Avoid a giant mess, smoke, or even a fire.
Once you start air frying, the possibilities seem endlessroasting vegetables, reheating leftovers, andeven cooking fish.
To understand why, lets explore how it works.
Simply Recipes / Jennifer Causey
Simply Recipes / Karishma Pradhan
1.
Wet Batters
Battered-and-fried foods, like store-bought frozen fish sticks, are a no-brainer in the air fryer.
Avoid foods with wet batter, like if you were to make fish sticks from scratch.
Simply Recipes / Karishma Pradhan
The batter will drip off and pool in the basket.
Youll end up with a big mess instead of the golden crust you were hoping for.
Instead of a batter, coat in spices and flour, like in thisAir Fryer Fried Chickenrecipe.
Loose Leafy Greens
Avoid adding spinach, kale, and any other loose leafy green to the air fryer.
The air blows the lightweight greens around in the basket, resulting in uneven cooking.
The greens can get stuck in the heating element and burn.
Simply Recipes / Uyen Luu
Save yourself the mess and stick to heavier vegetables that won’t fly around, likeAir Fryer Crispy Cauliflower.
Popcorn
Popcornis one of my all-time favorite snacks.
Though youll find many recipes for popping corn in the air fryer, I dont recommend them.
Simply Recipes / Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Makingpopcornis quick and easy on the stovetop or in the microwave, and a lot safer.
Unfortunately, air fryers aren’t meant for cooking large pieces of meat.
Itll cook unevenlyone side may be cooked through while the other is still raw and unsafe to eat.
The air fryer cooks equally sized and smaller pieces best.
TryPollo Campero-Style Air Fryer Fried Chickenwhen youre craving flavorful, juicy chicken.
Yet, instead of light and fluffy donuts, youll get dry and dense ones.
For homemade donuts, follow the classic method and fry them instead.
Toast
Counter space in my kitchen is limited.
So I understand if youre wondering if you need both a toaster and an air fryer.
Surprisingly, the answer is yes.
The air also moves the bread around and causes uneven browning.
The air fryer basket and grate often have a nonstick coating thatcooking spray can damage.
Instead of spraying the basket, spray the food.
Another option is to brush vegetable oil or olive oil onto the food.
Simply Recipes / Uyen Luu
8.
Liquids cause steam, which can damage the heating unit.
The liquid will splatter as the air blows over it and will make clean-up difficult.
Plus, theyll blow around and cook unevenly.
Cheese
Melty cheese is hard to resist, whether in pasta or a sandwich.
Cheese can cause problems in an air fryer when it melts too quickly.
