I've never met an air fryer recipe I won't try. While not all foods thrive inside the cooking chamber of these trendy countertop ovens, more often than not, the air fryer becomes my new favorite way to cook something I would have previously cooked in a different manner.
The small-but-mighty air fryer has changed the way many of us cook. However, despite nearly two-thirds of US households owning one, common air fryer mistakes are still being made frequently. One of those blunders, according to a chef I spoke with, is using the wrong cooking oil.
"The convenience air fryers provide is the ability to cook with the same speed and efficiency as a deep fryer without having to use as much oil," reiterates John Marchetti, executive chef of Carcara in Phoenix. "It's for anything that you want that deep-fried crispness but without the extra fat."
That said, a bit of oil can help take something from good to great. So then, which oil is best to use in an air fryer? And which oils should you avoid using under the air fryer's fierce heat?
Chicken wings and other air fryer foods can benefit from a light spritz. I asked a chef about the best (and worst) oils to use. Pawel Kacperek/Getty Images
With the help of Chef Marchetti, we've compiled the most important air fryer oil information, including which oils work best and which ones work the worst.
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How to use oil in an air fryer
An oil sprayer helps to distribute oil evenly over food before cooking. Flairosol
When it comes to using oil with your air fryer, in general, your choice should have less to do with type and everything to do with volume. "Any oil that you put too much of, the heat will distribute unevenly and the food will burn," warns Marchetti.
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