If you're looking for a relatively healthy way to enjoy bacon,
you might be all set to whip out the air fryer. But it could get a lot messier than expected.
Here's a rundown of which meats you should and shouldn't be putting in your air fryer.
Cooking the perfect steak on a pan or grill can be tricky, and it's even more difficult in an
air fryer. It might do the job if you like it well done, but other doneness levels present a problem.
One of the things that make steaks so appealing is the browning that takes place when the meat is
seared on a pan. This wonderful crust is a result of the Maillard reaction, an interaction between
proteins and carbohydrates that occurs when foods like beef are cooked at high temperatures.
This outer layer is not only delicious, it also reputedly seals in the meat's juices to make the
steak beautifully tender. Unfortunately, the Maillard reaction is impossible to replicate
in an air fryer, so definitely stick to the stovetop or grill for this particular meat.
When it comes to space, air fryers leave much to be desired, so cooking an entire
roast or a whole chicken in one presents a bit of a challenge, to say the least.
According to Taste of Home, an air fryer basket that can hold over six quarts should provide just
enough room to roast an entire chicken. Alas, most home air fryers range between 3.7 and 5.8 quarts.
Even if the chicken or roast does happen to fit in your air fryer, there's a significant risk that it
won't cook evenly. That's because air fryers work by circulating hot air around the food.
Overfilling your air fryer is likely to limit the circulation of that air,
which in turn causes the meat to steam rather than roast,
and who wants steamed chicken? An overly crowded air fryer can also mean that the meat won't cook
evenly, with the device burning and drying out the side of the chicken closest to the heat source
before the other side of the bird is even safe to eat. If you're absolutely set on cooking your
chicken in the air fryer, it's best to cut it into smaller pieces to prevent overcrowding.
"All right, it's getting crowded in here."
Preparing bacon in an air fryer might seem like a healthier option than pan frying it,
where it's cooked in its own fat. When meat is cooked in an air fryer,
the extra grease drips to the bottom, leaving leaner strips of bacon.
This means fewer calories and saturated fat per serving. However, while you may be
expecting crispy, lean bacon without all that grease, you better temper those expectations.
One thing to look out for is smoke coming out of your machine, which can be typical for meat
with a high fat content. Air frying bacon can also be incredibly messy,
as the circulating hot air can cause bacon grease to splatter. One way to prevent this
involves placing a piece of bread in the air fryer basket to absorb the grease.
But you're probably better off just saving the bacon for another cooking method entirely.
Just like steaks, burger patties are best when made to your exact taste.
And also as with steaks, an air fryer might do fine when it comes to well-done beef patties,
but it isn't ideal for preparing made-to-order burgers. As America's Test Kitchen deputy food
editor Stephanie Pixley noted to Insider, since cooking a medium-rare burger patty in
an air fryer takes mere minutes, it won't have enough time to brown on the outside.
"Unfortunately, we are totally out of time."
If pan-frying or grilling isn't an option, an air fryer can still do a decent job,
provided that you follow a number of steps. First, opt for an 80/20 meat-to-fat blend of ground beef,
which will ensure that the patties remain juicy without filling your air fryer tray
with a shocking amount of grease. Additionally, you should press down the center of each patty
with your finger. This should stop it from swelling in the middle and cooking unevenly.
The patties should be cooked between 9 and 12 minutes depending on thickness,
but always be sure to check them early in order to prevent overcooking.
No self-respecting carnivore can pass up crispy chicken wings, even if they're often quite greasy.
Luckily, air-fried wings present a lighter alternative to their deep-fried counterparts.
They're also faster to prepare, and with a little know-how, they can turn out just as crispy on the
outside and juicy on the inside as conventionally made wings, but without the extra calories.
Since chicken wings have a high skin-to-meat ratio, the trick to air frying them lies in
rendering the fat properly. Doing so will make them crispy rather than overly dry or soggy. To
ensure mouth-watering results, Erin Clarke of the "Well Plated" blog recommends cooking them at two
different temperatures: 360 degrees to render the fat and 390 degrees to crisp the outside.
Doing otherwise could result in a dry and leathery disaster.
While you can expect air fried ribs to be tender on the inside
and crispy on the outside, they're unlikely to have the much-desired
fall-off-the-bone factor of their oven-baked counterparts. Nevertheless,
air-fried ribs are still flavorful and much faster to make than in the oven. In fact, beef or lamb
ribs generally take only around 20 minutes in an air fryer compared to hours in the oven.
A rack of beef ribs may need to be cut into smaller pieces due to
limited space in the air fryer. It's also important to remove the membrane from the
back of the ribs to ensure more tender results. After you season or marinate,
remember to lay the wings in an even layer and cook at 360 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes.
And be sure to turn them halfway through the process to ensure that they cook evenly!
If you don't happen to have a dehydrator or smoker at home,
you can still prepare perfectly good beef jerky with your air fryer. While you should
normally opt for cuts with a good amount of marbling when cooking beef in an air fryer,
the right cut is quite different when you intend to make jerky.
