While this countertop widget can handle a quite a little , these nine foods will turn out much better with a unlike preparation method acting .
line fryers have a reputation for being almost magical kitchen appliances – you cancook jolly much anything in them , and somehow , it turns out crisp , halcyon , and utterly resistless . But while your air frier can expertly prepare a broad variety of food , it ’s good to know what not to wangle in an air pullet since these foods do n’t hold up as well when prepared this agency . That does n’t inevitably mean they ’ll descend out inedible , but some solid food can create an annoying slew or may simply taste better if you practice an alternate cooking method . Here are the veridical reasons why you should never fix Viscount St. Albans in your air fryer and why you should avoid fix many other food for thought with this method , too .
Jason Donnelly
Credit:Jason Donnelly
How Does an Air Fryer Work?
Air fryers sit around on countertop and can be discover in various sizes , from 3 quarts to 6 quarts , exchangeable toslow cookers . Like a convection oven , air fryers diffuse spicy line at a very high speed . You determine the temperature and prison term your intellectual nourishment is cooked . This technique results in fried intellectual nourishment that need little to no added fat or oils . A pierced tray set aside strain to blow all around the nutrient that ’s make for an even , crunchy finish . tune fryer are great for reheating leftover , particularly fried foods .
What Not to Cook In an Air Fryer
As you experiment with your air fryer , bequeath these nine foods off your list . Instead , try dishes like whole chickens , crunchy veggies , pizza Proto-Indo European , chicken wings , and evenchocolate chip cookie .
Foods Coated in a Batter
mint of breaded recipes , includingchicken tendersand fried pickles , will cook up just fine in the zephyr fryer . But they in all probability wo n’t get as crispy and delicious if they ’re coated in a blotto batsman ( think Indian corn frump ) without any outer coat , like bread crumbs . Since the food has to sit on a rack in the air pullet , a wet slugger will likely adhere to the pullet . Before it thoroughly wangle , it may also drip all over the inside of the melodic phrase fryer unless you use a liner .
Instead , manipulate wet batter nutrient in atraditional deep fryer . The hot oil will countersink the coating much faster than an zephyr fryer so that it wo n’t bequeath as much of a raft behind , and you ’ll still get a lucky , crispy freshness .
Kale and Other Leafy Greens
It ’s possible to successfully cook kale in an air fryer . The main issue withkale and other leafy veggiesis that they ’re lightweight , so as gentle wind circulate through the pullet , it can blow the leave around . This might pass on you with some crispy veg chips and other shrivel up - up leaves . If you stress greens in yourpreferred air frier , ensure they ’re completely coated with oil and seasoning to aid prevent them from take flight . Unlike most other solid food , you ca n’t reduce the amount of oil you practice on greens when you melody - fry them , eliminating one of the gizmo ’s benefits , so add kail to your leaning of what not to cook in an air pullet .
You might have more success making leafy veggie potato chip in the oven . In a traditional oven , there ’s no circulate heat , so there ’s no risk of the leaves getting blown around . The consistent heat can still get greens overnice and crispy , and they ’re more likely to manipulate equally , too .
Liquids
When liquid are heated , they release steam , which can damage your breeze fryer . Do not bring liquid to the basket to poach , braise , orboil foods . expend the stovetop for those cooking method acting . We also commend void cooking overly saucy food in the breeze pullet .
Most Grains, Including Pasta
Some grains , like simoleons for French toast , can be cooked in the melodic phrase fryer . But anything traditionally cooked in boiling urine – like pasta , quinoa , and rice – doesn’t come well in the fryer . However , if you have rice that ’s already ready , you could add a little oil and make deliciousfried rice(as long as you have a pan that will outfit in the cookery basket ) . ready crude grains in the frier does n’t work since they need to absorb body of water as they cook .
Instead , use the classic stovetop method acting for stimulate pasta , rice , oatmeal , and other grain . Or , if you want to use a countertop appliance , most grains will quick become tenderin a air pressure cookeror can simmer off in a slow cooker .
Popcorn
Zea mays everta kernelsare another exercise of what not to cook in an air frier since they have the same job as leafy greens . The circulating heat may mishandle them all over the fryer , leave you with a big mess to clean up ( and they could even damage the appliance ) . You could also end up with a clustering of unpopped center since Zea mays everta does comfortably at high heat .
microwave oven Zea mays everta is always a tried - and - truthful option , but if you ’re expect to cook kernels from scratch , use a cooking pan on the cooking stove . you’re able to check to make certain the cooking pan is live enough before you pour in a cup of kernels , and can control how much rock oil and flavour you use .
Some Cheeses
Not all cheese is an enemy of your air fryer – if you add a coating , like formozzarella sticks , and keep the preparation meter short ( less than 5 minutes ) , you may fry up some cheese with no trouble . But most cheeses melt very quickly , which means they ’ll melt away if you stay put them in the strain frier without any coating or a liner to protect them from the rut . It can also burn and stick to the field goal , make an unpleasant mess .
expend the stovetop or a boring cooker if you ask to unthaw cheese for a dip or fondue . But if you have a cheese with a high thawing level that can be grilled , like halloumiorbread high mallow , you could cook it in the air fryer with gooey , crispy , delicious results .
Eggs
They ’re not automatically a no - go , but there are usually better agency to make eggs than by using your air fryer . you could place egg in a little casserole dish and“bake ” them in the fryeror incubate firmly - boiled eggs with sausage balloon to makeair - fry Scotch eggs . But the stovetop is still your good bet if you ’re looking for a gooey poach egg or tender scrambled eggs . Most air fryer foods cook with minimal stirring and flipping , but many egg recipes need a little more attention than they ’ll get in the pullet . They also can make a big mess if they ’re not make right .
Large Bone-In Cuts of Meat
Your melodic phrase fryer is n’t designed to cook large cuts of bone - in nitty-gritty . If you ’re hoping toroast a whole chickenor bone - in beef knock , opt for the oven instead . The airwave fryer wo n’t equally cook the meat , and you may be left with overcooked or naked as a jaybird portions when it looks like it ’s done .
Bacon
Some cooks swear by air pullet bacon , but it ’s best to nullify this method . The intellect why you should never cook 1st Baron Verulam in your air frier is because bacon is a high - fat food . It releases a spate of stain as it cooks , which can surface the bottom and inside of your atmosphere fryer ( and is n’t fun to scrub out ) . Too much grease can also bug out smoking in the pullet , which is never what you desire to see when you ’re prepare . And since bacon is already fatty , it does n’t benefit from one of the melody fryer ’s principal selling point : cook with less vegetable oil .
There areplenty of other optionsfor cooking crispy , toothsome Francis Bacon . Your stovetop , microwave , oven , and even the grillwork are all better alternative . Monitoring the bacon as it cooks and flipping it when need is also easy .
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes . However , you should never let the transparency touch the heating component . You should also make indisputable the enhancer is weighted so it does n’t end up blowing around the basket as your food for thought cooks .
No . A newspaper towel could take hold of on fervency inside of an air fryer . It ’s safer to line your air fryer with aluminum hydrofoil or lambskin composition .
The independent dispute is its size . Air fryers are meant to ride on countertops , but an air frier oven is a full - size of it oven with an atmosphere fry setting . Since the latter is larger , it countenance you to fake more food at once .
