Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink

Yes, you should be preheating an air fryer — here’s why

Learn how to get the most out of your air fryer

Lindsay Parrill
By
French fries
Louis Hansel/Unsplash

It’s the latest food fad that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, the healthy cook’s dream, the now hallowed and exalted air fryer. The hype around this countertop wonder doesn’t seem to be dying down, either, with new recipes and rave reviews popping up everywhere in recent years. Boasting the ability to prepare healthier versions of countless foods, from “fried” chicken to potato chips, by using little to no oil, it’s no wonder the air fryer has such adoring fans.

Fried chicken
sharonang/Pixabay

How does an air fryer work?

The science behind the air fryer’s magic is really quite simple. It works similarly to a convection oven by circulating air around the food at very high temperatures, causing the food to crisp and brown without the need for added fats. Deep-fried flavor without the deep-fried calories? Not a bad deal. But as this handy gadget is still a relative newbie to the kitchen counter, there are still things to learn about this little appliance and how to best operate it.

Recommended Videos

Something to keep in mind is that air fryers produce very high temperatures very quickly. Unlike an oven that takes a good bit of time to preheat, an air fryer will preheat in just a short amount of time. While this is very handy in a lot of cases, the quick heating time also makes it easier to burn food, so use those timers carefully!

Potato chips
avantrend / Pixabay

Are you supposed to preheat an air fryer?

To put it simply, yes. Most foods, particularly those cooked in an air fryer, will benefit from a sudden blast of high heat. This interaction creates browning and crisping, whereas a slow, more gradual heating (like what happens if you don’t bother preheating and just stick your food into a cold air fryer) won’t have quite the same effect.

Related

In addition to flavor and texture, preheating your air fryer will also prevent uneven cooking in your dish. You’re more likely to have cold spots or areas that are overdone if the air fryer isn’t given a chance to preheat. This is especially true when reheating leftovers, which is also something that can be done in your air fryer. Depending on your dish, you’ll find you get a much fresher, crispier result than you would in a microwave.

So while it isn’t technically a requirement — some models don’t even have a preheat setting — it’s still a crucial step as far as flavor is concerned.

Churros
Daria-Yakovleva/Pixabay

How do I know when my air fryer is preheated?

Of course, all brands and models will vary in their features, but learning how to preheat an air fryer could be tricky. Many air fryers now have preheating options and alerts. If, however, your model doesn’t have this feature, the basic preheating guideline is to use the “air fry” setting, adjust your machine to the temperature your recipe calls for, and simply manually preheat for three to five minutes.

A few tips for successful air fryer preheating: First, always be sure that your fry basket is inside the unit when preheating. This is the part of the machine that will actually be in contact with your food, so it must therefore be preheated as well.

Second, if you’re using parchment paper to line your fry basket, it should not be inside the unit while preheating. Because of the convection fan inside, the parchment may blow into the heating coils and burn. The parchment paper must be weighed down underneath the food you’re cooking. Silicone liners are widely available and should be heavy enough to avoid this issue. Of course, always consult the packaging of your specific product to avoid any safety issues.

Now that we understand a few more of the rules of this trendy appliance, we can enjoy its popularity with perhaps a bit more ease. So don’t be afraid to jump on the air fryer bandwagon and get into the hype. With all of the calorie-cutting, time-saving, and delicious goodness to be derived from this little machine, this is one food trend it’s okay to enjoy.

Fried chicken
pastel100 / Pixabay

Air fryer fried chicken recipe

This chicken recipe from The Kitchen Magpie has over 500 nearly perfect, rave reviews, so we just had to try it. It certainly didn’t disappoint. Given how incredibly juicy and flavorful this recipe is, you’d never believe that this chicken hadn’t taken a sizzling bath in a deliciously greasy jacuzzi. No extra calories and no one missed ’em!

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup of flour
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 4 small chicken thighs, skin on
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons of Old Bay Seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon of seasoning salt

Method:

  1. Preheat the air fryer to 390 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Whisk together the flour, salt, and Old Bay seasoning.
  3. Dredge chicken through the flour mixture, through the egg, and then again through the flour mixture.
  4. Shake off excess flour.
  5. Place four thighs in the bottom of the air fryer and cook for 25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees Fahrenheit.
  6. Enjoy!

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Lindsay Parrill
Lindsay Parrill
Contributor
Lindsay is a graduate of California Culinary Academy, Le Cordon Bleu, San Francisco, from where she holds a degree in…
How to make the perfect carnitas, according to a chef
Check out these tips and tricks to make chef-worthy carnitas
Pork carnitas tacos

If you’ve ever had street tacos, whether from an actual street vendor or an upscale restaurant, you’ve likely had carnitas — whether you knew it or not. Carnitas grew in popularity through Mexican street tacos, but people use it in various dishes, from nachos to chimichangas. Carnitas are most commonly known to be pork, but it can really be any sort of meat cooked in its own fat (confit). The word carnitas in Spanish translates to "little meats."

You can learn how to make carnitas at home -- it isn't difficult. However, it’s not just a matter of throwing a chunk of pork in a pot, and then it turns into delicious carnitas. There are some crucial steps to cooking the perfect batch of carnitas. That’s why we reached out to an expert in Mexican cuisine.

Read more
The Native American cuisine movement is on the rise
The vitality of Native cuisine
Chef Jack Strong.

Native American cuisine and indigenous food predate any food trend we know by a long shot. Tribes from coast to coast have created culinary styles over thousands of years, utilizing the ingredients that surround them and tried and true cooking techniques. Today, as indigenous peoples rightfully look to reclaim their seat at the table, we're seeing a rise in Native American cuisine and an entire movement around first foods.

Jack Strong is the executive chef at The Allison Inn & Spa, a luxury resort in the heart of Willamette Valley wine country. The restaurant is known for taking advantage of the many incredible ingredients that thrive in the region. He grew up in Oregon and is a member of the Siletz tribe, touting more than three decades of professional cooking experience to his name. He's one of relatively few native chefs, but the indigenous food movement is working to change that. After all, a culinary landscape that does not accurately reflect its community or historical context is a faulty one at best.

Read more
This is why you add water to whiskey (plus, our best tips)
Why adding water to whiskey works
Whiskey in a glass

We aren’t in the business of telling you how to enjoy your whiskey. Whether you like it mixed into a classic cocktail, neat, on the rocks, imbibed out of a ram’s horn, or even an old shoe you found by the railyard (although we’d probably advise against that if possible), we don’t care. That’s your prerogative. But, depending on the whiskey, there are a few ways to heighten the experience.

One of the best ways to heighten your whiskey-tasting experience is to add water. And no, we aren’t talking about a cup of water; we’re talking about a few splashes. Why should you do this? Keep reading, and you’ll never look at whiskey and water the same way again.
The whiskey-tasting experience

Read more