In this case, look for leaner cuts such as top round roast or eye of round. The leaner the beef,
the easier it is to dehydrate it, as it's already starting off with relatively low moisture content.
Some air fryers feature a dehydration setting, but that's not the case for all of them.
If yours doesn't have one, simply turn it to a very low-temperature setting.
For best results, make sure that the strips are uniformly sized.
When it comes to air-fried beef jerky, the thicker the strips, the chewier the end product.
Cutting the strips with the grain, rather than against it, will also result in a chewier jerky.
"Make our own beef jerky. That's what we do!"
Like so many cuts of meat, perfectly cooked pork belly should be juicy and tender on the inside
and crispy and golden brown on the outside.
And with the help of an air fryer, pulling that off shouldn't take an entire day.
Pork belly is rather fatty, so an air fryer is a great way to lower its calorie count.
The most challenging part of air frying pork belly is getting the skin to crisp and bubble.
The trick to the perfect crackling lies in ensuring that the cut of meat is properly
dry before you begin cooking. This can be achieved by refrigerating the pork belly
for between 12 and 24 hours. A little salt can also be placed on the cut to draw out moisture.
And while seasoning the belly before cooking is fine, you should avoid marinating,
as liquid marinades can prevent pork belly from developing that much-desired crackling.
That said, glazing the meat after the skin has become good and crispy is usually fine.
Meatballs make both a great snack and a full meal, and they're also ultra easy to prepare
in an air fryer. Golden and crispy on the outside and packed with flavor on the inside,
air-fried meatballs are also a healthier option than their pan-fried counterparts.
If you're particularly health-conscious,
you can also opt for turkey or chicken instead of beef meatballs, since they tend to be leaner.
To make your meatballs truly melt-in-your-mouth scrumptious,
it's best to coat the air fryer basket in non-stick spray and cook them in a single
layer. This will allow the hot air to circulate around the food and cook everything quickly and
evenly. Meatballs should be cooked at 400 degrees for seven to nine minutes.
Some recipes call for flipping the meatballs halfway through the cooking process,
while others recommend giving the basket a simple shake to ensure that the meat cooks evenly.
"Mamma mia! That's a spicy meatball!"
Air-fried meatloaf is pretty similar in taste and texture to the oven-cooked version.
The main difference is the cooking time. Preparing a loaf in an air fryer can cut the time in half,
going from 90 to around 45 minutes. In addition, air-fried meatloaf tends to be leaner and
less greasy than its conventionally-prepared counterparts. That's because air fryers allow the
fat from the meat to drip into the cooking basket. For best results, select 80/20 ground beef.
Getting your meatloaf ready for an air fryer doesn't differ much from the traditional prep
method. Simply mix ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, onion, milk, and seasoning. Fashion the mixture
into a loaf and cook at 380 degrees for 16 to 18 minutes. Then top the loaf with a glaze before
cooking it for another two to three minutes. If the crust starts to darken before the loaf
is fully cooked, place some foil over the meat to stop it from burning on the outside.
While you're unlikely to fit an entire turkey into a conventional air fryer,
it's perfect for preparing juicy turkey breasts that are perfectly
brown and crispy on the outside. They're a lean and healthy option,
particularly if you're counting calories and watching your fat intake. When cooking turkey
breasts in an air fryer, all you need is a light spray of oil to help the skin crisp.
For lip-smacking results, rub the turkey breasts with a little seasoning before
placing them in the fryer. Cook them at 360 degrees for about 40 minutes,
depending on their size, flipping them halfway through the process. Since air fryers tend to
heat from the top down, cook the breasts skin side down first. Then flip them over to let them
finish cooking skin side up, and this will ensure some perfectly cooked poultry skin.
"Name something people take with them to the beach."
"Turkey."
When it comes to finger-licking pork chops, the air fryer gives
conventional cooking methods a run for their money. As with so many other foods,
air-fried pork chops are a healthier option than their fried or grilled counterparts,
since they don't require the addition of much oil or butter during the cooking process.
Size matters when air frying pork chops. For best results, select cuts that are between
one-and-a-half to two inches thick. If you opt for anything thinner, it's likely to dry
out and become unpleasantly tough. Also, since thicker cuts take longer to cook,
they're more likely to emerge with a beautiful char in addition to a juicy inside.
Be warned, though, that pork chops can be easy to overcook,
so be sure to get the timing just right: aim for around 12 minutes for a 2-inch thick chop.
Scrumptious chicken breasts and air fryers are a match made in heaven.
When done right, they're a lot juicier than if they were cooked in the oven or on a stovetop.
That's because the compact nature of air fryers leaves little room for the juices
to evaporate out of the meat. America's Test Kitchen deputy food editor Stephanie Pixley
recommends glazing your breasts before popping them in the fryer for an extra hit of flavor.
If everything goes according to plan, you can expect unbreaded chicken to
emerge browned and crispy on the outside and beautifully moist on the inside. That was how
it turned out for Briana Riddock of Cooking Light, who also tried some breaded chicken,
which resulted in deliciously crispy breading and absolutely no sogginess. Bon appétit!
"If something's fried, I'm 'onna eat it."
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