15 Best Walmart Foods to Make in an Air Fryer
If you’re doing your weekly Walmart run and wondering what from the freezer aisle actually turns out great in the air fryer, here’s the list — 15 Walmart favorites, mostly Great Value brand, each with the exact time and temperature to use. If you’d rather shop somewhere else, we’ve also got the list of best Costco foods for the air fryer.
Quick Reference: Walmart Foods in the Air Fryer
| Food | Temperature | Approximate Time |
|---|---|---|
| Tater Tots | 200°C / 400°F | 10-15 min |
| Jalapeño Poppers | 190°C / 375°F | 8-10 min |
| Potato Skins | 190°C / 375°F | 8-10 min |
| Mini Corn Dogs | 200°C / 400°F | 6-8 min |
| Fried Okra | 200°C / 400°F | 8-10 min |
| Pizza Sticks/Rolls | 200°C / 400°F | 8-10 min |
| Cinnamon French Toast Sticks | 190°C / 380°F | 8-10 min |
| Mozzarella Sticks | 205°C / 400°F | 5-6 min |
| Steamed Soup Dumplings | 190°C / 375°F | 6-8 min |
| Coconut Chicken Curry Empanadas | Oven recommended instead | — |
| Dino Nuggets | 200°C / 400°F | 8-10 min |
| Chicken Wings | 200°C / 400°F | 20-22 min |
| Hot Pockets | 190°C / 375°F | 10-12 min |
| French Fries | 200°C / 400°F | 15-18 min |
| Chicken Nuggets | 200°C / 400°F | 8-10 min |
These times are a starting point — check the bag first, since some Great Value products now print air fryer instructions directly on the packaging.
Why Walmart’s Great Value Brand Works So Well in the Air Fryer
Most of these items were originally designed for oven baking, but the air fryer’s rapid, high-speed air gets you a closer-to-fried texture in about half the time. Because it’s such an affordable, accessible brand, Great Value has become the go-to test subject for the online air fryer community — which means there’s a lot of real-world feedback behind these picks, not just marketing claims.
The 15 Best Walmart Foods for the Air Fryer
1. Great Value Tater Tots
The single most popular pick among air fryer fans shopping at Walmart. Ready in 10-15 minutes at 200°C (400°F) with barely any effort — shoppers consistently say these need very little intervention to turn out great.
2. Great Value Jalapeño Poppers
Cream cheese-filled and coated, these cook up hot and gooey in 8-10 minutes at 190°C (375°F). The cream cheese filling tempers the heat, making these an easy entry point if you’re not sure about your spice tolerance.
3. Great Value Potato Skins
Loaded with cheddar and bacon, these are ready in 8-10 minutes at 190°C (375°F). Reviewers say they hold up just as well as restaurant versions — serve with sour cream, salsa, or barbecue sauce.
4. Great Value Mini Corn Dogs
A quick, kid-friendly snack ready in 6-8 minutes at 200°C (400°F). No need to flip halfway through if they’re arranged in a single layer, though a shake never hurts for even browning.
5. Great Value Fried Okra
A Southern classic that crisps up nicely in the air fryer, 8-10 minutes at 200°C (400°F). A great alternative to deep-frying if you want that crunch without the mess.
6. Jack’s Pizza Sticks
Straight from the freezer to the basket, ready in 8-10 minutes at 200°C (400°F). A favorite for late-night snacking or study breaks, according to online reviews.
7. Great Value Cinnamon French Toast Sticks
A viral breakfast pick — cinnamon-sugar coated and ready in 8-10 minutes at 190°C (380°F). Works well as a quick weekday breakfast or an easy dessert-adjacent snack.
8. Great Value Mozzarella Sticks
Fast and simple: 5-6 minutes at 205°C (400°F) is all it takes. Watch them closely near the end, since the cheese can burst through if left even a minute too long.
9. Great Value Steamed Soup Dumplings
An unexpected air fryer success — 6-8 minutes at 190°C (375°F) crisps the bottom while keeping the filling hot, giving you a different texture than steaming alone.
