If you've got an air fryer in your kitchen, you obviously want to know what you should
cook in it.
Certain seafoods are a great choice, while other seafood is not-so-great.
Here's a handy guide when it comes to frozen foods and air fryers.
It might sound obvious, but it's still worth mentioning that air fryers make great fries.
Any shape or cut cooks up crisp on the outside and soft on the inside without plunging them
into a vat of boiling oil.
If you're disappointed by oven-baked fries, the air-fried version will make you think
your plate came straight from a diner.
Preheating your air fryer will result in crispier fries.
Many frozen fries come with instructions for the air fryer, but keep an eye on them since
each model varies.
Remember that food always has to be carefully placed in an air fryer.
Single layers with space between each piece lets hot air circulate so that they don't
get soggy.
And no matter what type of air fryer you use, flipping the fries midway and switching trays
around will probably achieve better results.
"I have a question: what's an air fryer?
What is it?"
"Ladies, if something's fried, I'm 'onna eat it."
Who doesn't love fish and chips?
Battered fish filets and fish sticks cook beautifully in an air fryer without any extra
fat at all.
Perfect fried fish is crunchy outside while the fish stays delicately flaky.
But frozen battered fish baked in the oven sometimes gets soggy on the side that touches
the pan.
And deep frying is hardly a better idea, as it's related to an increased risk of heart
failure.
Air frying lowers that risk by making the fish closer to the baked or broiled variety.
Be aware, though, that frozen battered fish is usually raw, so make sure it's fully cooked.
The size, thickness, and type of coating will all play a role in how long the fish will
need to be in the air fryer.
Generally, 12 to 15 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit is a good start, but always cut
one piece open to make sure it's done.
If the package doesn't have air fryer instructions, pay close attention and try flipping the fish halfway.
"I wonder where that fish did go.
A fish, a fish, a fishy, ohhh."
Egg rolls and spring rolls are bona fide crowd-pleasers, but what if you don't want to make them from scratch?
That's pretty time-consuming, so buying them pre-made is much easier.
But then you might get complaints that they don't taste as good as the takeout version.
Luckily, the air fryer comes to the rescue once again, as it crisps egg rolls to perfection
without using extra oil.
Remember to cook them with space between every egg roll.
And to make them extra crispy, start them at 380 degrees Fahrenheit to cook the interior,
then bump it up for a few minutes to get the wrapper crunchy.
Also take note that size matters.
Frozen spring rolls will cook faster than egg rolls because they're smaller and have
thinner wrappers.
If you need to cook several rounds of appetizers, the first round will take longer because the
fryer will be very hot for subsequent rounds.
Puff pastries are another treat that many home chefs are afraid to make from scratch.
The good news is that there are delicious frozen pastries readily available at the grocery
store, and making them in the air fryer rivals fresh ones hot from the bakery.
It's also worth noting that air frying frozen turnovers and even toaster strudels produces
flakiness superior to cooking them in the oven.
Hot air circulation is a foolproof way to heat the filling while keeping the crispiness
expected from a puff pastry.
While using the package instructions as a guide, place the pastries in your fryer so
that they're not touching.
As always, the size and thickness determine how long they need to cook, and ingredients
may also play a part.
Flipping them midway allows the pastries to brown evenly, but try not to break them open.
Remember that if you make multiple batches, you can adjust the cooking time down after
the first.
Mexican food is known for its cheesy, creamy fillings paired with crisp tortillas.
Frozen burritos and taquitos make a terrific easy meal.
While frozen burritos are often baked, taquitos are deep-fried or at least sautéed in plenty
of oil, so air frying cuts a lot of fat and calories.
As with other frozen foods, there's no need to thaw before air frying.
Adjust your cooking temperature and timing according to your fryer model.
Tray-style air fryers can accommodate more food with room between each item, so if you're
cooking for a crowd, this will be your best bet.
You may want to spray the surface of the food with oil so that it doesn't stick and tear open.
As always, use the package directions as a guide, and also remember to adjust for your
particular fryer.
Turning the food midway during cooking and watching for an even, golden color on all
sides will ensure the tastiest result.
Of course, burritos are larger than taquitos, so adjusting cooking times according to the
size of the food is essential.
And pay attention to the type of tortilla.
Flour tortillas cook faster than corn, so be careful not to burn them.
Frozen chicken nuggets are a childhood staple for a good reason.
Everybody loves them!
Plus, they're quick, convenient, and perfect for dipping.
Cooking them in the air fryer makes them a healthier choice while still yielding the
necessary crunch.
Always read the packaging, as some brands are sold precooked, while others use raw chicken.
Nobody wants to serve undercooked poultry, so make sure you're giving them enough time
to cook through.
There's no need to thaw your nuggets, as air frying them right from the freezer leads to
the best crunch.
"Ooh, what just crunched?!"
Remember to only cook a single layer at once.
A tray-style fryer will cook more chicken at once if you're cooking for a crowd.
Flipping in the middle of cooking and changing the orientation of trays will ensure an even
golden color.
In most tray-style fryer models, the top tray will brown the most, so giving the lowest
tray some time on top is the best practice.
