Air Fryer Tips

PREPARING TO AIR FRY

• Always keep your air fryer on a level, heat-resistant countertop and make sure there are at least five inches of space behind the air fryer for exhaust.
• Pre-heat your air fryer for 2 or 3 minutes before adding food.
• Get a spray bottle to spray oil on food. Those aerosol oils can sometimes break down the non-stick service of your fryer.
• Know proper breading techniques. It is important to coat foods with flour first, then egg and then the breadcrumbs. Be diligent about the breadcrumbs and press them onto the food with your hands so the breadcrumbs won’t blow off. Pressing those crumbs on firmly will help the breading adhere.
• Find the right accessories for your air fryer. Make sure when you buy accessories that they fit your model.

WHILE YOU ARE FRYING

• When cooking fatty foods, add water to the air fryer. Adding water to the drawer under the basket helps prevent grease from smoking.  Bacon, burgers, and sausages are a few examples of foods that require water being added to your air fryer.
• Do not overcrowd the basket. Overcrowding prevents proper crisping and browning evenly, and it will take more time.
• Flip your foods over halfway through the cooking time. You need to turn foods so that you will have even browning.
• Shake the basket a couple of times during cooking to help food brown and crisp evenly.
• Toothpicks may be used to hold foods down. Sometimes the air fryer will lift up foods and blow them around.
• Don’t be afraid to spritz with oil during the cooking process. This will also help the food brown more evenly.

Conventional Oven to Air Fryer Conversion
To convert an oven-cooked recipe to an air-fryer one, the general rule of thumb is to reduce the suggested temperature by 25°F and then cut the cook time by about 20%. Just use the pause button on your machine to occasionally check the doneness and flip for balanced crispness on all sides.