28 Vegan Air Fryer Recipes For The Most Delicious Veggie Dishes Imaginable

If you eat a vegan diet, we’d hazard a guess that you’re big into food tricks and hacks. Sometimes that means turning unexpected ingredients into their meat and cheese counterparts, like mushrooms to seafood in our mushroom “calamari” or our vegan “scallops” with succotash, or cashews into dairy, like in our vegan Alfredo or our vegan cheesecake. Other times it means utilizing certain cooking techniques to achieve incredible results, like freezing tofu for our crispy fried tofu sandwich or salting eggplant for our eggplant steak frites with chimichurri sauce. One of our favorite not-so-secret cooking methods? Air frying! It’s a MUST in a vegan kitchen for transforming veggies, tofu, and even frozen meatless meats into delicious side dishes and main meals, FAST. Whether you’re a die-hard fan of your air fryer, or haven’t taken the plunge and purchased one yet, we’ve got recipes here for you. Check out our 28 vegan air fryer recipes for ideas—we bet you’ll fall even MORE in love with this super kitchen appliance.

And we’re not just talking boring vegetables, people! Yes, it’s true—veggies are a big part of any vegan diet (tbh, should be for omnivores too), and we’ve got a lot of simple recipes for air frying them, like our air fryer green beans, air fryer broccoli, air fryer kale chips, and air fryer Brussels sprouts. Sometimes the most exciting recipes, though, are those that take flavor and texture inspiration from their non-vegan counterparts. Missing bang bang shrimp? Try our bang bang cauliflower in your air fryer. Ditto fish tacos? Try our air fryer cauliflower tacos instead. Want something as snackable as popcorn chicken? Try our air fryer tofu (use any marinade or sauce you like, or just eat them as is!). There’s really no end to what the air fryer can achieve, so use these recipes as inspiration, and get creative with what you put in there—anything that could benefit from a deep fry or a long roast in the oven is fair game.

Want more vegan inspiration? Check out our top vegan desserts, plant-based recipes, and vegan food recipes too.

To get crispy tofu you'd typically need to heat up a bunch of oil, worrying about over cooking or a messy cleanup. But, the air fryer makes getting perfect golden brown tofu a cinch. What marinade and sauce is entirely up to you but we happen to love this soy marinade and spicy sauce (use vegan mayo to keep it dairy- and egg-free).

Get the Air Fryer Tofu recipe.

This cake has a lot of secrets: Zucchini keeps it super moist, instant espresso powder makes the chocolate taste more chocolatey, and apple cider vinegar helps add lift. You won't believe it's vegan!

Get the Air Fryer Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Birthday Cake recipe.

Enjoy these crispy (thanks air fryer!) bean cakes on their own, or sandwich them between slider buns with all your favorite burger fixin’s for a really irresistible veggie burger.

Get the Air Fryer Tahini Black Bean Fritters recipe.

Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, these snackable chickpeas are delicious as a crunchy topper for salads, creamy soups, or grain bowls. You can also toss them with hot stovetop popcorn for a protein-packed movie snack.

Get the Air Fryer Crunchy Chili-Spiced Chickpeas recipe.

These green beans come with a treat: 8 cloves of creamy, buttery garlic that get air-fried alongside the green beans for bites of roasted garlic that don’t involve turning on your oven. You can eat them alongside the beans or reserve them for another use, like smearing alongside butter and flaky sea salt on a slice of toasted sourdough bread. 😋

Get the Air Fryer Green Beans recipe.

To get extra crispy "fried" cauliflower, you gotta use your air fryer. This recipe is basically the vegan version of our favorite fish tacos. The finishing touch? A quick and easy pickled slaw for a bite of freshness and a spicy mayo for a touch of heat.

Get the Air Fryer Cauliflower Tacos recipe.

We pride ourselves for how perfect our roasted potatoes are. We truly though they couldn't get any better, but it turns out the air fryer works some kind of magic on potatoes. They get extra crispy all over and stay perfectly soft on the inside, with half the effort.

Get the Air Fryer Crispy Potatoes recipe.

Crispy, tender brussels are possible in only 18 minutes thanks to your air fryer. The quick dressing makes them a little more vibrant and brightens the veggie up—skip or replace the honey with agave or maple if you don't eat it.

Get the Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts recipe.

When we're looking for a spicy, flavorful side to brighten up our dinner, we turn to bang bang cauliflower. Not only is it quick and easy, but the dish is super adaptable. Not a fan of spice? Go easy on the sriracha and bump up the chili sauce. Hate cilantro? Ditch it in favor of thinly sliced green onions. You have our blessing to make it your own!

Get the Bang Bang Cauliflower recipe.

We love a good, crispy sweet potato fry. Though the oven-baked variety is great, these air fryer fries get even crispier and take way less time! Paired with our favorite 3-ingredient secret sauce (use vegan mayo!), we can't think of a better snack.

Get the Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries recipe.

