Crispy Turkish-style fan-cut zucchini in about 30 minutes: scrape grooves with a fork, fan-cut so the slices stay joined, salt for 10 minutes, dredge in herbed flour and a parmesan-egg coat, then pan-fry in olive oil and butter 5 minutes per side. Serve hot under a cold garlic-dill yogurt sauce. Serves 2.
A chicken salad bowl built around oven-baked crispy rice: cooked rice is tossed in teriyaki, chili paste and sesame oil, then baked at 200°C (400°F) for 30 minutes so the grains dry out and turn deep gold. Start with cooled rice; drier grains crisp in the oven, while freshly cooked rice steams and clumps. While the tray bakes, blend peanut butter, soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, garlic and ginger into a creamy dressing for the shredded chicken, red cabbage, cucumber, scallions and cilantro. Toss the hot rice in last, just before serving, so the crunch holds against the dressing. Rotisserie chicken or tofu swap in easily.
This warm potato salad swaps the usual boiled chunks for twice-roasted smashed baby potatoes, so every bite has crisp, craggy edges that stand up under a creamy dressing. Roasting the halves cut side down at 180°C (350°F) for 20 minutes softens them just enough to flatten with a masher; a second 20 minutes browns all the newly exposed surface. The dressing pairs mayonnaise and sour cream with Dijon, diced pickles, red onion, dill, parsley and lemon juice, with a tiny pinch of sugar to round out the sharpness. Fold the potatoes in while they are still hot so the dressing clings to every crevice.
This warm potato salad swaps the usual mayonnaise for a dressing of hard-boiled eggs blended with feta and mustard, so it clings to the potatoes like a deviled-egg filling. Small potatoes get a 15-minute head start at 180°C (350°F), then a gentle press to crack the skins before going back in the oven; those cracked edges are what turn golden and crisp. The dressing goes on while everything is still warm, with pickled red onions and scallions for sharpness. No special egg trick is required either: a plain stovetop boil works as well as the oven method. Wait until the potato edges are deep gold and crunchy before you toss.
A warm twist on classic Caprese, this salad pairs air-fried gnocchi with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella pearls and basil, no boiling required. Season the gnocchi straight from the package with salt, paprika, Italian herbs and olive oil, then air-fry at 200°C (400°F) for 10 minutes. That thin coat of oil is what lets them crisp rather than dry out, and a single layer in the basket keeps them from steaming and fusing. They're ready when the outsides turn golden and the centers stay soft and pillowy. Toss everything together while the gnocchi are still hot, drizzle with olive oil, and serve warm. Diced mozzarella works if you can't find pearls.
Air-frying seasoned farfalle turns pasta salad into a genuinely crunchy barbecue side. The cooked noodles bake at 180°C (350°F) for about 20 minutes until they crackle like chips, then land on cool cucumber, red onion and diced pickles with a garlicky yogurt-mayo dressing sharpened with lemon. Drying the drained pasta well matters: any clinging water steams the pieces instead of letting them brown. Shake the basket halfway through and pull the pasta when it looks deep golden and rattles dryly. Dress the salad at the table rather than ahead, because the pasta softens once coated.
These air-fryer fries owe their crunch to three quick steps before they reach the basket: an ice-water soak that rinses off surface starch, a short microwave par-cook so the insides turn fluffy, and a shake in a jar with Italian herbs and mayonnaise. Mayo sounds odd on fries, but its fat and emulsifiers help every edge brown evenly with no pot of oil. Start at 160°C (325°F) for 5 minutes, shake the basket, then finish at 200°C (400°F) for about 10 minutes until the fries are deep golden with crisp skins. Salt while hot. No Italian herbs on hand? Thyme, rosemary, or garlic powder all work.