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More about Emily →Holiday parties, New Year’s Eve, then game day: the snack table never really closes in winter. These air fryer appetizers make it easier. No pot of hot oil, no sheet pans fighting for oven space, just batch after batch of crispy bites.
Below are 16 recipes from our kitchen: 5 chicken bites, 3 meaty snacks, 2 seafood bites, 3 crispy classics and 3 pizza and pasta snacks. 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 Appetizers 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 | Dry Rub Wings | 400°F 15–18 min |
Cook in batches |
| 2 | Buffalo Wings | 375°F 30 min |
Flip every 10 min |
| 3 | Nashville Hot Tenders | 390°F 9–10 min |
165°F inside |
| 4 | Honey Sriracha Chicken | 390°F 15–18 min |
Shake halfway |
| 5 | Chicken Meatballs | 400°F 10 min |
Flip halfway |
| 6 | Pork Belly Bites | 400°F 18–20 min |
Shake and turn often |
| 7 | Brats | 400°F 15 min |
Turn after 8 min |
| 8 | Cheeseburger Sliders | 350°F 8–10 min |
Melt the cheese 1 min |
| 9 | Honey Garlic Salmon Bites | 400°F 8–10 min |
Single layer, shake halfway |
| 10 | Coconut Shrimp | 375°F 6 min |
Flip after 4 min |
| 11 | Egg Rolls | 400°F 10–11 min |
Flip after 6 min |
| 12 | Mozzarella Sticks | 380°F 6 min |
Flip halfway |
| 13 | Fried Pickles | 400°F 10–14 min |
Dry the pickles first |
| 14 | Pizza Bagels | 360°F 6 min |
Check at 5 min |
| 15 | Calzones | 375°F 10–15 min |
Egg wash for color |
| 16 | Pasta Chips | 380°F 10–14 min |
Shake at 6 min |
How to Keep the Snacks Coming
One air fryer cooks one batch at a time, so a little planning keeps the plates full all night.
- The day before: make the pasta chips. The recipe says they keep up to 2 days in an airtight container.
- Start with the longest: buffalo wings take 30 minutes at 375°F, so they go in first.
- Then group by temperature: 7 of the 16 cook at 400°F (dry rub wings, meatballs, pork belly, brats, salmon bites, egg rolls and fried pickles), so you can run them one after another without waiting for the air fryer to change temperature.
- Keep the fastest for last-minute refills: mozzarella sticks, pizza bagels and coconut shrimp each take about 6 minutes.
Air Fryer Wings and Chicken Bites
The first plates to disappear at any party. Two kinds of wings plus three easy chicken bites.
1. Dry Rub Wings
Wings coated in a dry rub, cooked at 400°F for 15 to 18 minutes until golden and crisp, after a 5-minute preheat. Cook them in batches if your basket is small. No sauce needed, so they are easy to eat standing up.
Air fryer: 400°F · 15–18 min
2. Buffalo Wings
Classic buffalo wings with four ingredients. They cook at 375°F for 30 minutes, flipped every 10 minutes; if you want them extra crispy, the recipe raises the heat to 400°F for the last 5 minutes. Pat the wings completely dry before cooking.
Air fryer: 375°F · 30 min
3. Nashville Hot Tenders
Buttermilk-marinated chicken tenders pressed into seasoned panko, then air fried at 390°F for 9 to 10 minutes, flipped halfway, until they reach 165°F. Cut them in half for easy party bites.
Air fryer: 390°F · 9–10 min
4. Honey Sriracha Chicken
Sticky, sweet and spicy honey sriracha chicken bites, cooked at 390°F for 15 to 18 minutes with a shake halfway through. Serve them with toothpicks.
Air fryer: 390°F · 15–18 min
5. Chicken Meatballs
Chicken meatballs that cook at 400°F for 10 minutes, turned halfway, until they reach 165°F inside. The recipe also freezes them: cook straight from frozen at 400°F for about 12 minutes.
Air fryer: 400°F · 10 min
Meaty Bites and Sliders
Heartier snacks for a crowd that will not sit down for a real dinner.
6. Pork Belly Bites
Cubes of pork belly air fried at 400°F for 18 to 20 minutes, shaken and turned a few times so every side crisps. Cut the pieces the same size so they cook evenly.
