Sorry Grill, The Air Fryer Is Taking Over This Summer
Too hot to fire up the grill? These five Italian air fryer recipes — from meat skewers to crispy calamari — give you everything you'd cook outside, without leaving the kitchen.
No Grill, No Problem
There are days in July and August when the idea of standing over a hot grill for an hour sounds genuinely awful. The air fryer handles everything the grill usually does — meat, seafood, vegetables — in less time, with less heat, and without leaving the kitchen. These five recipes are the Italian answer to those days: meat skewers, chicken thighs with potatoes, calamari, roasted peppers, and zucchini fries.
Air Fryer Meat Skewers
Air Fryer Meat Skewers are the centerpiece — sausage, pancetta, veal, chicken thighs, and bell peppers threaded onto skewers and cooked at high heat until the edges caramelize and the meats stay juicy inside. Eight skewers in 13 minutes. The grill would take twice as long and heat up the whole backyard.
Pro tip: keep the ingredients close together on the skewer so the meats and peppers cook at the same rate and the edges stay moist against each other.
Chicken Thighs in the Air Fryer
Chicken Thighs in the Air Fryer are the weeknight version of a classic Italian grill dish — skinless thighs seasoned with paprika, rosemary, black pepper, and olive oil, cooked alongside potato wedges in the same basket. Everything comes out crispy outside and tender inside in 30 minutes.
Pro tip: massage the seasoning into the chicken thoroughly before cooking — the paprika and rosemary need time to coat every surface for even browning.
Air fryer calamari
Air Fryer Calamari deliver that fried calamari texture — golden, crunchy rings with a tender center — without deep frying. Squid rings are coated in polenta flour, arranged in a single layer, spritzed with olive oil, and cooked at 390°F until crisp. Serve with lemon and a simple marinara.
Pro tip: dry the squid rings thoroughly with paper towels before coating — moisture is what prevents the crust from getting crispy.
Air Fryer Peppers
Air Fryer Peppers are roasted peppers without the oven — red bell peppers cooked whole at 392°F until soft and charred, then peeled, sliced, and dressed with garlic, basil, oregano, and olive oil. Leave them to rest for 30 minutes after cooking. They absorb the seasoning as they cool and taste like they've been on the grill all afternoon.
Pro tip: let the peppers cool inside the turned-off air fryer — the trapped steam makes the skin slide off effortlessly.
Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
Air Fryer Zucchini Fries are the side dish that replaces the usual BBQ corn or coleslaw — zucchini cut into sticks, tossed in breadcrumbs and a spray of olive oil, and cooked until golden. Crispy outside, soft inside, done in 15 minutes.
Pro tip: if you want more flavor, mix dried oregano or thyme into the breadcrumbs before coating — it makes them taste less like a side and more like a dish.
One Appliance, Five Dishes
The skewers and calamari are the main event. The chicken thighs with potatoes are the one-pan dinner. The peppers and zucchini fries are the sides that make the meal feel complete. Run them back to back in the air fryer and everything is on the table in under an hour — no grill required. The grill isn't going anywhere — but on the days when it stays cold, these five recipes prove you're not missing out.
