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Air Fryer 101

Air fryers are gaining popularity every day! If you have one, make sure to try out these tips for the best air-fried foods! 

  1. Preheat 
    Just like your oven, or sometimes your pan, it's good to preheat to ensure even cooking. Many brands of air fryers specify that they should be preheated first. If your air fryer does not have a preheat setting, simply turn it to the temperature you'd like and wait for a few minutes before adding your food. 
  2. Use Oil 
    Use a small amount of oil to help foods crisp up. If you're cooking something that has some fat on it (pork, chicken thighs, etc.) then you can skip the oil. 
  3. Grease 
    Whether you use oil or not, it's still good to grease your air fryer basket to ensure that your food doesn't stick. You can dab a little bit of oil using a paper towel. 
  4. Avoid Sprays
    Avoid using aerosol sprays (such as Pam) in your air fryer as the agents in the spray can cause the coating on the air fryer basket to chip away. 
  5. Adjust Temp.
    We've all cranked up the heat on something to make it cook faster but please don't do this with the air fryer as it can dry it out. A good rule of thumb is to lower both the time and temperature for how you would cook it in the oven - lower about 20%.
  6. Don't Overcrowd
    This tip is common for cooking with anything! Don't crowd the air fryer basket or else the food will not cook evenly and it will not crisp up properly. 
  7. Water Tip
    When cooking fatty foods such as bacon, add a bit of water to the tray to prevent smoking. (Side note: This is also a great tip to use when cooking bacon in a pan) 
  8. Foil Up
    For easier clean up, you can use aluminum foil! This is great when cooking foods that are extra messy (think chicken wings coated in a sticky sauce). Just make sure you have enough food on top of the foil to prevent it from flying up. 
  9. Seasoning
    Since the air inside of the air fryer can be really strong and sometimes the seasoning can get blown off your food, a good trick is to mix it with the oil before adding to your food. 
  10. Shake it Up
    To ensure everything is cooked and crisped evenly, give the basket a good shake during cooking. You can keep the air fryer running and just remove the basket. 
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