Air fryers have become a must-have small appliance in many home kitchens due to their ability to cook food quickly and healthily. They use hot air that circulates quickly at high temperatures to mimic the frying process, making the surface of food crispy while reducing the use of fat. Although air fryers provide a convenient cooking method, not all types of food are suitable for cooking in an air fryer. This article will explore which foods are best cooked in an air fryer and which ones should be avoided.

Best Foods to Cook in an Air Fryer
French Fries and Potato Chips French fries are one of the most classic foods for air fryers. Air fryers can make French fries crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with almost no oil required, which greatly reduces the fat content. By adjusting the temperature and time of the air fryer, it is easy to get perfect French fries without the tedious process of deep frying.

Chicken Wings Chicken wings are another popular choice for air fryers. Air fryers can evenly heat chicken wings and make the skin crispy while the meat remains tender. Many people like to use air fryers to make chicken wings because it not only reduces oil but also avoids the trouble of oil splashing when frying chicken wings.

Chicken breasts and other poultry meats Air fryers are very suitable for cooking chicken breasts, chicken legs and other poultry meats. Because air fryers can keep the meat juicy and tender without too much oil, they are suitable for people who focus on a healthy diet with low fat and high protein.

Fish and seafood Air fryers are also suitable for cooking fish, shrimp and other seafood. Since air fryers can cook quickly, you can ensure that fish meat retains its fresh and tender taste, especially those fish fillets or fish fillets that need to be heated quickly. Using air fryers can also make seafood crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Frozen food Most frozen foods, such as frozen chicken nuggets, frozen vegetables, frozen dumplings, etc., are suitable for cooking in air fryers. Air fryers can quickly heat and crisp the surface of frozen foods, and the effect is close to deep-frying but not greasy. This makes it an ideal choice for busy families and quick cooking.

Vegetables The air fryer also cooks vegetables very well, especially those that tend to crisp up easily, such as broccoli, bell peppers, carrots, potatoes, etc. The air fryer can roast vegetables until they are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, retaining their nutrients while reducing the use of oil.

Eggs The air fryer makes it easy to make air fryer versions of egg dishes, including fried eggs, baked eggs, or "air-cooked eggs." When cooking eggs in the air fryer, you can adjust the cooking time to control the doneness of the egg yolk to meet different taste requirements.

Foods to avoid cooking in the air fryer
Wet batter foods Although the air fryer can produce a crispy crust, it is not suitable for wet batter foods, such as fish pieces, chicken, or some fried dough sticks coated with thick batter. Since the air fryer relies on hot air to heat the food, if the batter is too wet, it may not be evenly fixed, resulting in frying failure and easy sticking to the basket.

Wet doughs such as cookies and cakes Foods such as cookies, cakes, and muffins that require fermentation and a long baking time are not suitable for air fryers. These foods require more even and sustained heating, and the hot air flow of the air fryer is not suitable for the expansion and baking process of these doughs. Using an air fryer to bake these foods may result in overcooked outsides and undercooked insides.

Vegetables with high water content Although some vegetables are suitable for cooking in an air fryer, some vegetables with high water content, such as cucumbers, tomatoes and certain leafy vegetables, may not be well processed in an air fryer. These ingredients may release too much water in the air fryer, which will affect the crispness and even cause the food to become soft and soggy.

Too small or light food Some small or very light foods (such as salad leaves, bread crumbs, etc.) are easily blown away by the hot air in the air fryer, so that they cannot be heated evenly and achieve the desired cooking effect. For these foods, it is best to use special baking paper or tin foil to wrap them to prevent them from floating during cooking.

Foods with high sugar content Foods with high sugar content (such as desserts coated with icing and syrup) may burn in the air fryer and produce an unpleasant taste. These foods need to be heated slowly at a lower temperature, and the rapid high temperature of the air fryer may cause sugars to caramelize, affecting the taste and quality.

Extremely thick meat or large pieces of food Although the air fryer is suitable for cooking meat, for thicker large pieces of meat (such as large pork chops, steaks, etc.), the air fryer may not heat evenly, resulting in burnt outside and undercooked inside. For these larger foods, it is best to cut into small pieces or use a traditional oven.