Things You Cannot Cook In An Air Fryer

Air fryers have become extremely popular due to the convenience and ease of preparing a wide variety of quick meals. Aside from producing faster results, air fryers are intended to be a healthier alternative to traditional deep fryers. The health benefits of air fryers are due to the reduction of harmful compounds produced by regular deep fryers when heating oil to high temperatures. Regardless of the device’s ingenuity, you should avoid using an air fryer for certain foods.

 Cheese

Most people’s mouths water just thinking about grilled cheese. What’s not to love about a sandwich with an air-fried finish? The problem is that the high temperatures of an air fryer cause the cheese to quickly melt and burn, resulting in a stringy mess. Frozen mozzarella sticks are acceptable, but fresh cheese is not.

Raw Rice

To cook, raw rice grains must be boiled in water, which air fryers are not designed to do. Even if you find a container to hold the water, your air fryer will not reach a temperature high enough to boil it. You should cook the rice on the stovetop first, and then crisp it in an air fryer later.

Broccoli

While some vegetables, such as Brussels sprouts, crisp up beautifully in an air fryer, broccoli does not. It contains less moisture, so it dries out quickly and can even turn to dust if left for an extended period. You can add more oil to help it crisp up, but more traditional cooking methods, such as roasting, produce better results.

Wet Batter

Most of us would assume that batter is safe to cook in an air fryer because it is used in the majority of air fryer recipes. While this is true for the cooked batter, wet batter is a different story. The wet batter won’t be able to set in an air fryer as it does in an oil fryer, so it’ll end up dripping into a mess, similar to cheese. It will not crisp, and the puddle of batter will burn to the bottom. That is why wet batter should not be placed in the basket. You can make a breadcrumb coating instead, which requires only flour, bread crumbs, and eggs.

Roast Chicken

This should not be done unless your air fryer is large enough to fit a whole roast chicken and has a dedicated cooking program. Air fryers, unlike the best toaster ovens, typically have a much smaller capacity and are intended for smaller jobs. Even if you can fit a chicken in there, don’t. To cook effectively, the air must circulate, or you will end up with a dry, burnt bird. It is preferable to cut the chicken into pieces and fry each piece separately.

Burgers

While you can cook burgers in an air fryer, as previously mentioned, it’s difficult to cook anything less than well-done. Because of the internal temperature of an air fryer, burgers will quickly reach a medium-well color on the inside, but the exterior will not have time to cook, making it unappealing. This isn’t an issue if you like your burgers well done, but for others, the grill may be a better option. The same is true for steaks.

Fresh Greens

Any lightweight leafy greens you put in your air fryer will be blown around, similar to seasoning. As a result, vegetables like lettuce and spinach should be avoided because they will cook unevenly and burn easily. Kale chips are a possibility, but they must be coated in enough oil to give them weight. Because of the added moisture, frozen vegetables are generally more successful.