Air fryers have become wildly popular due to the convenience and ease of making a range of quick
meals. Cooking experts recommend using an air fryer to prepare frozen food, bake cookies
and even fry bacon. But there are some foods you just shouldn't be cooking in an air fryer
If you're wondering if air fryers are just a gimmick, rest assured
this kitchen tool cooks much more than french fries and finger foods
For most air fryers, though, their abilities are limited when it comes to full roasts and entire
chickens. The basket or cooking racks, depending on the model, are smaller in their capacity than
an oven, so a roast might not fit. If the side of the roast is too close to the heat source
it will dry out or burn well before the other side cooks thoroughly. Chicken will end up dried
out with a rock-solid exterior in an air fryer, so you're better off sticking with the oven
The issue is you're likely overcrowding the air fryer basket if you add an entire chicken or roast
Hot air needs to circulate in order for an air fryer to work, so in order to cook chicken in
an air fryer, you'll need to cook a few pieces at a time instead of placing the entire bird inside at
once. You'll want to keep the breasts facing down, then end with the skin facing up since air fryer's
heat from above. This trick will help make sure your skin is crisp and the meat stays juicy
and you can also poke holes in the thighs and drumsticks to help the fat to render
Air fryers are designed to dry cook food by easily circulating hot air in the chamber
Similar to a convection oven, food is then evenly cooked at a high heat
Rice and other grains that need to be submerged in boiling water can't be cooked inside an air fryer
You might ask, why can't you cook grains in an air fryer pan insert instead
It's because the heating coil and fan will never get the temperature inside the machine
hot enough to boil the water, and tepid water won't allow the grains to cook properly
If rice is a staple menu item, opt for a rice cooker instead. It's another time-saving device
that takes the guesswork out of a dinner table prep, and it offers the same benefits of being
able to set and forget. The Duo method could be a time-saver if you're looking for a simple meal
without having to stand vigilant over the stove. Cook your protein in your air fryer
your rice in your rice cooker, and you'll have a delicious meal in no time. Despite the wide variety of different designs, all air fryers operate by circulating hot air
A fan moves heat into the chamber so rapidly it's like a little wind tunnel
That's why dry rubs using fine spices such as pepper, salt, and ingredients that are leafy or
light need to be used sparingly. Loose seasoning will whip around the container instead of sticking
to and flavoring the food, and continued over-seasoning might even clog the machine
Plus it a waste of your spices The solution to dry spiced foods in an air fryer Seasoned food should be coated in a bit of oil or mustard to help spices stick Even veggies with a dry
surface need to be moistened before seasoning to keep dried spices from flying off or falling
through the basket. Plus, a bit of oil helps vegetables get a sear, and spices contribute
a satisfying flavor. Even salt and pepper can go a long way for deeper flavor when you're eating
healthy. Beer batter on fried fish, corn dogs, and coated wings will crisp into a delicious shell
when you fry in oil. But there's a major catch. We all love fried foods, but yuck! That means
scoops of grease, blobs of butter, or gallons of oil just to fry. The hot oil bath in a deep fryer
sets the wet outer layer by rapidly drying the batter into the signature crispy coating
Air fryers are different, though, and they aren't meant to handle wet batter or coating
regardless of what the name might suggest. Inside a dry air fryer, there isn't anything
to set the wet batter. Instead, traditional batter will just drip off while the food cooks
You think you're prepping tasty fried chicken for the family, but you'll actually just end up with a mess. Still craving the crunch with the air fryer
Cooks need to get creative with an air fryer while making fried chicken
fish sticks, or corn dogs by adapting to the strengths of the machine
Simply dry coat by dredging your food in cornmeal or breadcrumbs as an alternative to a typical wet
mixture. Then add the spices and herbs before tossing in the air fryer basket
Air fryers are full of contradictions, but they can provide a simple and fun way to cook a meal
While an air fryer isn't a fryer in the traditional sense, it's not required that
you forgo oil altogether. However, when it comes to choosing an oil, you'll need to pick
an alternative to olive oil. Why? Because olive oil has a low smoke point, and that can lead to
your food developing a weird aftertaste. There is also concern that smoking oil could lead to
health problems. The jury's still out on that, but it's food for thought. When frying, vegetable oil
canola oil, and peanut oil are all high smoke point oils, which helps avoid this issue
It's also worth keeping in mind that skipping olive oil altogether has its own downside
Healthy oils are a necessary food staple, and missing out on healthy fats in olive oil
can actually mean you're missing out on health benefits. While a low-fat and air-fried diet can
sound rather enticing, you don't want to miss out on the benefits of the good fats that come
from a variety of plant-based oils. It's easy to forget that in moderate quantities
high-quality fat is a requirement for brain and hormone health, so don't be afraid to add some oil to your meals, menu, and diet
Greens in an air fryer need to be selected carefully, with an eye toward avoiding delicate
leafy greens or any foods without some weight to them Because the forced heat from the air fryer pushes air around rapidly any food that might get picked up by that air could hit the heating element Thanks to air fryers cooking your food at high temperatures
it's extremely easy to burn food that doesn't cook evenly or stay put
and that could lead to disaster. "'Little problem in the kitchen. Nothing trivial.
