What's not to love about air fryers? From whipping up cupcakes to whole turkeys
and even pizza, it's no wonder why they have become hugely popular.
You won't believe all the things you can do with this versatile countertop appliance!
Air fryers may be able to perform the same tasks that an oven can,
but if you want to replicate one of your favorite oven-based recipes,
it isn't as easy as throwing in food and cooking it at the same temperature.
This is primarily due to the difference in cooking methods for the two appliances.
By the same measure, you don't need to make what you want in a way that's specially designed for an
air fryer; some recipes simply won't taste the same if they're tweaked excessively.
That's where author and YouTuber Candice Hutchings — aka TheEdgyVeg — comes in.
She's detailed her own air fryer hack that's as simple as lowering the cooking temperature
by approximately 25 degrees Fahrenheit and reducing cook time by 20 percent. She says:
"For example, if the oven recipe states 400° Fahrenheit for 20 mins, cook in the air fryer
at 375° Fahrenheit for 16 minutes, opening halfway to shake the basket and flip the food."
Air fryers are popular for their ability to make a wide range of savory food,
but they're just as capable of cooking up a lot of stuff on the sweeter side. We're talking all
kinds of recipes for cupcakes, cookies, fritters, pies, and churros. Even baking a cake is possible
if you're using a larger air fryer that can fit a baking tin inside. The smaller baskets may not
be able to pull off something so grandiose, but making a few cookies at a time is doable.
The only thing to keep in mind while using an air fryer instead of an
oven for baking or frying sugary treats is that you'll likely need to flip your
food halfway through the cooking process. So be sure to follow the recipe carefully. And maybe,
you know, don't eat your delicious treat all at once:
"I don't even have to floss."
There's a great deal of food that requires a quick shake of your air
fryer basket as you cook. But what if you want whatever you're cooking
to remain stable as you pull the basket out to check on your food's progress?
Whether you're cooking with loose ramekins filled with something liquid like eggs,
or baked shellfish dishes such as baked lobster, using crumpled aluminum foil as
a support structure can help to keep food from moving around, preventing unnecessary spillage.
Using foil like this is quick and easy, and it tends to be the more
cost-effective option as well. This way, you don't have to go out and
buy any of those air fryer-specific gadgets and accessories like cooking molds or racks.
Depending on what you make — provided there isn't too much spillage in the
process — you should be able to reuse the aluminum foil structure you create as well.
Air fryers can be effective when it comes to cooking fatty foods like slices of bacon
or hamburger patties. That said, unless you're regularly emptying out the drip
pan as you go — and that's hard to do while an air fryer's in
motion — you might find a lot of smoke coming out of your countertop cooker.
Adding a tablespoon or two of water to your drip pan can prevent the grease from getting too hot
and smoking. It's a simple tip that makes all the difference.
It's probably best for your health that you're cutting down on smoking grease as well.
According to Serious Eats, fat starts to break down once it passes its smoke point. This means
the release of both free radicals, which are unstable atoms that can damage your cells,
and acrolein — the chemical that gives burnt foods an unpleasant flavor and aroma.
Frozen veggies sometimes get a bad rap,
but the reality is that they have almost the same nutritional value as fresh ones,
according to 2017 research published in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis.
When you're low on fresh produce, frozen alternatives can be a quick and easy way
to whip up a healthy side dish. Unfortunately, simply popping your frozen broccoli, carrots,
and peas in the microwave often leaves them soggy, mushy, and less than appetizing. In this case,
your trusty air fryer is the perfect solution. Cooking your frozen veggies
in the air fryer is a guaranteed way to get tasty, crispy results every time.
Start by spraying your air fryer basket with your choice of oil spray. Add salt and pepper,
or any other spices you'd like, air fry for 15 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees, then serve.
Americans spend more than $11 billion on pizza deliveries each year.
If you love stuffed crust, breadsticks, and other pizza shop classics but tend to rely
on ordering pizza on nights when you need a quick and easy dinner, the cost can add up
fast. It's a no-brainer that cooking a frozen pizza at home can help you save a bit of cash.
Cooking your favorite frozen pizza in your air
fryer rather than your oven is a great choice. For smaller models,
this might mean opting for individual-sized pizzas, French bread pizzas, or even pizza bites.
Once you've got your pizza, preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees. Place it in the basket
and cook for six to eight minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the crust is crisp.