These air fryer kale chips are a super tasty way to start a healthy chip habit. They take just minutes to prepare and using your air fryer means less grease and guilt. Feel free to customize your chips with different herbs and spices—the possibilities really are endless.

Get the Air Fryer Kale Chips recipe.

This cauliflower is the perfect answer to Buffalo wings, without the meat! All the Buffalo flavor you love coat these florets, which are then air-fried to perfection. Simply replace the butter with a vegan alternative, and serve with your favorite vegan ranch dressing.

Get the Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower recipe.

A combo of spices adds a riot of flavor to those carrots that may or may not have been sitting in the crisper for too long. Serve alongside anything grilled, like our grilled tofu or our Thai-inspired grilled cauliflower steaks.

Get the Air Fryer Moroccan-Spiced Carrots recipe.

Transform this side into a meal by serving it alongside or on top of your favorite vegan proteins, like our air-fried tofu or baked tempeh. You could also serve it as a pizza topping or over grains with crisp vegetables, like sliced cucumbers and your favorite legume (we're partial to lentils, but whatever beans you like will be awesome alongside).
Get the Air Fryer Mushrooms and Onions recipe.

For this recipe, you want to use super-ripe, almost blackened plantains (don’t fear the dark bruised-looking peel). They’re naturally extra sweet and caramelize beautifully in the air fryer.

Get the Air Fryer Sweet Plantains recipe.

Bang bang sauce already has a kick to it, but if you really like the heat, bump up the amount of Sriracha or add an extra drizzle before serving. For an over-the-top addition, drizzle with a little vegan mayo too (trust us!).

Get the Air Fryer Bang Bang Broccolini recipe.

Though they’re typically twice fried, these tostones are as crispy as the classic version with a fraction of the fat—and there's no scary pot full of hot oil!

Get the Air Fryer Tostones recipe.

Want to know the secret to super-crispy French fries? It's air frying! Forget about oil temperature, soaking, and all the other steps associated with the perfect deep-fried French fry. Pair with ketchup or one of our 23 innovative French fry dipping sauce ideas.

Get the Air Fryer French Fries recipe.

This granola has Cinnamon Toast Crunch vibes, and we can’t get enough of it. It’s chock-full of pecans, pumpkin seeds, and coconut, but you can play around with whatever nuts and seeds you have on hand (just keep the dry ingredients at 3 1/4 total cups).

Get the Air Fryer Cinnamon Crunch Granola recipe.

We've got a soft spot for those golden brown pucks of potatoes fast food places serve in the morning. They're crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, perfectly oil and salty all at the same time. With this recipe we aimed to replicate this same phenomenon, only we lightened it up a bit by using the air fryer and a LOT less oil.

Get the Air Fryer Hash Browns recipe.

A fruit crisp is one of the best baking tricks in the book: They're easy to make, you can toss in whatever fruit you have in them, and when served with a scoop of vegan coconut ice cream, they're a perfect way to end a meal. Now, you can make this delicious summer dessert without even turning the oven on (simply swap the butter for margarine)!

Get the Air Fryer Berry Crisp recipe.

Smoked paprika and dill make these supercharged potatoes a savory breakfast-lover’s dream. Change up the spices depending on what’s in the pantry (chili powder would be nice!). This is a pretty powerful breakfast, but it's great for any meal of the day too.

Get the Air Fryer Sweet Potato Hash recipe.

We love making these well-spiced falafel in our air fryer—they only take 15 minutes per batch, and stay nice and tender.

Get the Air Fryer Falafel recipe.

Okra has a unique taste, which lands somewhere between grassy and nutty. It's ideal in fried—or air-fried—preparations because the richness of oil balances okra's vegetal notes. Here we toss the long, slender green pods with a Cajun-spiced cornstarch coating to make them extra crispy. Serve with your favorite vegan sour cream or mayonnaise-based sauce to cool off the spice.

Get the Air Fryer Okra recipe.

The air fryer works some kind of magic on these tater tots. It gets them extra crispy and the homemade, shaggy look makes them better than any fast food chain could produce. The best part? They're completely gluten- and oil-free.

Get the Air Fryer Tater Tots recipe.

Skip the oven and use your air fryer for perfectly crisp and tender broccoli. You can get away with minimal oil making it a smart way to cook the veggie, but still, make it taste delicious. After a mere 10 minutes in the air fryer, you'll have an easy side ready to go!

Get the Air Fryer Broccoli recipe.

This colorful medley is great for fall and winter holidays, but we think it's worthy of a spot on your plate all season long. The dried cranberries and balsamic vinegar add some sweetness and tartness while the pecans add an extra crunch. We use Brussels sprouts and carrots, but feel free to add extra vegetables or swap in some of your favorites.

Get the Roasted Vegetable Medley recipe.

Making your own apple chips is extremely easy—even without a fancy dehydrator. Pick an apple on the crisper side to make these, like Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, or Pink Lady. They'll crisp up perfectly in your air fryer in a fraction of the time as they would in the oven.

Get the Cinnamon Apple Chips recipe.