I always make one meal during the week that is vegetarian or vegan, and the truth is the dishes taste so great that the family doesn’t even realize it.
And who said that great food always has to have a meat protein in it to be tasty or even nutritious, now you can enjoy these vegetarian air fryer recipes for tasty meatless options that are quick and easy to make.
Too often veggie dishes are overlooked or not considered to be part of the dinner meal other than potatoes, but there are so many fantastic tasting recipes it would be a crime not to try them. You will be pleasantly surprised at how good they are and will surely implement them into your regular supper rotation menu in the future.
#1. Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
I am pretty sure we have all, at some stage in our lives, had the pleasure of eating a meal that was smothered in traditional buffalo sauce, only now you have a delicious veggie option.
My kids love buffalo sauce on anything which had me thinking if they even cared about the chicken wings or legs that are covered, so I gave this easy air fryer vegetarian recipe option a try and it went down like a treat.
Not only did they eat the whole lot, but they asked for a second helping without asking what it was, I guess they assumed it was potato. Ha. At least now I know I have a great way to get veggies into the children and not have to have a fuss and debate about why vegetables are important (every parent nodding their head in agreement).
This dish was so simple to make it is now my go-to dish to take to friends’ houses or to add to a crudité platter for the school fundraiser, and it is an effortless crowd-pleaser. If that wasn’t enough to sell you then wait till you see the ingredients list, with only a handful of items this dish is incredibly cost-effective, and that is always a plus in my book.
It is rich and deep and pops against a rice accompaniment or a veggie platter, and if you want a completely rainbow aesthetic then why not opt for the various colors and sizes of available beets ranging from dark purples to vibrant reds and yellows. The kids love being allocated a color and enjoy digging for them in the large bowl placed on the table with the dipping sauce.
If you have been on the hunt for healthy convection oven vegetarian recipes then this one has proven highly successful with the kids (at least it has with mine and that is saying a lot because they are fussy).
During the summer they are ripe and sweet and perfect to snack on when the weather is far too hot to be stuck in the kitchen cooking, they take only 20 minutes to soften and crisp up on the edges, and you can enjoy the more important things in life like sitting outside on the deck and enjoying the summer evenings as you should.
In our house, we love an interactive meal, and this is one of those easy vegetarian air fryer recipes that get the whole family involved, and makes for the perfect bonding moments. I always cut and slice all the ingredients ahead of time and pop them into the fryer to cook, halfway through I will give them a good shake this way I know they will have a nice crunch on all sides.
Once I have done two or three batches I put it to one side while I get the toppings and sauces together and then create a mini-buffet station in the middle of the table for the kids and hubby to get stuck into. Everyone has a lot of fun and you can pick and choose your salad or sauce toppings customized to your preference.
The sweet and smoky seasoning helps to elevate the flavors, and a generous spread of mayo or hummus on the wrap before topping it with the cooked veg brings it all together beautifully. There are so many colors, and when wrapped tightly and cut diagonally in half makes for great appetizer nibbles to pick at while on the go or to serve when you have the neighbors round.
Parmesan has been one of my top favorite cheeses since I was a child and I have made thousands of recipes using it in one way or the other, and discovering these simple vegetarian convection oven recipes was a real treat.
My husband is a vegetarian so we always have something veggie on the dinner table, but this one was a crowd pleaser with the kids that they both had second helpings. These are like mini pizzas (only so much healthier with the flour taken out of the equation) which is probably why they were such a hit.
The eggplant acts as the base for the toppings, seasoned beautifully with Italian spices which give it that pizza vibe. You pop the slices into the air fryer to cook through and get the edges nice and crispy and brown.
Then carefully top each slice with the marinara sauce (I like to make my own but the store-bought version is just as good, but be sure to check product labels for ingredients about allergies) and a generous helping of the grated cheese. Fry again for another few minutes keeping an eye on them at all times so that they don’t burn. You want the cheese to be melted and slightly charred with that golden color and subtle caramel flavor, but not forgotten about and you end up with discs resembling hockey pucks.
Great on its own or served with a nice fresh salad for a light, summer evening meal.
I never ate tofu until my adult years, and only because I had ordered it once at a restaurant by mistake, and ended up loving it. I had no idea why I thought it tasted different from what it looks like, but it does and is so much better when fried too.
These are the easy vegetarian air fryer recipes that will change your perspective on ingredients you would otherwise have overlooked, but they are packed with amazing flavors, add so much nutrition to the meal, and are easy on the pocket. Is there more you could want from a dish?
From start to finish this dish takes around 30 minutes to cook and serve, and when you get home late from picking the kids up from the after-school club and realize you still need to make something to eat, give this a try.
While you get the rest of the ingredients together press the tofu (which can contain a lot of water, and what you don’t want in your dish if you want the pieces to be crispy) on a clean dish towel and underneath a heavy skillet or pot to squash out the water.