The average household in the United States spends around $3,000 each year dining out.
When you're craving your favorite meal or appetizer but want to keep your budget in check,
your air fryer might be useful.
With a quick search online, you can find tons of copycat recipes that allow you
to recreate popular restaurant dishes at home — at a fraction of the price.
And for a sweet treat, use your air fryer to recreate Subway's always-soft oatmeal cookies.
Or do a quick Google search, and odds are that someone has created a recipe designed to recreate
another classic dessert quickly — and cheaply — with the help of an air fryer.
"You like this cookie?"
"Oh - ho, ho."
"Well this cookie's junk!"
"I liked the cookie."
The reason air fryers are so quick, and why they are often touted as a healthier way of cooking,
is because of how they operate. Your air fryer blows a continuous stream
of hot air from a fan located in the top part of the appliance.
That air is circulated down into the basket where you've placed your food. This means that
very little oil is needed to keep contents from sticking, and everything cooks evenly.
However, when your air fryer basket is loaded with French fries, vegetables,
or other bite-sized ingredients, the circulating air may not make its way
to the food in the middle. To make sure that everything is cooked fully and perfectly crisp,
Philips recommends shaking your air fryer basket part way through cooking.
For best results, only use this trick when cooking dishes that aren't fragile.
Softer foods may fall apart if you shake the basket, so they should instead be
placed in a single layer to ensure they are evenly cooked and that they remain intact.
While in most cases air fryers require very little oil, certain dishes will
benefit from a little extra. If the food looks dry,
Everyday Family Cooking recommends another quick spray of oil for best results.
Keep in mind that not all oils are suited for your air fryer. Air Frying Foodie suggests
using either butter, olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, vegetable oil, or peanut oil.
Meanwhile, My Forking Life warns against using oil that comes in an aerosol spray can,
since it may contain ingredients that can damage your air fryer.
You might be surprised to learn that you can whip up a delicious breakfast in your air fryer.
As for toast, however, you might want to stick to making it in a toaster.
But one breakfast staple that's made simple with the help of an air fryer is bacon.
In under 10 minutes, you can make crispy bacon with no splashing grease or big mess to clean up.
"Getcha anything else?"
"Maybe a little bacon. It says I shouldn't."
"Go ahead."
A Southern Soul recommends preheating your air fryer to 360 degrees. Lay the slices of bacon
along the bottom of your air fryer basket and avoid overlapping them. The thicker your bacon,
the longer you'll need to cook it; thin slices will cook in 8 to 10 minutes,
while thicker ones will take 10 to 13 minutes. You can also make tots with bacon wrapped around them.
If you have a large enough air fryer, you can make family meals even easier by roasting meat — even
a whole turkey. And if you normally like to make your own gravy after roasting a bird in the oven,
this is another task that your air fryer will simplify.
After roasting your turkey, remove it with the tray from your air fryer.
The fat drippings and juice will have collected in the bottom of the bucket,
which you can use to make your own homemade gravy.
From broccoli to tuna casseroles, every family seems to have their favorite pan-baked meal.
But casseroles aren't always fast. Luckily,
your favorite casserole recipe likely has an air fryer alternative.
In most cases, you'll prepare your casserole much the same as you would if you were going
to bake it in the oven. Scoop the contents into your air fryer basket and bake.
For some recipes, you'll need to cook them in several steps.
For instance, Airfried.com recommends first cooking the base of a broccoli casserole. Then,
pull out the air fryer basket to add the cracker crumb topping and bake the whole concoction again.
This will ensure that the top gets nice and crispy and that the layer underneath is also well cooked.
Toasted nuts are the perfect snack when you're craving a crunch without the extra calories.
Most kinds of nuts can be toasted using an air fryer,
including almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, and walnuts.
When toasting smaller nuts, you'll likely need to place them on a little baking dish to prevent them
from falling through the holes in the bottom of the basket. Depending on the type of nut,
your tasty snack will be ready in as little as three to five minutes, according to the Food
Network. If you're using nuts with skins, you'll need to remove them after you've roasted them.
Once your nuts are finished toasting, spread them on a cutting board or plate
so they can cool down before you dig in. While toasted nuts are a tasty snack on their own,
they're also perfect for adding to salads and other dishes.
"Hey what'cha doin?"
"Relax man. I'm just trying to grab some nuts."
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