• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Rachna cooks logo

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Beginner Recipes
    • Vegan
    • Vegetarian
    • Rice Dishes
    • Meat/Seafood
      • Chicken
      • Fish
      • Prawn | Shrimp
    • Festival
      • Diwali
      • Navratri
    • Pickle
    • Rotis
      • parathas
  • Cookbooks
  • Contact
  • Others
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure Policy
    • Health & Fitness
      • Health
      • Fitness
  • Soup
  • Salad
  • Curry
  • Dry vegetable
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Air fryer Recipes
  • Instant Pot Recipes
  • Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Air fryer Recipes
    • Instant Pot Recipes
    • Recipes
    • Cookbooks
    • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Air fryer Recipes

    10 Common Air fryer Mistakes that You Can Avoid

    Published: May 27, 2020 by Rachna ·

    I have owned and regularly used an Air  fryer since the past 5 years. Not only that even my siblings own one thanks to me. I must tell you that when I bought my Philips Air fryer 5 years ago, the huge attraction was having fried foods like French fries, fried chicken, samosas etc. at a fraction of Calories. But since then I have experimented and used my Air fryer for so many amazing recipes that it has been quite a revelation. At the same time, I have recognized the mistakes which a lot of rookie Air fryer users make.

    Additional Reading: My detailed Philips Air fryer User Review

    Here are some common Air fryer mistakes:

    1. Forgetting to Pre-heat your Air fryer:

    Just like an oven, your Air fryer must always be pre-heated to be at an optimum temperature to cook and give you the best results.

    Be sure that account for pre-heating before you put the actual food in.

    2. Not using enough oil or fat in your recipes:

    Your Air fryer helps you cut back on the oil you need to make crispy, delicious and slimmer versions of your deep-fried foods. But you still need to use some oil to facilitate the cooking process. Typically you require about 1-2 tsp. of oil for roasting veggies to about 1-2 tbsp. of oil for breaded or crumbed recipes. You can use a cooking oil spray or brush with oil to ensure that the airfried food has adequate oil to facilitate cooking.

    3. Using excessive oil:

    Don’t use excessive oil either so that it makes a mess by dripping all over the place and you will end up with soggy food. Also account for the fat in chicken etc. that you are using. Closely follow tested recipes to know the right amount of oil to use for getting the perfect texture and cooking of food.

    4.   Overcrowding your Air fryer:

    You can invest in a larger Air fryer in case you have a big family. But always put only one layer of food for items like breaded items or airfried veggies. This is because the hot air needs to circulate all around the food to cook it evenly and uniformly. If you crowd your Air fryer, some food will be undercooked and other will be over done. Cook in batches to avoid this common mistake.

    5. Not Cleaning Your Air fryer After Each Use:

    Perhaps you are short on time or your Air fryer looks relatively clean so you skip cleaning it. This can cause your Air fryer basket to have sticky deposits that can interfere with the taste and smell of food when you use it the next time. Using liquid soap and warm water to soak and clean works perfectly every time. You could use vinegar or baking soda for tougher stains and keeping your Air fryer odour free.

    6. Not Using Air fryer for Reheating:

    Leftover pizzas or cold fries are best reheated in an Air fryer giving you results very close to the original food. Don’t use microwave which gives you soggier and overcooked results when reheating.

    7. Not Checking on food Food during Air frying:

    It is a good idea to check in once every few minutes to see how your food is doing. You need to shake around your fries, roasted veggies etc. once in the middle of cooking time. You may need to turn your food around so that it cooks evenly on all sides. Please make sure to check on the food that is cooking and don’t just forget your Airfryer after loading it with food.

    8. Not Using it for Baking:

    Desserts like cakes, cookies and other oven baked goodies turn out perfectly in the Air fryer. You can buy specific Air fryer attachments. I use my Borosil bowls for making quick cakes. You can use your regular ramekins and silicone moulds in the Air fryer to make quicker individual servings. You are also saving electricity because an oven takes longer and uses much more electricity than an Air fryer. Try making donuts in Air fryer too.

    9. Using Runny Batters

    I made this mistake when I made pakodas or veggie fritters for the first time in the Air fryer. The runny batter dripped down and made all kinds of mess with the food. Now I know better. You have to make a thick batter which sticks to the food you are cooking in the Air fryer. The same applies to breaded foods. Use the conventional flour, egg and bread method to make your fried chicken and seafood dishes. Don’t forget to spray with oil for the perfect fried look and texture. Also using parchment paper at the base of the Air fryer helps catch crumbs etc. that make cleaning a breeze later.

    10. Keeping your Air Fryer in an area with bad ventilation:

    To function optimally, your Air fryer needs to have enough room on all sides for air to move in and out. Hence keep it in a open space on the counter. It can overheat and stop functioning if you keep it in an enclosed space.

