I air fryer has become one of America’s most popular kitchen gadgets. In a recent CNET survey, more 70% of US adults they say they may have an air fryer, or plan to buy one soon. It’s a great investment that makes it easy to put together delicious crispy treats grilled cheese or chicken wings in a fraction of the time, and without making a mess of the system.
Air Fryers can handle a variety of recipes, and thousands have been written with air fryers in mind. But what about existing favorites that were written before the age of the air fryer?
Generally, the answer is yes, although there are considerations when converting any old recipe to an air fryer.
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Because of its undeniable ease of use, speed and results — the microwave can’t hold a candle to it — your instinct might be to move the entire recipe to your air fryer. Before you do, get the advice of Andreas Hansen, passionate home cook and founder and CEO of Fritaire air fryers. Whether the air fryer recipe you’re considering is grilled, baked or fried, Hansen walked me through all the possible adjustments and considerations needed to adapt it to the air fryer.
1. Reduce the temperature and time
From the grill Brussels sprouts From roast duck to air fryer brownies, your air fryer will do it first and foremost faster than your oven it can be. “It’s called an air fryer because it transfers heat faster, which means things get browned faster,” Hansen said.
With super-fast heat and a small cooking chamber, the air fryer cooks faster than most appliances in your kitchen.
Air fryers with windows or glass containers provide indicators that help you measure when something is done. However, in drawer-style refrigerators, where you don’t want to constantly interrupt the cooking process to check progress, start by lowering the temperature and the recipe timer.
“I would lower the temperature by 20 to 25 to keep things from drying out too quickly,” Hansen said. And even with the lowest temperature setting, consider that your dish will be cooked in very little time, so set a timer or adjust your expectations accordingly. “You should also reduce the cooking time by 20 to 30%,” says Hansen. So if your recipe calls for a 425-degree oven and 30 minutes of cooking time, the air fryer equivalent would be 400 degrees and around 20 to 25 minutes.
2. Turn down the volume and leave the space
Consider the capacity of your air fryer and adjust the recipe capacity if necessary (or prepare for batch cooking) to ensure there is enough space for it to function as intended.
Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to reduce the volume of the recipe or cook in batches.
“The most important thing with an air torch is that you want the hot air to get in all directions,” says Hansen, “so you need to avoid crowding.” For something like meatballs, for example, you’ll be able to fit a lot less than you could on a sheet tray in your oven or even in a large roasting pan. For foods like roasted vegetables, some air fryer recipes require gentle shaking to ensure air circulation, or flipping large items during the cooking process. (Fritaire comes with a container basket to prevent the need for stirring.)
Consider, however, whether the ingredients in your recipe are strong enough to withstand shaking without collapsing. Otherwise, leaving space for the whole area to benefit from the air is important. And a good tip, regardless of the cooking method: Hansen says that anything cooked at the same time in the air fryer should be cut to the same size.
Overcrowding in the basket is a common mistake.
3. Manage humidity
Thanks to the rapid air cycle of the fryer, food can be dried faster and easier than conventional cooking methods. So, include this in the recipes you are thinking of for the spiritual organ. “Air-frying removes excess moisture from what you’re cooking,” says Hansen. “So adding a marinade, brine or light oil coating actually helps improve the texture.”
A little extra cooking time goes a long way when you’re adapting a recipe from a pan to an air fryer.
This is also a sign to consider using the air fryer for favorite recipes that already include a marinade, brine or saucy coating, such as grilled chicken pieces or hard vegetables. Naturally moist vegetables such as zucchini and eggplant can benefit as well, as the drying effect of the air fryer helps improve their texture. Your nonna’s old-world eggplant parmesan recipe? Air-fryer gold.
4. Imaginative frying: Replace bread with dough
Be careful with wet batter, which tends to spill and spread too much in the air fryer basket.
Your air fryer really shines when it comes to reheating foods that have already been fried, but actually frying in one requires a few important considerations. “Air does what oil normally does,” explains Hansen. “Just like something soaked in oilheat affects everything.” However, spirit has its limitations.
Wet batters, such as those used for fried fish or onion rings, can be tricky in the air fryer, as the batter itself may slip or crack before it has a chance to brown and harden. If you’re going to try it, make sure your batter isn’t runny and stick to the smallest amount possible.
Fried stuffhowever, they are excellent candidates for the air fryer, especially if the base ingredient is naturally high in fat, and you’re looking to lower the overall calorie count compared to traditional frying. Chicken thighs, for example, release their fat during cooking, which helps the skin to become golden brown and crispy.
A simple oil spritz is perfect for certain recipes.
There’s not much about tweaking your recipe as much as maintaining good habits, whether you’re deep-frying or air-frying. “Your ingredients should be dry first,” says Hansen, so the coating sticks easily, whether you give the chicken or cauliflower a flour-egg-breadcrumb dredge or choose one that includes a dunk in buttermilk or yogurt.
And don’t leave the oil out completely for great air-fried results. A simple spritz of oil — not a nonstick spray — on a breadcrumb or cereal coating will ensure the kind of texture and flavor that doesn’t make you feel like you’re compromising on the fried vibe.
