The convenience of the air fryer is absolutely amazing, but getting the best results takes a little more work than simply turning it on and walking away. The following tips have big effects on the overall flavor and texture of the food.
More Even Cooking
- Avoid Overfilling: Air fryers work by circulating hot air around the food, if it’s filled too full, the food will steam instead of fry and will cook unevenly.
- Rotate and flip meats: It may seem counter-intuitive since the meat is surrounded by air, but turning the meat halfway through helps it cook more evenly.
- Toss Veggies: Tossing veggies halfway through gives more even browning. This works especially well for French Fries.
Better Browning
- Pat Food Dry: A dry surface browns more quickly. Moisture on the surface will steam, so pat down meats and vegetables with paper towels before cooking.
- A Little Fat Goes a Long Way: Cooking without any fat at all sounds very appealing but doesn’t yield the best results. For best results, add a small amount of oil helps the food brown and crisp up.
- Brush Dough With an Egg Wash: When cooking pastry dough, brushing the dough with an egg wash gives and even glossy browning.
Crunchier Crusts and Coatings
- Pretoast your crumbs: Panko bread crumbs provide the best crunchy crust to air-fried foods. Without any oil, the hot air simply dries them out. Pre-toast the crumbs in the microwave with a little butter or oil turns them a nice golden brown.
- Spray with vegetable oil: helps the crumbs brown but also not stick to the basket.
Making Complete Meals:
- Stack your dinner: By layering the ingredients you can fit a complete meal in the air fryer. Do this by placing the veggies in the bottom and then place the proteins on top. The meats juices will baste the vegetables.
- Use your time wisely: While the bulk of the meal cooks in the air fryer , use that time to prepare the sauce or another side for complete meat finished when the air fryer is done.