Keto Air Fryer Recipes That'll Make You Want to Cave and Buy One

Since the keto diet is so high in fat, deep frying is fair game. But there's still a place for the air fryer in a keto dieter's kitchen. Sure the device's raison d'être is giving food a "fried" quality without the use of oil. But since they're really just mini ovens, they also make cooking quicker and less messy. So go ahead and invest in the cooking tool if you haven't already—the Ninja 4-Quart Air Fryer ($89, amazon.com) is a solid option—but in the meantime, check out these ketogenic air fryer recipes to inspire your next dinner.

Bacon is keto-approved, no surprise there. (However, eating nothing but bacon and avocado is a common misinterpretation of the keto diet, so don't go overboard.) But have you ever considered preparing it in your air fryer? Prepping a batch in your air fryer to eat throughout the week can save time and effort and is way less greasy than doing it on the stove.

Get the recipe: Air Fryer Bacon

Related: 10 Delicious Keto Pancakes Recipes

Buffalo chicken in tot form needs no introduction. These have a coating made with cheese and almond flour and clock in at just 1 gram of carb per serving. The directions call for frying them, but an air fryer will also get the job done.

Get the recipe: Buffalo Chicken Keto Cauliflower Tots

Related: Easy Keto Chicken Recipes for Dinner (or Meal Prep)

Meatloaf usually calls for a fatty blend of ground beef, but also breadcrumbs, which aren't so keto-friendly. This meatloaf sliders recipe uses almond and coconut flour instead, cutting down on carbs.

Get the recipe: Keto Air Fryer Meatloaf Sliders

Related: 20 Crunchy Air Fryer Recipes That Are Almost Too Good to Be True

You can't go wrong with chicken nuggets. These have an Asian-style sesame "breading" and almond butter sauce for dipping. They're paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, and Whole30 compliant, so they'll please even the pickiest of crowds.

Get the recipe: Low-Carb Keto Paleo Baked Chicken Nuggets

Fat bombs are da bomb, but fried fat bombs are even better. Once you batter and fry these cheesecake bites, you might never want to go back to eating the traditional pie-shaped dessert again.

Get the recipe: Fried Cheesecake Bites

The secret to a lot of these recipes is crushed pork rinds. When used in place of breadcrumbs, they create a coating that's every bit as crispy. These fish sticks utilize them and only 1 gram of carb per serving to show for it.

Get the recipe: Crispy Keto Fish Sticks

Coconut shrimp doesn't change all that much when it's keto-fied. The biggest difference in this recipe is the dipping sauce—spicy mayo instead of a chili sauce—which frankly just seems like an upgrade.

Get the recipe: Keto Coconut Shrimp

Spinach can help you up your fiber intake on the diet without blowing through your carb allowance. It also contains nitrates, which may boost your workout performance. Load up on the leafy green with this vegetarian creamed spinach recipe.

Get the recipe: Keto Creamed Spinach

There's something that feels extra burdensome about roasting your own chips to snack on. But cooking bacon in an air fryer for 10 minutes is another story. If the idea of eating bacon bits by the handful appeals to you (duh), try this spicy snack.

Get the recipe: Air Fried Spicy Bacon Bites

You definitely don't have to give up on jalapeño poppers on the keto diet. Many traditional recipes are accidentally keto, especially when it comes to bacon-wrapped versions. This recipe calls for goat cheese, which is lower in carbs and higher in calcium than cream cheese.

Get the recipe: Keto Jalapeño Poppers