How to Use Air fryer: Best Tips to get the best out of Your Air fryer

Air fryers are now getting all the attention, all thanks to their ability to prepare for us foods that are free from oil and fat. They are able to completely cook foods without oil and if at all oil would be used, in negligible amounts. Air fryers are so versatile that they can cook a variety of other foods apart from frying. The best way to get the best results from your air fryer is to properly learn how to use an air fryer.

In this article, we’ll show you how to use air fryer, how do you cook fried chicken? We’ll show you that too, and of course, you’ll also learn how to clean the inside of an air fryer. Let’s check it out.

How to Use Air fryer

The process involved in using an air fryer can be divided into four.

Preparation of the food for cooking,
Air fryer preparation and settings,
Cooking in the air fryer, and
Cleaning the air fryer.

The first step before you use an air fryer is to know its components and their roles. The air fryer has a basket, control panel, handles, vent, heating element, fan, and other parts. In addition, learn how to remove the air fryer basket from the unit and adjust time and temperature using buttons or touch control panel.

Once you have prepared your ingredients, preheat the air fryer. Connect the air fryer to the power source and switch it on. Set the cooking temperatures and time to 3 minutes. When time is up, remove the air fryer basket and add your ingredients in a single layer. Then set the cooking time according to your recipe and press the ‘Start’ button. When time is up, your air fryer will shut down and produce a ‘beep’ sound.

Points to note

Don’t overcrowd the basket – this affects proper hot air circulation in the basket, preventing food from cooking evenly.
Pull the air fryer basket at halfway through to shake, flip or turn what you are cooking so that it can cook evenly on all sides and check progress.
Some advanced air fryers have preset cooking recipes for common foods. You can choose the recipe/cooking function or set the temperature and cook time manually.
Smoking is common when cooking fatty foods like bacon or steak; hence it is advisable to drain the grease in the drip pan when smoke gets too much.
Cleaning the air fryer properly after every use prevents a foul smell in your kitchen, maintains air fryer performance, and can make it last longer.

Preparation of the Food for Cooking

Spray the food with very little oil, this is to prevent the food from sticking to the air fryer’s cooking basket.
Ensure there is enough space in between the foods so the hot air can freely cook every part evenly.
Can I use aluminum foil in air fryer? Yes! You can use an aluminum foil to separate the food to create more space.
You should also try to pat dry oily ingredients before cooking so there won’t be too much smoke during cooking.

Air fryer Preparation and Settings

Connect your air fryer to the power source.
Remove the drawer, holding the handle and place in your food.
Avoid overcrowding the food to get the best results.
Input your time and temperature settings and the cooking begins.

Some peeps advise to preheat for 5 minutes but it’s not really necessary because the air fryer would achieve any set temperature as soon as it is turned on.

Cooking the Food in the Air fryer

When cooking small foods like French fries or chicken wings, try to shake the air fryer periodically to ensure even frying and get a nice crispy result.
Remember also that fat are collected at the bottom of the fryer especially when cooking foods that contain a high proportion of fat, remove this after cooking and proceed to clean the air fryer.

Cleaning the Air fryer

Cleaning the air fryer is stress free.

Remove the drawer or the lid in some air fryers

Remove the basket or cooking pan. These are mostly non-sticky and dishwasher safe and you easily clean them with a little water and a dishwasher soap.

How about you also learn how to fry chicken wings in an air fryer? Those crispy and delicious wings? Yeah, you can do it.

How to fry Chicken Wings in an Air fryer

The following directions can be followed to achieve the best result with chicken wings.

Ingredients;

Chicken Wings (1kg, cut to flat and drummettes)
60ml of wing sauce.

Cooking Process

You may preheat the air fryer for 5 mins.
Depending on the capacity of your air fryer, place your chicken wings in the air fryer.
Remember not to overcrowd and also to allow enough space for the hot air to pass through.
Turn on your air fryer and set your temperature, preferably 360F.
Allow the wings to cook for 25 to 30 minutes to achieve a perfectly cooked and crispy result.
Meanwhile, do not forget to shake the air fryer every 8 to 10 minutes to ensure even cooking. You can as well use tongs to change the position of the wings so they can be fried on all sides.
After cooking, extract the chicken wings into a bowl and add the wing sauce. Toss it around until it forms an even coat.

Your delicious and crispy air fried chicken wings are ready to be served.