My Forking Life

menu icon
search icon
×

Published: by · This post may contain affiliate links ·

12 Air Fryer Tips Every Air Fryer Owner Should Know

Air fryers have experienced a surge in popularity—more than 40% of U.S. households now own one. Yet most owners still fall into a few easy‑to‑avoid traps that keep them from getting crispy, juicy, fool‑proof results. Use (and bookmark!) these twelve tips to cook smarter, eat better, and keep your machine running like new.

air fryer tips collage


 

12 Air Fryer Tips

#1. Preheat your Air Fryer...but only when your model and recipe need it

It's common practice to preheat any cooking element. Most brands of air fryers recommend preheating the air fryer 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, set it to the desired temperature and allow it to run for approximately 3 minutes before placing your food inside.

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

Vegetables and battered foods benefit from a light mist—it helps with browning, while fatty items (such as chicken thighs, burgers, and salmon) already contain their natural cooking oil.

Common foods that are enhanced with a bit of oil include roasted vegetables, such as my air fryer broccoli, or battered foods, like air fryer fried fish.

#3. Grease your Air Fryer Basket

Wipe or spray a thin coat of high‑smoke‑point oil on the basket grates or use perforated parchment/silicone liners to prevent sticking and make cleanup painless.

#4. Skip aerosol cans

Propellant-driven sprays, such as PAM, can damage non-stick coatings over time. Instead, use a pump mister, an EVO sprayer, or a refillable bottle of avocado or grapeseed oil.

#5. Don't overcrowd the basket

To achieve crispy fried foods, avoid overcrowding the basket. Placing too much food in the basket will prevent your food from crisping and browning. To prevent this from happening, cook your food in batches or consider investing in a larger air fryer. I use an air fryer that has a basket that is at least 5 quarts in size.

#6. Shake the basket during cooking for fries, wings, and other items

Fries, wings, Brussels sprouts—anything bite‑sized—benefit from a quick toss halfway through. The fryer pauses when you pull the basket and resumes at the temperature when you slide it back in.

Sometimes, I use a pair of silicone kitchen tongs to flip larger items over rather than shaking them.

#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 require spraying, such as fatty meats. Coated food items should be sprayed. Also, spray any dry flour spots that still appear halfway through air frying.

You can see this in action in this air fryer fried green tomatoes recipe.

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

Greasy foods can smoke as fat hits the hot drawer. Add 1–2 tablespoons of water to the drawer under the basket (or place a slice of bread there) before cooking bacon or burgers. This catches drips and keeps your kitchen haze‑free.

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

The strong fan can whip parchment, kale chips, or egg roll wrappers into the heating element—yikes. Weigh light items down with a rack or a toothpick through the corner.

#10. Convert oven recipes—minus 30 °F and 20 % time

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 adjust the temperature and time according to how long you would typically bake 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, reduce the temperature in the Air Fryer to 320 degrees and cook for approximately 16 minutes.

#11 Invest in a Good Quick Read Thermometer

Having a high-quality, quick-read thermometer is crucial when cooking certain meats in your Air Fryer, such as steak, chicken, and pork. I recently invested in a Thermapen One, and I must say it's worth every penny.

Clean promptly, inside and out

While the basket is still warm, soak it in hot, soapy water—no metal scrubbers. Wipe the heating element monthly with a damp cloth to prevent burnt‑on grease. Fifteen seconds now saves ten minutes of scrubbing later.

Those are my Top 12 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 🙂

            Check Out Air Fryer Recipes

This post was originally published on August 11, 2018. It has been updated with additional helpful information.

More My Forking Life Extra Resources

Spread the Flavor and Share

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?