One of the best things about an air fryer is how little oil you need to get food crispy and delicious. That said, certain foods that are at risk of drying out can benefit from a light spritz or drizzle. A little bit of oil goes a long way and picking the right oil variety is key.
Whether it's for an air fryer grilled cheese, salmon or vegetables, giving your food a light coating will ensure you don't pull something dry and bristly from the air fryer basket.
According to a chef I spoke with, using the wrong cooking oil is just one of several common air fryer mistakes people make.
"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."
With Marchetti as our guide, we've compiled everything you need to know about air fryer oil, including which oils are best and worst to use under the air fryer's superconvection heat.
How to use oil in an air fryer
When using oil with your air fryer, your choice should have less to do with the type and more to do with the volume. "Any oil that you put too much of, the heat will distribute unevenly, and the food will burn," Marchetti warns.
With too little oil, food might not crisp up and will remain soggy, especially when applied to battered ingredients. "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.
Other air frying tips to take into consideration:
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