Then slice the tofu into cubes and pop it into the air fryer. I prefer to coat them in corn starch before frying to help the crisping process, the blowing hot air and rapid circulation help to cover all the sides but a shake halfway through will also do the trick.
Perfect with egg-fried rice, additional veggies, or as a snack treat on its own with some sauce. Effortlessly tasty.
Who has kids who don’t love a huge bowl of fries with ketchup to munch on, I think everyone loves fries? At least, in our family they do and these were brilliantly easy to throw together.
I will say though if you leave them too long before eating they can lose their crispiness although once you smell them and give them a generous sprinkling of salt (we always use the pink Himalayan version) they won’t last at all when the hubby gets hold of them.
There is only a handful of preparation steps. The sliced potatoes go into a bag (or bowl if you don’t have a zip lock bag available) with seasoning and cornstarch (don’t leave this step out because it gives a big boost to the crisping effect) and shook for a couple of minutes for an even coating and popped into the fryer to cook.
Shake the basket halfway through to brown all sides of the fries and serve once golden with your favorite sauce. I have yet to find vegetarian convection oven recipes that are easier, and this is so much healthier than cooking them the deep-fried method. No one enjoys cleaning up all oil splatters all over the place and the air fryer takes this out of the equation. Win-win.
My husband is from the Balkan nations and a similar version to this dish is a staple in homes all over Europe, but I have never had them, or seen them being made, using an air fryer. But, I liked the idea that I could enjoy a dish we all love as a family and have a hassle-free clean-up afterward (more of just a wipe to be honest).
Straight from cooking these air fryer vegetarian recipes snack option tastes amazing, the edges are crisp and crunchy, the inside is soft and moist, and as a family, we enjoy them whether they are served hot or cold the next day.
My mother-in-law always makes a runny yogurt and dill dressing with her recipe so I tried it with this one and it paired beautifully. A great-tasting dish that is as yummy a few days later from the fridge as the day they were cooked (only now they are cold).
They are also perfect for lunch boxes or snack boxes when going on long drives in the car with the kids who seemingly always need something to snack on the moment you begin driving. And the best part, of course, is that the kids are eating healthy veggies without any complaints.
This basic dish ticks so many boxes and is a must-have recipe in your collection.
Another Balkan nation’s delicacy and a family favorite because it is so filling, it uses everyday ingredients making it budget-friendly, and one batch is dinner done.
No more hours of cooking or slaving over a hot stove, especially in summer when all you want to do is be outside, now you can prepare everything in the morning, pop it in the fridge and when the family is ready to eat, simply pop them into the air fryer for 15 minutes and you have a ready, tasty meal to enjoy for outdoor dining.
Because you are essentially stuffing the hollowed-out pepper with your choice of filling this is a customizable dish that is suited for everyone, and should you wish to add meat into the mix you could do it with no problem.
The rice helps to bulk out the meal, absorbing the flavors and juices from the other ingredients, and swelling with goodness. The best part and the kids love it the most, of course, is the cheese sprinkled on at the last minute and cooked till melted and golden. Then they can dig into the pepper cup and watch the cheese string along as they take big mouthfuls of a beautifully elegant dish.
Easy, speedy, and has been given a thumbs up by my gang of picky eaters.
We adore avocados and for good reason too, they are packed with essential oils and vitamins and are one of the healthiest veggie options you can add to your diet.
There are endless options to use avocados for and with this great recipe so many toppings too.
You may not have thought it, as I didn’t, but there are plenty of convection oven vegetarian recipes to incorporate into your family meals menu rotation, and since discovering them they have become a staple in our home. Because they aren’t always in season when they are I always bulk buy bags of frozen avocado halves to take from for a veggie option during the week.
Take them out at night and the next day they are ready to use.
Then all you need to do is season the breadcrumbs for panning, spray the avo with a little oil (avo oil seems appropriate here don’t you think but olive oil works just as well), and then gently toss the avocados in the crumbs to get an even coat. Place in the air fryer and you have a mouth-watering crispy yet soft base to build on with your toppings of choice.
If you love Indian food and flavors then you will love this dish, and it’s ready in under 20 minutes.
A whole host of great-tasting vegetables are combined and melded together with intense and gorgeous Indian spices, and then formed into balls or little piles and placed in the fryer to cook.
Not many kids will eat onions (at least mine refuse to) but in these healthy vegetarian air fryer recipes they are cleverly disguised, and when there is a dipping sauce on the side as well the kids won’t even think twice about popping them into their mouths.
My best part is that they are grease-free and I don’t have to stress about grubby little fingers being wiped onto clothes or furniture, and the kitchen is a breeze to clean up and wipe down after too, there are so many perks.
Serve this on the side of a great homemade curry and rice, some naan bread, and fresh salsa and you will have happy faces and full tummies.
The ultimate feel-good side dish to compliment the dinner meal, and it is so cheap to make, you will for sure have this as a staple on the supper rotation. And I think the little potatoes are cuter too, ha, and I have noticed the kids eat more when the potatoes are small because they just pop them in their mouths while they talk without thinking.