    Here are some of my delicious Air fryer recipes that you can try.

    Take care of these mistakes and enjoy cooking healthy in your Air fryer for years.

    Pin This

    common mistakes airfryer

    More Air fryer Recipes

    • Delicious air fryer golden potato wedges served with ketchup.
      Air fryer Frozen Potato Wedges
    • Two halves of one paneer sandwich cut into triangles served on a white plate.
      Paneer Sandwich
    • A plateful of delicious cabbage pakoda
      Cabbage Pakoda
    • Delicious 2 air fryer chicken leg quarters served on a white plate
      Air fryer Chicken Leg Quarters

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Shantala says

      May 27, 2020 at 10:05 pm

      I have been using an Air Fryer for ages. And yet, it took me too long (read: an entire year) to figure out that I could just put parchment paper to catch crumbs! It has saved me so much time and energy while cleaning,

      Reply
    2. Damyanti says

      May 28, 2020 at 6:50 pm

      Good tips!

      Reply
      • Rachna says

        May 29, 2020 at 2:48 pm

        Thanks Damyanti

        Reply
    3. Ness says

      April 07, 2021 at 7:00 am

      Rachna...I am glad I found your site !! am a 72 year old male and recently we got an Air Fryer and wanted to find recipes and voila !! here you are. Now I will feel more comfortable trying new things. I can't wait. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Rachna says

        April 07, 2021 at 11:24 am

        So happy to hear that, Ness. I hope you enjoy cooking with your air fryer. Look forward to hearing more from you.

        Reply
    4. Amy Kasad says

      May 20, 2021 at 5:57 pm

      Hi Rachna
      I have a couple of Questions
      You have mentioned to preheat the airfryer. I have Phillips 9216/43 model which does not have that option on the temperature dial. Any other way to preheat
      I bought airfryer parchment paper from Amazon . I punch holes in for air circulation. I tried using paper when making chicken but paper gets burnt. Any suggestions

      Reply
      • Rachna says

        May 20, 2021 at 7:28 pm

        Hi Amy, When I say preheat it just means that you heat your air fryer at that temperature for 3-4 minutes without any food in it. You don't need a separate button labeled preheat for it. Just set the temperature and time and let it preheat. About parchment paper, always use it with food on it and never very light food. That is the only time it will burn. With heavier food on it, it should work just fine. You can also try silicone mats with holes punched in them which are heavier. You can buy those off Amazon as well. Since they are heavier they will not fly and burn. Hope this helps.

        Reply
    5. Edith says

      January 22, 2022 at 11:11 am

      Dear Rachna, so glad I found you. I sure can use all your instructions and advice and also of course your recipes. thank you so much.

      Reply
      • Rachna says

        January 22, 2022 at 10:05 pm

        Lovely to meet you Edith!

        Reply
    6. Mano pant says

      January 29, 2023 at 6:03 pm

      I have purchased Philips air fryer recently. Many of my queries have been answered when i suddenly found your page. I thank you so much. All is explained so clearly that for me no need to go to any one else's advice. Thank you.
      Will come to you agsin if in any trouble.

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi and welcome!

    I am Rachna, a Certified Nutritionist and Health Coach. I help you eat healthy. I specialize in healthy recipes especially Air fryer recipes.

    I offer Health and Nutrition Coaching aimed at helping you achieve fat loss, healthy eating habits and more stamina and flexibility.

    More about me →

    HEALTHY RECIPES

    • 3 air fried corn on the cob on a white plate.
      Air fryer Corn on the Cob
    • Air fryer Mushrooms
    • Air fryer Beet Chips
    • Air fryer Chickpeas
    • Close up of roasted broccoli in air fryer on a white plate
      Air fryer Zucchini No Breading
    • a bowl of roasted peanuts in air fryer with a spicy coating.
      Air fryer Peanuts

    LATEST RECIPES

    • A bowl of amchur powder clicked from the top
      9 Best Substitutes for Amchur Powder or Dry Mango Powder
    • Delicious crinkle cut fries served in a white plate with a bowl of ketchup in the background.
      Air fryer Crinkle Cut Fries
    • Delicious golden brown air fried veggie tots served on a white plate.
      Air fryer Veggie Tots
    • Air fried scrambled eggs in a white bowl
      Air fryer Scrambled Eggs
    • Delicious air fryer chicken fries done from frozen in air fryer basket
      Air fryer Chicken Fries
    • Two air fryer pancakes with a drizzle of maple syrup, cut bananas and cherries.
      Air fryer Pancakes

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    POLICIES

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Accessibility Policy

    NEWSLETTER

    • Sign Up for emails and updates

    ABOUT

    • About
    • Contact
    • Media Kit

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This blog earns income from affiliate links and ads.

    Copyright © Rachna cooks 2023