Have you just acquired an air fryer, or are you curious about different air fryer uses and benefits? Either way, you have come to the right place. In this brief but comprehensive guide on how to use an air fryer, we will take you through the ins and outs of cooking with it so you can explore all it has to offer.
By circulating hot air around the food in its holed basket, you can use it to fry, bake, grill, and broil anything from frozen items to fresh vegetables, fish, and meat. The possibilities are endless, all you need are some tips and tricks.
Quick guide for first-time use
Using an air fryer to cook delectable meals is not difficult but might require some getting used to. To make our air fryer guide easy to use, we have divided it into sections focused on before, during, and after use.
Before using it for the first time
Before using your air fryer for the first time, wash it to remove any plastic smell and packaging residue. While some parts might be dishwasher-safe, hand washing is generally recommended. After cleaning, wipe it dry.
Place your air fryer on a stable, heat-proof surface with ample space around it for easy access and ventilation. Make sure not to place it against a wall, as it heats up and needs airflow.
Even though most baskets have a non-stick coating, it can be a good idea to season it prior to using it for the first time to prevent food from sticking. Spread a tablespoon of coconut oil over the basket's surface before popping it back in the appliance and letting it run for about 5 minutes at 200°C. Now it is ready to use.
Cooking with your new appliance
You get the best air fryer results with an even cook if you preheat it before cooking and avoid overcrowding the basket.
Oil will give you a crispier result, but do not overdo it. Tossing the food with a bit is enough, and excess oil will only end up in the drawer beneath the basket. Foods that already have fat on them, like pre-fried frozen foods and chicken with the skin still on, can easily do without extra oil.
One of the best air fryer features is that food cooks faster than you are used to. However, this air fryer feature also means that it is a good idea to keep a close eye on your food. Check on it every few minutes, especially if you cook smaller items or a small batch, as overcooking is more likely to happen in these cases. Remember to shake, toss, or flip the food a few times during cooking. This allows the air to circulate better around it and ensures an even and crisp result.
After cooking
We recommend giving the machine a good clean. Doing so after each use ensures proper functions and less smoke and smell. Just like in a traditional oven, any oil or fat that may have dripped down can give off a pungent smell and may even start to smoke.
If the drawer and basket are not looking too bad, you can wipe them off with a paper towel. Otherwise, a good hand wash never hurts. Check the instruction manual to make sure you use the correct products.
Simple guide to cooking times and temperature
One of the best tips on how to use an air fryer to make well-cooked items is to preheat it. Some models have a preheat button, otherwise 3-5 minutes at the desired cooking temperature will do the trick. Preheating allows you to cook food quicker, more evenly, and attain crisper results.
Cooking times in different recipes may need to be adjusted, so if the food is not done at the end of the suggested time, try giving it a few more minutes. Similarly, if the food looks and/or tastes finished quicker than expected, simply reduce the cooking time. Check on the food regularly with a cooking thermometer to test meats and fish for doneness and perform taste tests for other foods.
The amount of food in the basket as well as the size of each piece affect the cooking time. If the hot air in the machine cannot circulate freely around the food, the cook will be uneven, meaning that some parts may be cold and undercooked while others are overcooked. So, cook your items in smaller batches if necessary. Also, uniformly sized items cook more evenly.
As for the cooking temperatures, air fryer recipes generally call for lower temperatures due to their rapid air circulation providing an intense heat. Thus, the temperature of traditional oven recipes must be reduced, usually by 15°C. Read more about this in our air fryer conversion chart.
Small or thin foods are usually best cooked at higher temperatures for a shorter time. This will give them a lovely, crispy finish. Bigger, denser, thicker, and moister items are better prepared at lower temperatures for longer as this allows the inside to cook properly without burning the outside.
Use the tips from our air fryer cooking guide as a starting point and adjust based on your own experience.
Do air fryers use oil?
Most air fryer recipes require only a little oil – just a light spray or drizzle to coat the food and give it a crispier finish. As such, an air fryer uses far less oil than conventional fryers and traditional deep frying. While it can be said to mimic the deep-frying process, it uses hot air rather than hot oil to ensure a crispy result. The fan or fans circulate the hot air at a high speed, resulting in a quick and even cook with minimal oil.
Can you stack food in an air fryer?
Though it can be tempting to add just a few more chicken tenders or seasoned potato wedges to the air fryer basket, it is not recommended. Overcrowding it by stacking food prevents the hot air from circulating properly. The result will be less crispy and unevenly cooked. Also, the food will cook slower, meaning you will not save any time in the end. Therefore, we recommend cooking several smaller batches rather than one overcrowded one.
Up your air fryer game with the best accessories
The only time 'stacking' food might be possible is if your machine has certain accessories, like tiered racks or skewers, that allow for more food to be cooked at once without directly stacking them on top of each other. Using the accessories like this can increase the capacity of what you cook without compromising the quality.
Some must-have air fryer accessories, if you want to use it for baking, include baking pans, cake tins, and silicone muffin cups for individual-sized treats. A pizza pan allows you to cook homemade pizzas, ensuring a crisp base, while a grill pan is ideal for grilling meats, seafood, or vegetables with grill marks.
You might also like to invest in a pair of heat-resistant mitts for safely handling hot baskets and pans and a silicone mat that gives you somewhere to place hot accessories after cooking. Air fryer liners, baking paper, or perforated liners at the bottom of the basket can prevent food from sticking and make cleaning easier.
Delicious air fryer uses – make your favourite foods
Air fryers can create a myriad of dishes – so many that deciding which one to try first is the most difficult part of the process. If you are looking for a good place to start, we recommend our air fryer recipes for beginners. They allow you to enjoy tasty air-fried food as you familiarise yourself with how to use an air fryer.
While many often think of air fryer use in connection with lunch and dinner, we also have various air fryer breakfast ideas for you to peruse. We have also collected a selection of good vegetarian air fryer recipes for anyone looking for easy ways to include more greens in their daily diet. You can, of course, also satisfy any sweet tooth with air fryer baking and desserts.
Dive into these recipe collections – and check our guide to popular air fryer recipes – to get inspired on how to use your air fryer to make amazing meals for any time of the day.
