Having an Air Fryer is great but may also mean that you have a ton of questions as well. Here are some great tips for using your air fryer!
Air Fryers 101 - Tips for Using an Air Fryer
I love my Air Fryer...no if’s, and’s or but’s about it...and through some trial and error, I’ve figured out some amazing information that I can’t wait to share with you. Air fryers are pretty easy to work and function, but sometimes certain questions still may pop up!
How does an Air Fryer work?
My initial thought is to tell you like magic, but that’d be too easy. Honestly, air fryers work just like the name implies. They cook food by circulating hot air. It’s truly just about as simple as that! Sometimes you have to add a bit of oil here and there but the main function of the Air Fryer is that it cooks with air! How awesome!
What can you cook in an air fryer?
Anything you want! You can cook fried chicken, french fries, chicken wings, or other game-day foods. In our house, we don’t eat meat, so we tend to cook things in there that are more veggies focused. But, if you have a food item that you want to give a crisp, the air fryer basket in your kitchen appliance will do that job well!
Speaking of cooking things in this amazing appliance...
Here are some of my great air fryer recipes for you to check out!
...are just a few family favorites in our house!
Can you put oil in an air fryer?
While you don’t need to use oil in the power airfryer oven, you absolutely can. That’s part of the reason that everyone loves this machine because even if you do want to deep fry something, you only have to use a minimal amount of oil. Amounts can actually vary depending on your brand so make certain to read your users manual to know exactly!
What oil works best in an air fryer?
When it comes to using oil that works best in your air fryer, you are going to want a hot oil that can stand the temp. The best ones to use would be avocado oil, extra virgin olive oil, peanut oil, and sesame oil.
What is the difference between an air cooker and a deep fryer?
The main difference between an air fryer and a deep fryer is that the majority of the food in the air fryer is cooked with hot circulating air and minimal oil and the majority of food cooked in the deep fryer is cooked with oil, in quite a large quantity.
Can you put foil in your air fryer oven?
Again, it’s always important to read your users manual, but some say that it’s fine to put foil in your hot air fryer but make certain that it doesn’t completely cover up the bottom of the appliance as that could cut off the circulation of air. I've also seen that some people use parchment paper under meat when cooking in the air fryer.
What are common misconceptions of an air fryer?
There are actually quite a few misconceptions about this power air fryer oven. People tend to think that the cooking times are cut down dramatically to fry foods, but in all reality, the majority of the cooking times actually stay the same.
Another misconception that people tend to have is they think that having an air fryer means that they’ll never use oil to cook or fry their foods again. Sounds nice, but your air machine still does use a little bit of oil! It’s typically less than what you’d normally use if frying, but it still does use some.
What are common mistakes when using an air fryer?
Just like with any new appliance, there is a learning curve to overcome! Common mistakes that people to make include:
- Not letting the fryer heat up or preheat to the appropriate temp before use
- Only using it for certain foods and not expanding to cook other great options in it
- Putting too much food in the basket (this will cause your food to be less crispy bc not as much air can circulate)
- Not cleaning it after each use
How do you “shake” an air fryer?
Sounds a bit confusing...but don’t pick up your fryer and start shaking during the middle of cooking! This is actually referring to the cooking basket in your air fryer. Sometimes, food can settle and start to stick during the cooking process.
Simply grabbing the cooking basket handle (put an oven mitt on first!) and giving it a good shake will allow that food to separate a bit and become unstuck so that the airflow can resume flowing through all the food.
Can you use batter in an air fryer?
A wet batter doesn’t tend to usually far well when cooking in the greaseless fryer. This is because you aren’t really immersing the food in a ton of oil, so there is nothing that is “flash frying” that batter quick enough to make it stop from falling off.
Many people have found success with rolling the food in flour after dipping it in the wet batter which then helps hold it in place and lets the oil less deep fryer work its magic.
PIN these Tips for Using an Air Fryer for later:
Can you bake in an air fryer?
Yes, yes, yes! It is absolutely possible to bake in the air fryer! It’s important to pay attention to the directions and take your time because using the air fryer may add a few more steps, but it is possible to bake with it! You can literally have your cake and eat it too!
There you have it! I've answered some of the most common questions that people tend to have when it comes to their Air Fryers. I'm sure there are more, but hopefully, this will help you overcome any issues that you may be having and dive in and tackle using this amazing appliance.
Once you start using it on a more frequent basis, you'll fall in love with it over and over again! Don't forget to check out our Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts, Air Fryer Baked Potatoes, and our air fryer tofu recipe! All super simple and delicious!
Vegetarian Air Fryer Resources – We have a vegetarian air fryer newsletter, which you can subscribe to here. We also have a specific vegetarian air fryer recipes group on facebook. You can find that Veg Air Fryer FB Group here.
If you are looking for vegetarian recipes beyond air fryer ones, we have a Vegetarian Newsletter as well as a Vegetarian Recipes facebook group. This newsletter and FB group offers up recipes that on the stove, in the oven, on the grill, in the instant pot and more!
Other Resources:
- Air Fryer Calculator (convert oven recipes to air fryer)
- Common Air Fryer Mistakes
- Air Fryer Cooking Times Cheat Sheet
- Can You Put Foil in the Air Fryer
- How to Clean Your Air Fryer
- Tips for Your Air Fryer
- Cosori Air Fryer Reviews
More Air Fryer Goodies:
- Meat + Veg Newsletter
- Air Fryer Recipes – Facebook Group (large + fast paced – meat/veg)
- Air Fryer Recipes for Seniors – Facebook Group
- Gluten Free Air Fryer Recipes – Facebook Group
- Air Fryer Eats – Facebook Group (slower paced)
What other questions do you have when it comes to your Air Fryer? Do you have any Tips for Using an Air Fryer? Leave me a comment below.
How do I make air fried pork chops and baked potatoes at the same time ?
Hi Vickie! I haven't tried that before, but I did some searching so we could can get an idea on the time. It looks like this example starts the porkchops first, then adds in the potatoes and cooks longer. You can check the cook times and temps here: https://www.copymethat.com/r/77XobWj/air-fryer-pork-chops-baby-potatoes/ I hope that helps! 🙂
Maybe I missed it but what air fryers do you recommend?
I personally like the Cosori brand. I have their basket machines and also their air fryer oven. That brand is my go to!