Add in the fact that it's incredibly tricky to cook delicate greens without turning them into a
mushy mess, and this is one more food that you're better off taking a more hands-on approach to
The National Cancer Institute reports that there's another danger here. Burning and charring food or smoking oil could release carcinogenic compounds
Though air frying may be convenient, you likely don't want to dig into greens that not only taste
bad but might also yield serious consequences for your health. Certain veggies are real winners with
an air fryer, but others can come out so bad that even the biggest veggie lover will have a hard
time eating them. Why? Simply put, an air fryer doesn't have much crisping superpower over raw
produce. That means the results tend to be soggy and unappetizing regardless of the temperature
Frozen vegetables are a better option for an air fryer, as they retain more moisture from the ice
and they have an advantage, considering the air fryer tends to over-dehydrate foods with a low
oil or moisture content. Worrying about using frozen vegetables? Don't. I've always thought fresh is best. If you want all of the nutrients, go fresh
It's not that simple. Frozen veggies are also often iced soon after being harvested, and usually picked at peak ripeness
which means frozen veggies can be a lot fresher than raw produce in the grocery aisle
You also don't have to worry about the nutritional value, because the Academy of
Nutrition and Dietetics reports frozen foods retain their vitamins and minerals, in some cases
better than fresh foods. Now, you can add frozen foods as one more healthy time saver in your
toolbox. Theoretically, a thin, fatty meat-like bacon would be ideal for the convection-style
cooking of an air fryer. Hot air heats the grease enough to cook the meat to the same
glorious crispness you'd get on a griddle. And while the finished product might come out well
what it leaves inside the air fryer can diminish the entire experience
The time you're saving by cooking bacon in an air fryer could be completely
wasted when it comes time to clean everything up. While all that hot
blowing air might make for perfectly crispy bacon, it also makes for a perfect mess inside the air
fryer. Because the air moves around at such high speeds, it also blows the bacon fat all over the
inside of the fryer, leaving a nasty scene on the sides of the chamber
If you have your heart set on this, using turkey bacon or a plant-based bacon will drastically
cut down on the mess and can help reduce your post cleanup time After all what the point of a shortcut if it just ends up taking more time Though they may look vaguely similar do not confuse your air fryer with the food dehydrator you were so close to buying on late TV
I've decided to drop the price. The new price is so ridiculously low, you have to watch
While they both use air and electricity to cook, air fryers circulate air at far higher
speeds than a food dehydrator. And the typically small pieces of beef, fruit, or whatever you're
trying to dehydrate won't do nearly as well in an air fryer. David Jarvis, executive chef for
air fryer maker New Wave, explains, "'Air fryers will do it, but a lot of what you dehydrate are small pieces
and unless you have a way to hold them down, they'll blow the product around.
Imagine a tornado that picked up an entire truckload of plantain chips
and you're getting the idea of what the inside of your air fryer will look like if you try
dehydrating food. It's just not going to work great, and it's definitely one of those cases
where it's a bigger hassle than it's worth. Perhaps you recall a memory from childhood
where your mom put oil and popcorn kernels in a pot you typically used for spaghetti
and a few minutes of shuffling later, she created a big, greasy bowl of popcorn
Because, yes, in the days before microwave popcorn and Jiffy Pop, Popcorn was traditionally made in a small chamber with added heat
which sounds a lot like an air fryer. However, an air fryer isn't the same as
that old tried-and-true method of making the family's favorite post-dinner snack. New Wave's David Jarvis explains
You have to get up to 400 degrees for popcorn to pop, and most air fryers don't get that high of
heat. That's one we're just not able to do. That all said, if you've got a microwave
making popcorn there should be an easier route. Or just go back to the stove
The size of the air fryer presents certain limitations. Extra-large air fryers clock in at 16 quarts, but the average is just two to three quarts
and that means a standard air fryer just won't cut it for a family-sized meal
Will four bags be enough? More than enough. I say we'd need five to be safe, do you not think that
Stick down, Fave. Five bags of chips then! Consider this. A 2.75-quart air fryer holds a half-pound of shrimp in the bottom of the fryer's basket
including room for the necessary flow of air to circulate and brown the food
That's the amount of shrimp you'd cook if you were making a light lunch for two people
Feeding a family would mean cooking a second batch and more wait time, and in some cases
this additional cooking time defeats the purpose. And this just might be a deal-breaker for you
In the end, conventional air fryers might be better suited for couples, as well as for
snacks, sides, and, of course, homemade dessert