Whereas with one large potato, they see a task that is to them impossible to finish (I know the thinking behind it is mad), so I prefer to use little potatoes, both red and white, over bigger ones.
They are seasoned, oiled, and placed in the fryer for 20 minutes with a good old shake at the halfway mark, and when the food is ready, these are done and you can sit down and enjoy a meal as a family that didn’t cause stress.
A new twist on the vegetarian spring roll, and who doesn’t love a spring roll?
The difference is this is packed with goodness that ranges from the traditional veggies of peppers and onions and is elevated with beans and corn. The chunky elements are a game-changer and could be what draws you to these egg rolls over the generic spring roll. The wrapping and rolling part may be a little tricky, but because you will be making them so often (because they are diving) you will soon get into the swing of things.
Brushing the roll will help with the browning and color, but flipping them over to cook evenly on the other side as well is a must, then once done and left to cool, this is where the magic happens.
I love them with sweet chili sauce, not too hot and not too sweet, but any spicy dip will do and gives you the touch of heat you need to make the flavors that much more intense.
When you cut these open you will see why the color arrangement is so aesthetically pleasing, but substituting with veg of your choice is great too.
If you were on the hunt for vegetarian convection oven recipes for the ultimate side serving to your main course then this is it, simple, classic, and perfectly paired with any main meal.
You only need 10 minutes to prepare these crispy, veggie sticks and place them in the air fryer, spray with cooking olive oil and a generous sprinkling of the garlic, salt, and parmesan (be sure to leave some for serving).
Once they are fork-tender but still crispy they are ready to take out, I like to re-salt and re-cheese at this stage to intensify the flavors as much as possible. This is such a quick and light dish which is a great choice for summer, served with rice and zucchini fritters and you have a quick, filling dish for the kids to pick on till dinner is ready.
The great thing about them being ready in no time at all is you can make multiple batches one after each other and pile them high on a plate for visitors to serve from.
We almost always consider a potato side dish to be either baked potato, baby potatoes, or creamy mashed potato, but have you ever considered gnocchi? It is a great alternative to what we know and is somewhat lighter than a full portion of baked potato which can end up leaving you feeling bloated.
Because time is usually of the essence no one has the time to make the dough and roll and shape these beautiful little bites of starch, so using store-bought ones makes for a quicker meal. And they taste perfect.
Season the ready gnocchi with salt and garlic powder (I also like to add onion powder and some red chili flakes if the kids are not eating with) and give it a good mix before popping them into the fryer.
Cook on high for about 12-13 minutes, with a good shake at the 10-minute mark, and enjoy with a salsa dip or garlic and smoky paprika mayo. A speedy dish to pop on the table where your son and his friends are playing, and you can be sure they will be busy digging in and not worrying about when will supper be ready.
This rich, dark looking tofu is the best accompaniment to fluffy rice and steamed veg because it offers a crispy outer edge (made crispier by tossing it in cornstarch before frying) but is soft and melty in the middle which essentially dissolves in your mouth when you bite into the little cubes.
Be sure to omit the sesame seeds if there are any allergies or reactions in the family, but if not they add a delicious nutty flavor, add a good crunch, and look great when you combine the black and white seeds.
Often tofu is not considered filling, but they make for a great bulking element to a plate and are so quick to make, my kids are fussy eaters (understatement of the week) but they had clean bowls at the end of dinner so it is safe to say this was a hit.
If you are like me then you always like to have a little snack bag with you to dig into when you need it, perhaps you are waiting for something, your stomach is making a noise from being empty the whole day, or it is a healthy way to keep the kids occupied in a certain situation.
Who knew that the humble chickpea would be such a lifesaver, but it is and it has a great crispy crunch to it too.
I make a huge batch of these and make portion bags for the whole family to take with them on their daily adventures, and there are so many seasoning and spicing options to choose from you could make a trio of chickpeas for a different taste each week.
Store in a jar, and this in itself looks so bespoke, and take a few out when you just need something healthy to munch on.
Vegetarian meals are taking the world by storm, and rightly so, these organic ingredients have been around for centuries and are far superior in quality and taste to any processed man-made food items.
If you have been looking for a successfully tried and tested method of getting your kids to eat more veggies then look no further. These vegetarian air fryer recipes for tasty meatless options are a perfect way, and they are so effortless and quick to prepare they will become a part of the family’s weekly meals menu in no time.
And while we love a good old veggie dish, be sure to end the dinner with a delicious dessert recipe which you can find a great collection of on our blog, so check them out.
Get the family enjoying vegetables again and with the air fryer, it is now easier than ever.
Born and raised in South Africa and being immersed in the rich culture, Candace soon found a passion for all things food related. Exploring and experiencing new flavors and taste profiles she pursued her career as a qualified chef in silver service specialized in fine dining.
