I've never met an air fryer recipe I won't try. While not all foods thrive inside the cooking chamber, more often than not, the air fryer is my go-to cooking partner.
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," says 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. With Marchetti's help, we've compiled the most important air fryer oil information, including which oils work best and which ones you should steer clear of.
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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
With too little oil, food might not crisp up and will remain soggy, especially when applied to ingredients with batters. "If I were to batter an item, I would freeze it, lightly season it with oil, salt and pepper, and then cook a small amount at a time to prevent [the ingredients from] sticking and cooling the air fryer down," he says.
While some chefs we've spoken to rail against oil sprayers, I find the affordable device helpful for coating food evenly before cooking in the air fryer.
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