10. bettergoods Coconut Chicken Curry Empanadas
Worth a mention, but with a caveat: reviewers recommend baking these in the oven instead, since the air fryer can make the pastry too crunchy for this particular filling. If you do try the air fryer, keep the temperature on the lower end and check early.
11. Great Value Dino Nuggets
A viral hit on social media, especially with kids. Ready in 8-10 minutes at 200°C (400°F), with the classic dinosaur shapes coming out just as crispy as standard nuggets.
12. Great Value Chicken Wings
These need more time than most items on this list: 20-22 minutes at 200°C (400°F), flipping halfway through, gets you crispy skin with juicy meat inside.
13. Great Value Hot Pockets
A dorm-room and busy-weeknight staple that actually improves in the air fryer compared to the microwave. About 10-12 minutes at 190°C (375°F) gives you a crispy crust instead of a soggy one.
14. Great Value French Fries
A reliable, budget-friendly pick: 15-18 minutes at 200°C (400°F), shaking the basket halfway through, for genuinely crispy results.
15. Great Value Chicken Nuggets
The most versatile pick to close out the list. Ready in 8-10 minutes at 200°C (400°F), and a safe bet whenever you’re not sure what else to grab off the freezer shelf.
Tips for Air Frying Walmart’s Great Value Products
- Check the packaging first — more Great Value products are now printing air fryer-specific instructions directly on the bag, which may vary slightly from the times above.
- Don’t overcrowd the basket — even with smaller portions than warehouse-store brands, piling too much in at once is still the most common reason results turn out soggy.
- Trust the oven when a product says so — as with the coconut curry empanadas on this list, not everything is automatically better in the air fryer; some fillings and pastries do genuinely better with a slower bake.
- Shake halfway through — especially important for tots, fries, and nuggets, so every piece browns evenly on all sides.
- Curious how much electricity all this air frying actually uses? Check out our breakdown of whether an air fryer uses more electricity than an oven.
Frequently Asked Questions About Walmart Foods in the Air Fryer
What’s the most popular Walmart food to cook in an air fryer?
Great Value Tater Tots consistently come up as the top pick among air fryer fans, largely because they need very little effort to turn out crispy and require almost no intervention during cooking.
Do Great Value frozen foods need to be thawed before air frying?
No, virtually all of the items on this list go straight from the freezer to the basket, with no thawing needed.
Why do my Walmart air fryer snacks turn out soggy?
The most common cause is overcrowding the basket. Even though Great Value portions tend to be smaller than warehouse-store sizes, piling too much in at once still blocks proper air circulation.
Is Great Value cheaper than name-brand frozen foods for the air fryer?
Generally yes, and reviewers frequently note that the taste and texture hold up well against pricier name-brand alternatives, especially once air fried.
What temperature works best for most Walmart frozen snacks in the air fryer?
Most items on this list fall between 190-205°C (375-400°F), so if you’re trying a Walmart product not listed here, starting around 200°C (400°F) and checking a few minutes early is a safe approach.
Are all frozen foods better in the air fryer than the oven?
Not always — some items, like the bettergoods coconut chicken curry empanadas, are recommended for the oven instead, since the air fryer’s high heat can make certain pastries too crunchy.
What Walmart breakfast items work well in the air fryer?
Great Value Cinnamon French Toast Sticks are the standout, going viral online for good reason — ready in under 10 minutes with a crispy, cinnamon-sugar coating.
Can I air fry Walmart’s frozen chicken wings instead of using the oven?
Yes, and it’s one of the better uses of the air fryer on this list — 20-22 minutes at 200°C (400°F) gets you crispy skin and juicy meat, in less time than a full oven preheat and bake.
Are Walmart’s Great Value products good for feeding kids from the air fryer?
Yes — items like Dino Nuggets and Mini Corn Dogs are popular kid-friendly picks that cook quickly and consistently, with the dinosaur-shaped nuggets in particular getting a lot of attention online.
Do Hot Pockets actually turn out better in the air fryer than the microwave?
Yes, noticeably — the air fryer crisps the outer crust in a way the microwave can’t, avoiding the soggy texture that’s common when microwaving this type of product.
