I’m the kind of cook who likes to use a lot of oil. I love it! There’s nothing like the satisfying sizzle of hot fat hitting a pan and creating a delicious crust on whatever food you’re cooking. But sometimes, that sizzle can be hard on your ears and also not so great for your waistline or cholesterol levels. That’s where an air fryer comes in: This countertop appliance uses super-hot air rather than fats or oils to cook everything from steak to vegetables (including chicken). It’s really easy to use—and clean up is even easier! If you’ve been thinking about trying one out, here’s how they work.
Table of Contents
No, an air fryer will not dry out your chicken.
Air fryers are a great alternative to traditional deep frying. While they can’t replace every dish you’d make in a deep-fryer, air fryers do have some advantages: They use less oil and don’t take up much space.
Here’s how it works: Air circulates around the food as it cooks, so the chicken is cooked from all sides at once. This means you’ll get a crispy, browned exterior while keeping your meat moist and tender inside.
Air fryers are also easier on your budget than buying lots of other kitchen gadgets—and they’re easy to clean! Just wipe down any crumbs that collect on the tray with a damp paper towel or cloth, then let it air dry for 10 minutes before storing away again until next time (if there ever needs to be another).
What is an air fryer?
An air fryer is a small appliance that uses hot air to cook food. It’s different from a convection oven, which circulates hot air and uses fans to move it around. An air fryer has an in-built basket that you place in the center of the machine and will circulate hot air around your food.
Air fryers can be used to cook anything from meatballs to chicken wings, but they are especially great at cooking fries and veggies—perfect for those who don’t like their vegetables soggy! You’ll want to make sure your food isn’t touching any other pieces of food when you place it in the basket so there’s enough room for all the heat to circulate evenly around each piece of food.
How does an air fryer work?
An air fryer works by using a convection fan to circulate hot air around the cooking dish. The heat from the heated air sears and browns food, just as it would in a traditional oven. While most of the drippings from deep-frying are removed when you drain your oil, there is still some liquid left behind. In an air fryer, that residual drips into a separate collection tray instead of into your oven below—no more messy clean-up!
But wait: what if you want something really crispy? An infrared broiler can be used to get those crunchy bits on top of your chicken wings or French fries that we all love so much!
There are some limitations to consider before investing in an air fryer though: they may not be able to handle larger dishes like turkeys or roasts (which are better suited for roasting pans), and their space limitations mean that they can’t cook multiple dishes at once (like making multiple pieces of garlic bread).
How to operate an air fryer
Here’s how to operate an air fryer:
- Adjust the temperature and time. You’ll need to turn the dial on your machine to adjust both the temperature in the basket (measured in Celsius or Fahrenheit) and how long you want it to cook for. The higher you set these, the faster your food will cook but also the more oil it’ll absorb. Experiment with different settings at first until you find which ones work best for what foods!
- Use the timer. An air fryer’s timer is usually pretty simple: just press a button and voila! It starts counting down! Many models also have presets that allow you to program them so they automatically start cooking at a certain time every day—great if you’re always making dinner around 6 pm on weeknights like me!
- Get creative with accessories! Some models come with accessories like racks that raise food away from direct heat sources, allowing items like wings or fries to dry out better than they would otherwise when placed directly into baskets filled only halfway up before cooking begins (which is what we did here). Other models even come with built-in accessories such as timers or convection fans that circulate air around foods while they’re cooking.”
How to clean an air fryer
To clean your air fryer, you’ll want to use a damp cloth. You can also use the brush that comes with your air fryer, or even an old toothbrush if you need a little more scrubbing power. The cleaning tool that comes with most models is also handy for getting into nooks and crannies.
You might think that oil would make cleaning easier—but don’t go there! The oil will get stuck in all those corners of your air fryer basket, making it harder to clean later on. Instead, just wipe down the inside of the basket with a damp cloth after use (or put it through its self-clean cycle).
If you’re using a nonstick skillet or any other type of nonstick cookware in your life (I know I am), then you already have something in common with people who own an electric pressure cooker like this one: You both know how tough it can be to remove stains from them! Luckily for us, though, we aren’t limited by our kitchen’s lack of elbow grease: We have access to powerful detergents designed specifically for cleaning dishes and utensils made from such materials as Teflon® and ceramic glazes (i.e., everything from pots & pans). As such—and as long as we avoid bleach products altogether—these products are perfectly safe when used per instructions on labels/instructions provided by manufacturers themselves.”
Considerations for buying an air fryer
- Size and capacity. Air fryers can vary in size and capacity, so it’s important to choose the right model for your needs. Most models have a 1-3 pound capacity, but some have larger capacities as well. If you plan on making larger batches of food at once or frequently cooking for large groups, consider a model with a larger capacity so that you don’t have to keep heating up your air fryer every time you want to cook with it.
- Timer and temperature control. A timer is an especially helpful feature if you want more control over how long your food cooks—and an air fryer without one isn’t very useful! You can use this feature even if the rest of your meal is already cooked: simply set the timer before adding any uncooked ingredients like chicken wings (which take around 20 minutes) or fries (which take around 30 minutes).
- Digital display screen: Most air fryers feature digital displays that allow users to easily adjust settings such as temperature, duration and power level without having to guess at what number setting corresponds with which function (a problem I faced using my old oven!). This makes using an air fryer much easier than conventional ovens/stoves since there aren’t many buttons/settings involved either; just select what food item(s) from the menu list provided by each manufacturer’s website – then turn on their product!
Air-Fried Buffalo Wings Recipe
In this recipe, we’re using air fryers to dry out chicken wings. Your goal is to get the skin on your wings nice and crispy while preserving all the moisture inside. This means you’ll need some sort of marinade that can penetrate into the meat without compromising its texture. What makes this buffalo sauce different is a secret ingredient: mayonnaise! It adds a creamy texture without making things soggy, which will help keep your chicken juicy even after it’s been cooked in an oven or deep-fried until golden brown.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken wings (tips removed)
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (optional)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon paprika (optional)
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce of choice: Franks Red Hot Sauce™ or Tabasco™ Original Pepper Sauce are both good choices here!
An air fryer is a great tool for making fried foods crispy and delicious without all the oil.
An air fryer is a great tool for making fried foods crispy and delicious without all the oil. If you’re new to cooking with an air fryer, here are some tips to help you get started:
- Air fryers use less oil than traditional frying. They also make it easier to keep your kitchen clean by reducing the amount of mess caused by splattering oil and fat.
- Air frying is healthier than traditional frying because it uses less fat or oil in cooking your food. This means fewer calories than deep-frying or pan-frying, which can be good news for anyone trying to watch their diet!
- Air frying is easier than traditional frying because there’s no need for messy cleanup afterward—the food comes out perfectly cooked without any traces left behind from previous meals (unless you want them there). Just wipe out any crumbs that have fallen off into bottom compartment before filling again with more batter or breading mix. It’s as simple as that! Or… maybe not quite as simple… we’ll get back into this later on down below where I tell everyone what not do when cleaning theirs too quickly after eating all those chicken wings at Buffalo Wild Wings like I did last night while watching football games with friends who came over over
Conclusion
Now that you know how to use an air fryer, it’s time to start cooking! The first thing I suggest making is this delicious recipe for Buffalo wings. All you need is some chicken drumsticks or thighs (bone-in or boneless), Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, butter and garlic powder. You can find more recipes here on my website or check out the official air fryer cookbook from our friends at America’s Test Kitchen!