Air fryer: 400°F · 18–20 min
7. Brats
Game-day brats without the grill. They cook at 400°F for 8 minutes, get turned, then cook 7 more minutes until the skins are taut and bronze and the inside reads 160°F. Rest them 3 minutes, then slice into coins or serve in buns.
Air fryer: 400°F · 15 min
8. Cheeseburger Sliders
Small burger patties at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes, flipped once. Top each one with half a slice of cheese and leave it in the warm air fryer for a minute to melt, then build the sliders.
Air fryer: 350°F · 8–10 min
Seafood Appetizers
Two quick seafood bites that look fancier than the effort they take.
9. Honey Garlic Salmon Bites
Salmon cubes in a single layer at 400°F for 8 to 10 minutes, shaken halfway, then finished with a honey garlic drizzle. Leave space between the pieces so the edges get crispy.
Air fryer: 400°F · 8–10 min
10. Coconut Shrimp
Coconut-crusted shrimp with a sweet chili dipping sauce. Pat the shrimp dry, then cook them at 375°F for 4 minutes, flip, and cook 2 more minutes. Work in batches so they do not crowd.
Air fryer: 375°F · 6 min
Crispy Party Classics
The fried favorites, made in the air fryer instead of a pot of oil.
11. Egg Rolls
Homemade egg rolls with a broccoli slaw filling. They cook at 400°F for 6 minutes, get flipped and sprayed again, then cook 4 to 5 more minutes until crispy. That is 10 to 11 minutes per batch.
Air fryer: 400°F · 10–11 min
12. Mozzarella Sticks
Breaded mozzarella sticks at 380°F for 6 minutes, flipped halfway, until golden. Crispy outside, melty inside, and one of the fastest recipes on this list.
Air fryer: 380°F · 6 min
13. Fried Pickles
Pickle chips dried between paper towels, breaded, then air fried at 400°F for 5 to 7 minutes per side (10 to 14 minutes total), sprayed with oil before and after the flip.
Air fryer: 400°F · 10–14 min
Pizza and Pasta Snacks
Easy wins for kids and grown-ups alike.
14. Pizza Bagels
Bagel halves topped like a pizza, 6 minutes at 360°F. If your air fryer runs hot, the recipe says to check at 5 minutes. Let them cool a minute: the cheese is very hot.
Air fryer: 360°F · 6 min
15. Calzones
Calzones brushed with egg wash and air fried at 375°F for 10 to 15 minutes, in batches, until crisp and bubbly. Cut them into wedges to share.
Air fryer: 375°F · 10–15 min
16. Pasta Chips
Seasoned pasta, air fried at 380°F for 10 to 14 minutes, shaken at the 6-minute mark, until golden and crunchy. Serve with a dip. The recipe says they keep up to 2 days in an airtight container.
Air fryer: 380°F · 10–14 min
Tips for Crispy Air Fryer Appetizers
- Dry before you cook. The buffalo wing, coconut shrimp and fried pickle recipes all start by drying the food. Less moisture means more crunch.
- Single layer, then shake or flip. Almost every recipe here asks for space in the basket and a flip or shake halfway.
- Use a thermometer for chicken. Chicken is done at 165°F; the brats recipe aims for 160°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 dinner ideas too? Our 27 easy air fryer recipes cover everyday dinners and snacks.
Air Fryer Appetizers FAQ
What are the best appetizers to make in an air fryer?
Wings, chicken tenders, meatballs, egg rolls, mozzarella sticks, fried pickles, coconut shrimp, pizza bagels and sliders all work well. Each recipe in this guide lists its own temperature and cook time.
How long do chicken wings take in an air fryer?
In this guide, the dry rub wings cook at 400°F for 15 to 18 minutes. The buffalo wings cook at 375°F for 30 minutes, flipped every 10 minutes, with an optional last 5 minutes at 400°F for extra crunch.
Can I make air fryer appetizers ahead of a party?
Pasta chips keep up to 2 days in an airtight container, according to the recipe. Many of the other recipe pages also give a short air fryer reheating time.
How do I keep air fryer appetizers crispy?
Pat the food dry, cook it in a single layer without crowding, and shake or flip halfway. Serve each batch as soon as it comes out.
Pick four or five of these, line them up by temperature, and enjoy the party. Happy New Year!
