Air fryer is a gadget that has been in the news for a while now. I bought my first air fryer a decade ago and tried to wing cooking with it. It required a lot of trial and error. The recipes I perfected and shared over multiple tries. Here are some tricks and tips that will really help you as a first time user of air fryer.
Air fryers smell of plastic for the first few times
It is best to wash your basket and bottom drawer with soap and water. Then just run it empty at 400F or 200C for 5 minutes. Don’t put in any food because that will smell a lot too.
Take it out. Allow it to cool down. Wash it again. You can repeat the process once more to hopefully take away most of the smell. Then start cooking food in it. The smell goes away after a few uses.
Link: Pros and Cons of Air fryer
Clean it every single time
It helps to wipe down the grease and then wash it with soap and water. Do not use PAM or anything that is corrosive to the non-stick coating in the air fryer basket.
Just regular liquid detergent and warm water works. I have cooked seafood in it, and it never smells because I clean it regularly.
If you use your air fryer regularly, then you will need to deep clean it once a month.
Link: How to Clean Your Air fryer
Line air fryer basket with parchment paper or silicon mats
I started using liners much later and found them to be fairly useful. They make cleanup easier and they prevent the food from sticking to the basket.
I use the same liners that are oven safe. Always use parchment paper liners with food on top or they can stick to the heating coil and burn.
Perforated ones are even better as they allow a good air circulation. Now my favourite are silicone mats though. They are weighted and don’t bend in shape either. Plus, food does not stick.
Link: Parchment paper in air fryer
Air fryer times on packages are not always reliable
I learned this the hard way after I burnt some frozen breaded food. Use them as a guideline and start checking on the food much in advance.
When you use recipes to cook, they are closer to the real time as they have been hopefully tested by the poster (like yours truly). Trying any recipe for the first time, use the same due diligence and common sense.
Get the recipe: Air fryer chicken popcorn
Frozen foods taste spectacular
All the frozen foods that typically needed deep frying, messy oil and were mostly avoidable taste fabulous and grease free in the air fryer. I mean seriously.
Also you can freeze all the from scratch made fried or other foods and then reheat them to crunchy and as fresh as new in the air fryer. Really spectacular.
Get the recipe: Air fryer frozen Mozzarella Sticks
Reheating is a breeze
No need to waste your leftover pizza or eat soggy microwaved rubbish after reheating. Reheating in air fryer will blow your mind. Your leftovers taste as great as if they were freshly prepared. My teens love this function.
Get the recipe: Reheating in Air fryer
Roasted veggies taste great in air fryer
Vegetables taste so good when air fried. My God! Cabbage, broccoli, carrots, pumpkin, squashes, Brussels sprouts. You name it! With barely any seasoning and oil too. They just come out perfectly roasted with crispy edges.
It will be super easy to eat veggies now. Trust me.
Get the recipe: Air fryer vegetables
Give enough room for air to circulate
Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket or your food will be unevenly cooked. Lay out in one layer. Fries can be loaded more but be sure to shake the basket once every few minutes to ensure even cooking.
Get the recipe: Air fryer chicken skewers
Place a slice of bread in the bottom drawer when cooking something greasy
I found this very handy when I made bacon in the air fryer or cooked wings. Anything that renders fat could cause it to smoke. Bread slice absorbs that fat.
Get the recipe: Air fryer Chicken Wings
Get a meat thermometer for perfectly cooked chicken and seafood every time
If you have been using a meat thermometer all this while, good for you. Else, go buy one. It takes away all the guesswork from cooking chicken or seafood. Your chicken and seafood stays moist inside while the breading outside cooks perfectly.
Get the recipe: Air fryer Fried Chicken
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