There are many recommended and non-recommended foods for air fryers. The following list of the most common foods people try to cook in an air fryer is not definitive, but it can give you a sense of what might work and what probably doesn’t:
Onion Rings:
Not recommended, as this food will absorb oil faster than it can be produced by the device. It’s just too much oil for one onion ring!
Frozen vegetables:
These take longer to cook than fresh veggies, and may actually burn before they ever become crispy. But if you want fries instead of steamed carrots with your grilled steak, go ahead and throw them in there (just don’t expect them to come out like those at a restaurant or fast-food chain).
Frozen or refrigerated breaded chicken fingers, pork chops and similar foods:
These things are designed to fry in oil, not air. If you want them, use a deep fryer (plug it in prior to starting the timer) and add these items only when ready to cook.
Breaded fish:
Fish with a thick breading won’t turn out well in an air fryer, as the bread will absorb too much oil and be way too soggy. It’s just not right!
Raw meatballs and raw hamburgers:
Air frying will give you crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside burgers and meatballs — just like pan-frying — but that doesn’t mean they aren’t still uncooked when you take them out. Don’t risk bacterial infection by cooking these items in an air fryer until they’ve been through a proper cooking cycle, like on the stovetop or in the oven (wrap your meatballs and burgers with aluminum foil to keep them from drying out).
Beef jerky:
You can make it yourself at home with less oil than if you use a dehydrator, but it’s unlikely that enough moisture will be driven off in your air fryer for this food to come out really good.
Raw pizza:
Baking is probably better than frying anything involving cheese, so go ahead and let your frozen pizza bake instead of fry . It’ll taste just as crispy.
Nachos:
A fun recipe for homemade nachos is to use tortilla chips, shredded cheese and taco seasoning. Place them into the air fryer on their own tray (no oil necessary) and let the hot air do it’s thing!
Raw breaded chicken:
Chicken fingers, breaded pork chops, etc. are not recommended to be cooked in an air fryer because they are processed food items with a thick coating of breading that will absorb too much oil. If you want crispy fried chicken strips or golden brown pork chops, pan fry them before putting them in your air fryer.
Raw bacon:
Who doesn’t love some crispy bacon every now and then? While crispy bacon can be made at home with minimal effort, it’s best to cook this in a pan or oven and add it at the end of cooking your favorite air fryer recipes.
Baked goods:
Gluten-free baking mixes are fine, but gluten containing wheat products may not turn out well due to moisture loss during baking that doesn’t happen with air frying. This is because an air fryer won’t absorb any moisture from the food being cooked. If you usually have a collection of baked goods on hand, try drying them in a dehydrator for 4-5 hours instead so they don’t go stale while still coming out crisp.
French fries and other fried foods:
While you can make french fries and other fried foods like onion rings in an air fryer, don’t expect them to come out just like they would if frying in a deep fryer or pot of oil. The best this device can do is give these items the look and crispiness similar to what you might experience at a fast-food restaurant, but not really anything more than that.
Raw chicken meatballs:
For safety reasons, we recommend cooking raw meatballs through another method before putting them in your air fryer if you want crispy texture on the outside and a juicy center. It’s just too risky! Bake these bad boys first.
Panko breading:
Panko is a type of thick Japanese-style breading that won’t come out as good when using an air fryer because it absorbs too much oil. For panko, you’re better off baking or pan frying (in which case follow the cooking instructions on the package).
Fried rice:
When fresh out of the air fryer, fried rice will be very crisp and dry compared to its traditionally expected consistency. You can make your favorite rice dish in the air fryer instead of frying it, but make sure to readjust any seasoning like soy sauce before serving.
Raw meatballs and raw hamburgers:
Raw meats like beef burgers and pork sausage are not recommended to be cooked in an air fryer because they are processed food items with a thick coating of breading that will absorb too much oil.
If you want crispy fried chicken strips or golden brown pork chops, pan fry them before putting them in your air fryer.
Raw fish:
Raw sushi is likely to become dry and tough if cooked in an air fryer when it’s been prepared for regular frying with rolling techniques. For best results, we recommend baking sushi instead using the instructions from this recipe.
Raw red meat:
In general, meats like beef steak or roast beef should be cooked another way before putting them into your air fryer so you can get a nice crust on the outside while keeping the inside juicy and tender. If you have favorite meat that you’d like to cook in an air fryer, try it out and let us know how it turns out.
Raw bacon:
Who doesn’t love some crispy bacon every now and then? While crispy bacon can be made at home with minimal effort, it’s best to cook this in a pan or oven and add it at the end of cooking your favorite air fryer recipes.
Baked goods:
Gluten-free baking mixes are fine, but gluten containing wheat products may not turn out well due to moisture loss during baking that doesn’t happen with air frying. This is because an air fryer won’t absorb any moisture from the food being cooked. If you usually have a collection of baked goods on hand, try drying them in a dehydrator for 4-5 hours instead so they don’t go stale while still coming out crisp.
Doughnuts:
While you can make fried doughnuts in an air fryer, oil particles from the deep frying process will get absorbed into the fried shell and won’t have that associated crunchiness or flakiness when used as a topping or filling. For air-fried doughnut recipes, try using almond meals to add fiber and protein to your favorite recipe! We recommend kale chips with bacon bits on top of a salad or mix it up with some homemade pumpkin spice mix.
Conclusion:
As you can see, there are several recipes that don’t work well when making an air fryer version. While the sensor cooking feature of the Philips Air Fryer creates a crispy texture on most foods, getting that same crispy texture for all of your favorite recipes just isn’t possible. Most likely, you’ll have to wait several years before they can get it perfected through testing – sorry!
We hope this article was helpful in helping you know what works well with air frying and what doesn’t! For more information on how to use an air fryer, check out our guide
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