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10 Air Fryer Tips Every Air Fryer Owner Should Know

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The Air Fryer device can be an amazing tool if you use it right and see it's true potential. Here are 10 Air Fryer Tips that will help you get amazing results with your Air Fryer.  

image of different foods in air fryer


 

This post may contain affiliate links, please read my full disclaimer here. 

Air Fryers are becoming more and more popular these days. There are plenty of brands you can choose from that vary in price range. Some can be found as low as $70 and some can be as high as $600. Whichever brand you choose to buy, there are great air fryer tips that every air fryer owner should know and become familiar with. I've made a list of the top 10 Air Fryer Tips every air fryer owner should know.

10 Air Fryer Tips

#1. Preheat your Air Fryer...well, most of the time

It's common practice that any cooking element should be preheated. Most brands of air fryers specify that the air fryer should be preheated to ensure even cooking. I do it sometimes, other times I don't and my food still turns out delicious. If your air fryer does not have a preheat setting, simply turn it to the desired temperature and allow it to run for around 3 minutes before placing your food in.

#2. Use oil on your foods for the air fryer...well, most of the time

I like to use oil on certain foods to help them crisp but certain foods don't necessarily need it. If your food already has some fat on it (dark meat chicken, ground beef, fatty cuts of meat, etc.) then you probably don't need the oil. I use oil on vegetables (like my Breakfast Air Fried Potatoes) and any battered seafood, !like my Crispy Air Fryer Fish).

#3. Grease your Air Fryer Basket

Even if your food does not require oil, always take a moment to at least grease your air fryer basket. I grease mine by rubbing, or spraying, a little bit of oil on the bottom grates. This will ensure that your food won't stick.

#4. Never use aerosol spray cans in your air fryer

Aerosol spray cans (like Pam and similar brands) are known to cause chipping in many Air Fryer baskets. The aerosol cans have harsh agents that just don't mesh with the coating on most baskets. It's best to invest in a good quality oil mister or bottle.  I use the Evo Spray Bottle.

#5. Don't overcrowd the basket

If you want your fried foods to turn out crispy, you'll want to make sure you don't overcrowd the basket. Placing too much food in the basket will prevent your food from crisping and browning. To ensure this doesn't happen, cook your food in batches or invest in a bigger air fryer. My first air fryer was the Farberware brand which was big enough for four servings of wings and fries.

#6. Shake the basket during cooking for fries, wings, etc.

When air frying smaller items, like chicken wings, french fries, and similar items, you'll want to shake the basket every few minutes to ensure even cooking. Sometimes I use a pair of silicone kitchen tongs to flip larger items over rather than shaking. Once you open the basket to shake, the air fryer will temporarily pause but will resume cooking your food at the same temperature once you return the basket.

#7. Spray halfway through cooking

I found that spraying with oil halfway through cooking gets the best crisp on most foods. I tend to wait and spray halfway through cooking unless it's an item that doesn't need spraying, like fatty meats. Coated food items should be sprayed. Also, spray any dry flour spots that still appear halfway through air frying.

#8. Water/Bread in the bottom stops white smoke

If you're cooking greasy food in your air fryer, don't be surprised if you see some white smoke shooting out the unit. To solve it, just pour a little (around 2Tbsp) of water in the bottom of the basket. It will stop the smoke and your food will continue to cook.

Some people place a slice of bread in the bottom of the unit to soak up any grease when preparing items that may sputter a lot of grease, like bacon. 

#9. Be careful of small light items in the air fryer

Each Air fryer unit comes with a powerful fan on top of the unit. This causes some lighter weighed items to get swept up in the fan which can be dangerous. I once tried to make fried egg roll wrappers and it almost became a disaster. I am hopeful to try it again once I figure out how to stop the flying around.

#10. Adjust the Temperature for Certain Foods

It can sometimes be tempting to crank the heat for the Air Fryer to the highest temp to let it run but be careful as some foods can dry out quickly. A good rule of thumb is to modify the temperature and time from how long you would typically make it in the oven. I like to go 30 degrees below and cut the time by about 20%. For example, if you cooked brownies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes in the oven, cut the degrees on the Air Fryer to 320 degrees and cook for about 16 minutes.

