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.

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 🙂

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