Air fryers they cook many foods well and do it quickly. We’re big fans of the little ones countertop appliance in this house, but some experiments with the air fryer haven’t gone as well as we’d hoped. There is no other way I would ever cook wings, Fried potatoeslast night’s pizza or even a whole chicken. And as wonderful a machine as it can be, there are some foods that aren’t worth cooking in the deep fryer, no matter how tempting it is.
Leafy greens, certain lean meats and other foods are no longer welcome in my deep fryer basket. The most common problem is how fast the fryer cooks, which can cause some foods to dry out too quickly, burn, or crisp up without much oil or density.
Here are eight foods you should never cook in a deep fryer.
1. Lean pork steaks or tenderloin
Boneless pork chops dry out too easily for a deep fryer.
A perfectly cooked pork chop is a thing of beauty, but leaner cuts of other white meats can dry out in a hurry. Bacon, bone-in pork chops, and fattier cuts of pork can handle the fryer, but lean boneless pork chops and tenderloins tend to dry out when exposed to high heat. If you’re going to use the deep fryer to cook the pork chops, do it on a lower heat and use a little oil to keep it from getting too dry.
2. Spinach and leafy greens
Crunchy spinach and kale will not do well in a deep fryer.
Leafy greens are a big no when it comes to deep fryer cooking. The hot convection air will crisp most leafy greens like spinach, kale and Swiss chard far more than anything you’d want to eat. Firm vegetables, including Brussels sprouts, squash, and zucchini, do well in the deep fryer, but leafy greens are best when sauteed, steamed, or steamed.
3. Steak
A steak cooked in a deep fryer can be tough and rubbery.
Steak reheats well in the fryer, but not a good place for it for the first time. The air fryer baskets get hot, but not hot enough to sear the outside of your steak well. I have tried cooking steaks in a deep fryer before. Even fatty, forgiving steaks don’t turn out as well as when cooked on a hot plancha, cast iron pan or grilled.
4. Unbreaded chicken breast
Unbreaded chicken breasts are not the best candidates.
Chicken wings, thighs, and any cuts with bones are perfect candidates for the deep fryer. Boneless chicken breasts don’t have much fat and dry out easily. Protect them with some egg batter and breadcrumbs and you’ll be fine, but bare chicken breasts cooked in the fryer often come out dry or rubbery.
5. Large cuts of meat
Pot roasts usually need slow cooking methods.
Large cuts of beef, pork, and lamb tend to be best when cooked lean and slow, such as braising or braising. smoking. Avoid the air fryer with its hot stream of convection air when cooking large cuts of meat and choose Dutch ovenslow cooker or pellet smoker.
6. Bare broccoli
The air fryer will fry the broccoli unless you cover it with foil.
If you wrap your broccoli in foil, you can use the deep fryer to roast it (quickly). If you leave it uncovered and exposed to the hot convection air, you’ll end up with fried broccoli ends that are anything but tasty.
7. Clams
Clams and clams are better for a pot instead of a fryer.
Shellfish like clams and mussels need liquid to cook without drying out. They’re also easily overcooked, which can result in a chewy, rubbery morsel that you don’t want anywhere near your plate. Avoid the deep fryer when cooking most shellfish.
8. Most baked goods
Cake and cookie recipes usually don’t transfer well from oven to deep fryer.
While you can certainly bake in the air fryer, be careful as the super convection of an air fryer behaves differently than the convection heat of a normal oven.
Baking a cake or batch of cookies in the air fryer at the time and temperature specified in the recipe will often result in an overcooked, dry, or burnt dessert. When deep-frying, use recipes that are specific to an air fryer and don’t assume the oven recipe will translate.
If you’re looking for a great air fryer, this is it CNET’s top-rated models for 2024 For more, these are best toaster ovens for air frying for 2024
