In the age of the air fryer there are precious few dishes that aren't covered by the pantheon of recipes specifically designed for the popular appliance. From simple sides to desserts to whole roasted meats, we haven't yet found a category that can't be accomplished in an air fryer. (Air fryer soup? Yep -- look it up.)
That said, we all have time-honored, beloved recipes we consider untouchable, with perfect ingredient lists and ratios that simply can't be messed with, at least in our minds. But just because your great-grandparent devised a recipe that exists only on a yellowing card written in old-fashioned cursive doesn't mean it can't be adapted -- gently, of course -- for the air fryer.
Don't miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
This idea is near and dear to the heart of Andreas Hansen, a passionate home cook and founder and CEO of Fritaire. His foray into air fryer product development was sparked by his wife's interest in air fryer cooking, but who deemed most models were simply too ugly to deserve a spot on the countertop.
Whether the recipe you're considering for the air fryer is roasted, baked or fried, Hansen walked me through all the potential adjustments and considerations necessary to adapt a recipe for the air fryer.
1. Reduce the temperature and time
With fast-moving heat and a smaller cooking chamber, an air fryer cooks faster than most of the appliances in your kitchen. Ninja
From roasted Brussels sprouts to roasted duck to air fryer brownies, first and foremost, your air fryer will do it more quickly than your oven can. "It's called an air fryer because it circulates the heat faster, so that means that things brown faster," says Hansen.
Air fryers with windows or glass bowls provide visual cues that help you gauge when something is done. However, for drawer-style air fryers, where you don't want to constantly disrupt the cooking process to check for progress, begin by lowering both the temperature setting and timer for the recipe.
"I would reduce the temperature by 20 to 25 degrees to keep things from drying out too fast," says Hansen. And even with a lower temperature setting, assume that your dish is going to be cooked through in a lot less time, so set a timer or adjust your expectations accordingly. "You also have to reduce the cook time by 20 to 30%," says Hansen. So if your recipe calls for a 425-degree oven and 30 minutes of cooking time, the air fryer equivalent would be 400 degrees and around 20-25 minutes.
... continue reading