
