7 Classic Air Fryer Southern Recipes You Need to Try Right Now

If you are a Southern food fan, you know flavor and seasoning is everything. The only problem is, that Southern soul food dishes are usually not the healthiest dishes to consume. Unfortunately, most comfort foods we love are either deep-fried or contain a lot of sodium. But, what if I told you there's a way for you to eat the classic Louisiana cuisine you grew up on without the guilt?

Kitchen appliances have come a long way and as far as I'm concerned the best invention, next to sliced bread, is the air fryer. This marvelous kitchen device is a game changer, especially for those of us Jonesin for some good ol' Southern fried chicken and other authentic tasting Louisiana fried foods out of air fryer.

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Even better, you can enjoy your Louisiana/Cajun meals without the high cholesterol and sodium using an air fryer with little to no oil! Is that fabulous or what? Below are several scrumptious Louisiana-style cooked foods via video and written recipes. Most of the dishes are cooked using products from Louisiana Fish Fry. Enjoy!

1.) AIR FRYER LOUISIANA FRIED CATFISH - Bayou Wild TV

Bayou Wild TV teams up with Michael Rabalais of Louisiana Fish Fry Products. who introduces their air fryer fish batter and several other Louisiana products his company makes specifically for cooking meals with the air fryer. Rabalais gives a quick but detailed demonstration of how to cook the perfect Louisiana catfish fillets. Enjoy!

2.) AIR FRYER PO'BOY - By Linda Brewer

This is a bonafide Louisiana classic turned on its head. It's loaded with crispy shrimp, that is cooked to perfection with an air fryer. Add some homemade coleslaw and it's the bee's knees!

Prep Time: 25 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 35 mins
Servings: 6
Yield: 6 sandwiches
Ingredients

The original recipe (1X) yields 6 servings

¼ cup lemon juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1 (14-ounce) package shredded coleslaw mix

¾ cup buttermilk

2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon ground dried chipotle pepper

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 ½ pounds large shrimp - peeled, deveined, and tails removed

2 cups whole wheat panko bread crumbs

6 (6-inch) whole-wheat hoagie rolls, split and toasted

Directions:
To make the coleslaw: Whisk lemon juice, oil, garlic, tarragon, mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt together in a bowl. Add coleslaw mix and toss to coat. Set aside.

Whisk buttermilk, hot sauce, cayenne, chipotle pepper, black pepper, and remaining salt together in another bowl. Add shrimp to buttermilk mixture, tossing to coat; let marinate for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat an air fryer to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Add 2/3 cup panko to a shallow dish. Remove shrimp from the buttermilk mixture, letting excess drip off. Working in 3 batches, dredge 1/3 of the shrimp in 2/3 cup panko, turning evenly to coat. Transfer to a baking sheet and repeat with remaining shrimp and panko.

Working in batches if necessary, arrange shrimp in a single layer in the fryer basket. Cook, turning once, until shrimp are golden brown and cooked through about 8 minutes.

Calories - 655
Total Fat 22g Saturated Fat 4g Cholesterol 246mg Sodium 2133mg Total Carbohydrate 74g Dietary Fiber 6g Total Sugars 11g Protein 39g Vitamin C 13mg Calcium 296mg Iron 4mg Potassium 535mg

3.) LOUISIANA STYLE CRISPY - Cookin' At Pam's Place

Ain't nothing like a well-cooked, juicy, and well-seasoned crispy piece of fried chicken. I love it, but like most people, I don't eat fried chicken often because of the high cholesterol factor and fat. Don't you hate it when you love a certain food, but can't eat it?

4.) LOUISIANA AIR FRYER CRAB CAKE EGG ROLLS - Grandma's Recipes (submitted by Amy D. Hardesty)

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Ingredients :
1 lbs Crabmeat
½ cup Crushed Ritz Crackers
⅓ cup Mayonnaise
1 Large Egg
1 tsp Old Bay
1 tbsp Fresh Parsley
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ Tbsp Lemon Juice
Additional Ingredients
6 Egg Roll Wrappers
½ cup Water to seal the egg rolls
Instructions :
Prepare the crab cakes by whisking together one egg, mayonnaise, old bay, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and parsley
Fold crushed Ritz crackers and crabmeat with the crab cake sauce. place in the fridge for 15 minutes to set up before rolling egg rolls.
To prepare the egg rolls lay the wrappers on a cutting board at an angle so the points are north, south, and east-west. Then lightly brush the edges with water to help seal the egg rolls.
Place about 3oz of the crab cake mixture in the middle of the wrapper. fold the point closest to you over the crab cake mixture then fold in the left and right points. Finally, continue rolling the wrapper up cupping the egg roll with your hand so the crab cake mixture is evenly distributed. the egg roll should be about 4 inches in length.
To cook the egg rolls lightly spray them with cooking oil then place in the air fryer making sure there is space in between the egg rolls. Cook at 375 for about 10-12 minutes flipping the egg rolls after 8 minutes.
Once egg rolls are fully cooked and golden crisp let them rest for 3-5 minutes before slicing on an angle and serving.

5.) AIR FRYER CRAWFISH & SHRIMP ETOUFEE TACOS - By Jared Bobo (Airfryer Papi)

This recipe is a twist on two Louisiana classics with a Mexican flare. I just couldn't pass up this air fryer delight. It looks amazing and I can't wait to cook this myself on Taco Tuesday. When you click the headline at the top, you can get several of Airfryer Papi's incredible air fryer recipes. He is a phenomenal air fryin' guru and winner of the Louisiana Chicken Sandwich Challenge/Chicago presented by Louisiana Fish Fry! His winning sandwich is #7.

6.) AIR FRYER CAJUN CRAB CAKES - By The Daily Gourmet

allrecipes.com

Prep Time:
10 mins
Cook Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
25 mins
Servings:
3
Yield:
3 crab cakes

Original recipe (1X) yields 3 servings

¾ cup panko bread crumbs

¼ cup mayonnaise

1 egg

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

¾ teaspoon Cajun seasoning

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon ground white pepper (Optional)

4 ounces fresh lump crabmeat

3 tablespoons remoulade sauce, or to taste

3 brioche slider buns (Optional)

Directions
Preheat an air fryer to 370 degrees F (188 degrees C) according to manufacturer's instructions.

Mix bread crumbs, mayonnaise, egg, Worcestershire, mustard, Cajun seasoning, salt, cayenne, and pepper together in a small mixing bowl. Fold in crabmeat gently.

Form into 3 equal-size crab cakes using a biscuit cutter. Place cakes on a parchment round and transfer to the air fryer basket.

Cook in the preheated air fryer for 6 minutes. Flip and continue to cook until browned, about 6 minutes more. Serve with remoulade sauce on slider buns.