#11 Invest in a Good Quick Read Thermometer

Having a good quality quick read thermometer is of upmost importance when it comes to cooking certain meats in your Air Fryer, like steak, chicken, and pork. I recently invested in a Thermapen 4k and I must say it's worth every penny.

Those are my Top 11 Air fryer tips for successful cooking. If you haven't made the jump on purchasing an Air Fryer yet, check out Air Fryer Reviewed for reviews of different Air Fryer brands.

Do you have any Air Fryer tips? Leave them in the comments below. Happy Cooking 🙂

Looking for more Air Fryer recipes? Try our popular Perfect Air Fryer Steak with Garlic Herb Butter, Crispy Korean Air Fried Chicken Wings, Breakfast Air Fried Potatoes, or Air Fried Jamaican Jerk Pork Recipe. You can also find more Air Fryer recipes on out Air Fryer category here or this list of 14 Great Recipes for Air Fryers.

Looking for Air Fryer Accessories? Check out my list of Air Fryer Accessories that are worth your money. 

            Our Most Popular Air Fryer Recipes

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KOREAN AIR FRIED CHICKEN WINGS

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AIR FRIED JAMAICAN JERK PORK

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Comments

  1. Deborah says

    Hello, I seen that you made brownies in your air fryer. How on earth did you do that. I also didn't know you could cook hard boiled eggs. I always use my instant pot. Thank you

    • Tanya says

      Hi Deborah, For my brownies I lower temp and use one of the square pans that came in an Air Fryer Kit I purchased. I've recently moved and can't find my pan yet. I haven't written down my recipe. I find that pan is the key to the perfect brownies in the air fryer. Hopefully we finish unpacking soon so I can make these brownies and share the recipe.

  2. Kris says

    That's the only way I will make my "hard boiled" eggs. I put 6 eggs straight out of the fridge into my air fryer at 260 deg for 16 min. No need to preheat. They come out perfect everytime and easy to peel. After they're done cooking I throw them in a big bowl of ice water for about 1/2 hr.

  3. Bonnie says

    I purchased a Paula deen air fryer and I’m having trouble with it not working (food doesn’t crisp) I preheated it like it says to and I put it through several cycles, flipping the food. Never got crisp! Ugh.. any suggestions?

  4. Jody says

    I've heard you can hard boil eggs in it. My instructions don't mention it. Has anyone tried it? Settings?
    I have QVC's Cooks Essentials. I love it. I use it everyday for something.

    • Tanya says

      I've heard the same thing. I haven't tried it yet Jody but it's on my list of things to try.

      • Lisa says

        OMG!! You gotta try it! I usually do 6 eggs on 250 for 16 minutes. The come out beautifully. Good luck.

    • Lisa says

      Works great! 6 eggs at 250 for 16 minutes.

  5. Enrique Ortiz says

    Can anybody tell me if I can use aluminum foil
    on my fryer. It don’t have any basket, only
    shelf’s. It’s a power air fryer oven that’s advertising on TV.
    It has a cristal front door. I really love this Oven.
    Thanks.

    • Tara says

      I have the same one and would love some recipes!!

    • Peggy says

      I have the same one I line my tray at the bottom with foil so it’s easier to clean up,and yes I think this is a great air fryer!! Good luck!

  6. Marianne Hill Jakoby says

    Hi,
    I just received my Air Fryer for Christmas and it didn't do so well for Sweet Potato Fries. As far as the tips listed above, what do you mean by #7? Spray with what? Oil? Water?

    Thanks!
    Marianne

    • Tanya says

      I meant spray with oil. Sorry for the confusion, I've updated the article 🙂

  7. Rochelle says

    To solve the light weight food from flying around in your Airfryer ,
    Simply set the rack that comes with the Airfryer on top of the food. NO MORE FLYING:)

  8. Stacie says

    Help please , I’ve been reading reviews . I bought chefmans xx large for 79.99 reviews weren’t good ,I never tried it or opened it . I don’t want to spend 300 dollars for a Phillips .cant . I’m so confused on what to get . Technically it’s for me eating for one. But
    My grandchildren spend the nights . They love my fried chicken. It’s a mess to make . And not healthy for my babies . Should I have kept the chefmans? Thankyou for the tips also Help please Thankyou

