Some starters know how to hold a room. These are the kinds of dishes that disappear before anyone even notices the entrée isn’t ready. They’re crispy, salty, spicy, or cheesy—sometimes all at once—and no one’s complaining. Whether they show up in an air fryer basket or a cast-iron pan, they don’t stick around. Once these hit the table, the main course becomes an afterthought.
Air Fryer Fried Chicken
Air Fryer Fried Chicken comes out with a crackly crust and juicy center that doesn’t need a drop of oil. It’s fast, simple, and puts takeout to shame. You’ll start serving this before dinner and notice no one’s asking what’s next. They already decided this was the main event.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Fried Chicken
Chicken Skewers with Peanut Sauce
Chicken Skewers with Peanut Sauce are savory, nutty, and charred in all the right places. The sauce steals the show, and the chicken doesn’t fight it. You’ll want extra sticks on standby. These go fast, and no one’s waiting politely for the second course.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Skewers with Peanut Sauce
Thai Chicken Satay
Thai Chicken Satay brings smoky edges and bold spice, balanced with a cool, creamy peanut sauce. It’s the kind of dish that gets eaten with your hands and never makes it to a plate. One bite and it’s clear the main dish is irrelevant. This is what people remember.
Get the Recipe: Thai Chicken Satay
Char Siu Bao
Char Siu Bao are soft, pillowy buns hiding sticky-sweet barbecue pork inside. They’re grab-and-go, no-fork-needed snacks that disappear while you’re still setting the table. They’re supposed to be starters, but good luck keeping them around that long.
Get the Recipe: Char Siu Bao
Air Fryer Spring Rolls
Air Fryer Spring Rolls are crisp without the grease, filled with vegetables and just enough seasoning to keep things interesting. You can dip them or eat them plain—either way, they’re gone fast. Nobody’s thinking about salad once these hit the table.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Spring Rolls
Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
Air Fryer Zucchini Fries are salty, crunchy, and almost too easy to eat. They’ve got just enough golden crisp to keep hands reaching for more. Throw on a dipping sauce and call it done. These don’t feel like vegetables and no one’s treating them like a side dish.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
Air Fryer Empanadas
Air Fryer Empanadas come out golden and flaky with a savory filling that actually holds up. You don’t have to deep fry to make them crave-worthy. Once people grab one, they’ll grab another. Main course? Doesn’t matter.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Empanadas
Arepas con Queso
Arepas con Queso are cheesy on the inside and crisp-edged on the outside. They’re meant to be shared but rarely make it past whoever’s closest to the plate. You can try spacing them out as appetizers, but you’ll just be refilling the tray.
Get the Recipe: Arepas con Queso
Bang Bang Shrimp
Bang Bang Shrimp are crispy, spicy, and just barely sweet. The sauce is what gets people hooked, but it’s the crunch that keeps them coming back. These rarely make it through the first round of drinks. The rest of the meal has some catching up to do.
Get the Recipe: Bang Bang Shrimp
Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings
Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings hit all the marks—crispy skin, juicy meat, and that savory-salty punch that doesn’t need sauce. They’re better than any bar food and don’t need an excuse to show up early. Set them out and step back. That’s your main course now.
Get the Recipe: Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings
Instant Pot Hummus
Instant Pot Hummus is smooth, fresh, and about ten times better than the store-bought stuff. Add olive oil, lemon, and a sprinkle of paprika, and it’s gone before anyone notices it was homemade. Chips or no chips, this bowl doesn’t wait around.
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Hummus
Smoked Salmon Dip
Smoked Salmon Dip is cool, creamy, and salty in all the right ways. It’s the kind of appetizer that turns into a meal before you’ve realized how much bread you’ve eaten. It never gets leftovers. That’s the mark of a starter doing too much.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Salmon Dip
Chicken Karaage
Chicken Karaage is everything fried chicken should be—crisp, juicy, and hit with just enough citrus to keep things sharp. It’s a little more work, but totally worth it. Set out a plate and watch it clear itself. Dinner can wait.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Karaage
Air Fryer BBQ Wings
Air Fryer BBQ Wings are sticky, smoky, and don’t need napkins to prove their point. They taste like you grilled for hours, even if you didn’t. Throw these out at the start and no one’s saving room for anything else.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer BBQ Wings
Fried Pork and Shrimp Wontons
Fried Pork and Shrimp Wontons are crunchy little flavor bombs with no filler and no pretense. A batch disappears in minutes, with people asking if there’s more before you even sit down. Don’t expect leftovers. These steal the spotlight without trying.
Get the Recipe: Fried Pork and Shrimp Wontons
Paneer Pakora
Paneer Pakora is fried cheese done right—crispy outside, warm and soft inside, and just salty enough to make you forget what else is coming. Dip or no dip, it doesn’t matter. These never stay on the tray for long.
Get the Recipe: Paneer Pakora
Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos
Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos are golden, crisp, and packed just enough to feel like a full bite without being overstuffed. They’re clean enough to eat with your hands and flavorful enough to hold attention. Once they hit the table, conversation tends to pause.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos
Thai Fish Cakes
Thai Fish Cakes are loaded with herbs and spice, crisp at the edges, and better than most mains you’ve probably made. They’re fast to cook and even faster to disappear. These show up early and end up stealing the whole show.
Get the Recipe: Thai Fish Cakes
Air Fryer Onion Rings
Air Fryer Onion Rings are thick, crispy, and full of actual onion—not just batter. They’re better than anything from a pub and don’t come out greasy. Once they’re out, they don’t stick around. You won’t be fielding questions about what’s next.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Onion Rings