Air Fryer Salads Are the Most Delicious Way to Eat Your Greens

Stocking your fridge full of veggies is a great way to keep you and the planet healthy. One past study found a widespread shift to a plant-based diet by 2050 could remove more than 16 years' worth of carbon emissions from the atmosphere. The only problem? Salads don't get a whole lot of people excited. Luckily, that's about to change.

Everything tastes better air-fried—even salads. Just ask TikTok creator Alexa Rae Loebel, who has been racking up thousands of views on her air fryer salad videos. While the thought of air frying a salad might seem a little weird at first, she's proven it's the easiest way to upgrade your work-from-home lunches. Instead of getting soggy, it has the perfect amount of melt-in-your-mouth crispiness.

"I was craving one of those charred romaine Caesar salads one day, and since I don’t have a grill, I looked at my air fryer and thought 'let’s just try it and see.' I haven't eaten a salad any other way since," she tells Brightly. "Salads don't have to be boring! You can get so creative and still keep things healthy and balanced. It’s completely changed how I view meal prep and putting salads together."

So, now that you're drooling over a salad, how do you go about making an air-fried version for yourself? Here's how Loebel assembles the perfect air fryer salad, step by step.

How to Make an Air Fryer Salad

Ingredients:

Romaine lettuce
Protein of choice
Toppings of choice
Dressing of choice

Instructions:

1. Air fry romaine leaves for 4 to 5 minutes at 400°F.
2. Chop into bite-size pieces, add a dash of olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Put your romaine in a bowl and add your toppings of choice, like avocado, onions, pecans, and tomatoes.
4. Add your protein of choice. (For plant-based options, click here!)
5. Top with dressing and enjoy.