The reliable air fryer, ahh. It may be the most recent addition to your collection of kitchen appliances, and you’re not sure how you managed to live without it. There appears to be nothing this little cooker can’t do, from making crispy Brussels sprouts to elevating your kids’ frozen chicken nuggets to new (nearly gourmet) levels. Or is there? It turns out that some items are best prepared using alternative techniques.
Sometimes using an air fryer is the best option because of the mess or uneven cooking, but other times using a conventional appliance is just as simple or more effective. Look over this list of the finest meals to avoid preparing.
Read also: Is It Safe to Eat Freezer Burned Food
Things You Should Never Cook in Your Air Fryer
Wet Batters
Air fryers aren’t the best place to cook things like tempura vegetables, fries, fish cutlets, and beer-battered onion rings. There will be a significant mess to clean up after the batter drips into the machine’s base. Additionally, on models with alert systems, it might even trigger the alarm.
You’re better off avoiding these meals completely or cooking them in large quantities the old-fashioned method, which is in oil.
Cheesy Things
It’s wise to avoid cheesy dishes where melty goodness can be a problem, for the same reason that it’s recommended to stay away from battered foods. It is not necessary to keep all of the cheese out of the air fryer; just make sure that it won’t drip into the tray’s bottom as it cooks.
Big Cuts of Bone-In Meat
Theoretically, this sounds fantastic. A perfectly cooked, perfectly crispy entire chicken ready for your most attractive dish and a prominent place on the dinner table? Not so quick. Since you’re unlikely to obtain an even cook in the air fryer, it’s actually better to roast a whole chicken (and other large, bone-in proteins) in the oven.
Baked Items
Because of the nature of the heat, baked items in an air fryer can be tricky and unexpected. Muffins and donuts with a wet batter (such as cake donuts) may dry out while cooking for the reasons mentioned in the previous section on wet batter. On the other hand, reheating leftover baked goods in the air fryer is a great idea.
Leafy Greens
Is it possible to air fry Brussels sprouts? Definitely, Chard leaves, collards, or spinach? Better not. Uneven cooking may occur from light leaves being a little flighty while cooking. It’s important to remember that any vegetable cooked in an air fryer with insufficient oil will turn out somewhat dry, so use a lot of fat.
Read also: How To Clean a Freezer So It Looks Brand New