    • Tanya says

      Hi Stacie, I've never used the Chefmans but the Farberware brand from Walmart is great for the price. That was less that $100. Another brand that has great reviews is the GoWise air fryer, but i haven't used that one myself. The Ninja brand air fryer also retails around 100 and I've heard good things. I hope that helps 🙂

      • Dorene says

        I have the Gowise airfryer and I love it! It was around $60.00 and works great! I especially love the breaded chicken tenders from Schwan’s. It takes about 5-6 min, I flip them half way then another 5-6 min. Depending on the size and how many you have in there. Delicious ?

      • Grace Rodriguez says

        Hi, I purchased the Ninja air fryer and I love it. It cost about 100.00, I think it was well worth the price. It is large enough for about 4 servings. It also is very easy to use.

    • Liz says

      I have the Chefman Air Fryer with the rotisserie and it works great. I use it 3-4 times a week. I have made chicken wings, fries and so much much more plus I have re-heated left over fish and chips. If you still have it, please use it. You will love it.

      • Patricia Hegedus says

        My breading keeps coming off on the racks any ideas

    • Nancy S Cullen says

      I received the Emerald Air Fryer for Christmas. My husband ordered it from Walmart.com. The reviews were really good for it. I absolutely love it! Works great and is so fast. It has a large basket so you can fit a lot in it. It was very reasonably priced, too. I highly recommend it.

    • Annie says

      I got a visitor. Love it. It is the 5.8 size.

    • Regina says

      Need to know which one to get also very confused

  9. Donna Ross says

    Just got an off-brand air fryer at an outlet mall on 9- 12-18.
    Love it already. Have re-warmed some limp French fries,
    equally limp half hot dog, and air fried green tomato slices.
    Now I'm ready to try 'your' favorite recipe !!

    • Tanya says

      Thanks! Fried green tomato slices sounds yum. And I love heating up leftovers in my Air Fryer. so crisp and yummy 🙂

  10. Karen says

    Great tips, thanks! Regarding egg rolls, if you place them in the basket with the seam side down the weight of the contents solves the problem, and they come out perfectly crispy and superbly deelish!

    • Tanya says

      Thank you Karen 🙂

    • Marion says

      Great tip! Thank you Karen!?

  11. Linda Conrad says

    I bought mine to make frozen wings. I don't have a clue about what temp or how long to cook.
    What do you suggest?

    • Tanya says

      Hi Linda, for frozen wings, we do 390 degrees Farenheit (in our phillips, but any brand will work) for about 24-25 minutes. We always use a meat thermometer to ensure they are cooked through.

      • Gerry says

        Thanks

      • Irene says

        Do you defrost or thaw frozen foods before air frying ? I tried putting a hot pocket to heat up straight out of freezer. It looked cooked from outside but from inside it was still cold and frozen pieces . I’ve had the Crux airfryer for a few weeks and still trying to figure out temps and time to cook stuff

      • Tanya says

        I don't defrost frozen foods generally (french fries, tator tots, chicken wings etc). I've never done a hot pocket either. I think lowering the temp and a longer cook time should help the inside cook without having the outside crisp too fast.

  12. Lee Gurr says

    I'm intrigued by the photo that brought me here: large chunks of onion and tomato, being sprayed by ... oil? What's the intended result? Roasted veggies? Since I have a surfeit of garden tomatoes at the moment, all things "tomato" are catching my interest, so if you have a minute to reply, I'd be grateful.

      • Marion says

        Thank you for the recipe Tanya!?

  13. Kandy says

    I own a Cooks Essentials air fryer from QVC. I've been using spray olive oil from a can and have had no issues with the non stick coating peeling although I usually spray the food itself, not the basket. Maybe that makes a difference?

  14. Sunny H says

    A pie crust chain should hold it down enough to keep it from flying around!

  15. Glenda says

    I read somewhere that you can put a metal trivet over light food to keep it from being sucked up in the fan.

    • Tanya says

      I was thinking of actually doing that. Just haven't had the proper trivet to try this with. I'll be on the lookout for one. Thanks so much Glenda.

      • MIMi says

        One from your instant pot?