While battered fish filets air fry beautifully, the same can't necessarily be said for unbattered seafood.
Breaded seafood keeps moisture in, which makes fried fish oh-so-delicious.
But without the breading, it's harder to cook perfectly, as it takes careful timing and
temperature to get right.
In addition to the health benefits, one perk of using an air fryer is setting a timer,
so you'll know that your food will be perfectly cooked when you come back.
This allows you to multitask by chopping ingredients for another dish, wiping down surfaces, or
washing dishes.
This strategy works for foods that aren't fussy, but it might turn your seafood into
an inedible mess.
Whether you choose to bake, broil, or pan-fry, perfectly cooked fish is an art, so paying
attention to every detail is essential.
At least seafood cooks quickly, so you won't spend more time on other cooking methods.
There's no doubt that people love breakfast meats.
In theory, bacon and sausage can be air-fried and crisp up nicely with convection heat,
but we'd nevertheless argue that this isn't the best method for these savory treats.
First, consider the fat content in bacon.
Then imagine that fat blowing around inside the fryer for a while.
Tray-style fryers might not contain all the grease, possibly allowing it to leak all over
your counter, making for a less-than-fun clean-up.
The most significant complaint people have with air fryers frequently comes into play
with bacon: not enough space.
Since food can't touch in air fryers, making enough bacon for a family turns into quite
the endeavor.
Bacon is easy to make in the oven with less fuss than on the stovetop, plus you can make
two or three pounds at once.
Why bother with any other method?
But take note that turkey bacon is an exception to this rule because of its lower fat content.
It can be challenging to mimic pork bacon consistency with turkey bacon, though, so
crisping it in an air fryer may provide a superior crunch.
Everyone knows that vegetables are an essential part of a healthy diet.
The frozen varieties are convenient and easy to cook, thereby making them a staple in many kitchens.
While most people acknowledge that fresh produce is ideal, frozen vegetables are still an excellent alternative.
Freezing them even retains some nutrients better than fresh produce that sits in the
fridge for days.
Ultimately, frozen vegetables are so easy to cook that an air fryer is more trouble
than it's worth.
Some fresh vegetables, though, turn out lovely when air-fried.
For instance, Brussels sprouts roast faster and brown perfectly, while air-fried zucchini
sticks mimic the deep-fried appetizers that many people love.
On the other hand, frozen veggies retain extra water from the freezing process, so putting
them in the air fryer can be messy and does nothing to improve their flavor.
With so many ways to cook frozen vegetables, it's best to avoid the air fryer in this case.
"Eat your vegetables."
It's not hard to find advice about air-frying frozen burgers, but we have to insist that
this probably isn't the best way to cook them.
First off, they'll make for a mess, as frozen burgers have water that cooks off and fat
that renders.
And safety can also be an issue.
Air fryer models differ so much that it can be challenging to air fry meat to an exact
temperature, and burgers are one meat that should never be underdone.
The process of chopping meat spreads disease-causing organisms throughout your food, unlike a steak,
where bacteria stays on the surface and is easy to destroy with heat.
For this reason, undercooked burgers can make you ill.
Safety and simplicity go hand-in-hand when you crave a good burger.
While nobody likes a dry, tough burger, food poisoning is even less desirable.
Traditional methods like grilling, broiling, or a cast iron pan can cook frozen burgers
to perfection, thus ensuring that they're safe to consume.
Recipes for air-fried steaks are out there if you want them, but this is another frozen
food that's unlikely to reach its full potential in the air fryer.
Cooks who have achieved the perfect steak know that while a few tricks make it easy
to prepare, there are also many ways to screw up the process.
The worst part of an air fryer steak is its lack of sear.
While air fryers generally brown food nicely, they won't mimic the crust that a grill or
a blistering cast iron skillet gives to a steak.
That means the flavor suffers, and nobody wants that.
Air fryers have different fans, and each one cooks a bit differently, so it can be hard
to get a steak done precisely to everyone's specifications.
To be fair, that can be challenging no matter how you're cooking a steak, but there's no
reason to make things harder on yourself.
Size can also make air fryers and steaks a poor combination.
Small filets will fit, but if you're cooking up a T-bone, most air fryers won't accommodate it.
A thick steak may simply not have enough room between trays, so all in all, you're better
off with traditional cooking methods.
"How does air fry something?
How does air make it fry?"
It's technically possible to cook a frozen lasagna in the air fryer, but why would anyone bother?
Many recipes will tell you to air fry a frozen lasagna on the defrost setting for a while
before finishing it at a higher temperature.
A conventional oven, on the other hand, uses one temperature the entire time, and you can
walk away until the timer rings.
There's also the matter of how much lasagna you need.
Maybe the air fryer can work if you're eating a personal-sized version by yourself, but
what if you need a family-sized pan?
Many air fryer models simply aren't big enough.
Even tray-style fryers that look enormous have indented trays to keep pieces of food
from rolling, so a frozen lasagna might end up being too large.
The bottom line is that a conventional oven does a fine job on frozen lasagna, so just
keep it simple.
"Once again, my life has been saved by the miracle of lasagna."
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