Can Adding Oil Make Air-Fried Food More Crispy? (The Answer Now)

Table of contents

That was the conclusion of a recent study, published in Food Science and Technology International, which revealed that adding oil to fried foods will help crisp them up.

Before you start your next party with the frying of foods, take a moment to read this post. The science behind why and how oils can help improve air-fried food is discussed in detail so that you know exactly what needs to be done before it’s time to put those crunchy snacks on the table!

Can adding oil make air-fried food more crispy?

In many cases, adding oil to your foods while being air-fried may help create a crispier texture. But this ultimately depends on the type of food you are air frying. Proteins like fish, pork, and beef may benefit from the addition of oil.

However, there are certain types of foods that may soak up the oil and otherwise result in a soggy texture. Air fryers rely on the circulation of really hot air to cook and create a crispy outer layer. Therefore, it is unnecessary to add oil to achieve a similar effect.

There are a variety of other ways to make food crispier.

How to make food crispier in an air fryer without adding oil

One of many ways to make food crispier in an air fryer without adding oil is to add a pinch of baking soda to the food. Baking soda has the ability to raise the pH levels of your food which creates a basic or alkaline environment. This helps to break down the structural compounds on the outer layer of your food and becomes a catalyst to the browning process. However, baking soda does leave an aftertaste.

If you want to try this out, all you have to do is mix half a teaspoon of baking soda into a mixture of 1 tbsp of kosher salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. Toss it with the food, and air fry. Surprisingly enough, your food will come out quite a bit crispier.

You can also use baking powder which is a leavening agent when it comes to baking. Mix it in with some cornstarch, and salt. The ending result is that it dries out the surface of your food leaving a crispy and crunchy product.

Another method for making your food crispier is to set your temperature higher. Higher temperatures will rapidly cook the outer layer of your food, push the water out, and make it crispier. Just make sure you cook your food thoroughly. You don’t want the interior to still be uncooked.

This also brings us to another method. You can also cook your food for a longer period of time in the air fryer. Cooking for a longer period of time will give the heat more time to dry out the outer layer and make it harder and crispier.

Can you add oil to an air fryer while it’s cooking?

You can add oil to an air fryer while it’s cooking, but you should be careful of the heat. You shouldn’t overfill your fryer with oil or leave it unattended while it’s cooking with oil.

Here’s how to do it safely:

Start off by making sure it’s the right time to interrupt the process of air frying your food
Remove the basket from the body of the air fryer but be careful, there could be a lot of steam
Most machines will automatically stop working the moment you pull out the basket
Use a food spray, or an oil spray and spray about one teaspoon on your meal
Once you put the tray back into the air fryer and resume cooking

What do you put oil in an air fryer for?

When deep-frying, super hot oil is used to help water percolate out of the top layer of the food. It’s great at absorbing heat and helps transfer it from the oven or air fryer to the food.

In many cases, adding oil to your food before you air fry will help create an even crispier layer of food. But this is often only for certain types of foods. Foods with a less permeable outer layer will benefit from becoming crispier since the oil won’t be able to pass through and into the food.

However, certain foods can mistakenly absorb the oil deep inside of them and cause them to come out simply greasy. This has a lot to do with how the process of cooking differs between air frying and deep-frying. In air frying, the oil is not already heated up. And it also ends up cooking for several minutes longer than deep frying.

One reason to add oil to your food while your air frying could be that you want to put a bit of the flavor that oil provides into your food. If this is the case, then you merely need about 1 tbsp of oil to make this happen.

Whether you want to achieve an even higher level of crispiness, or you enjoy the oily flavor, I recommend using an oil sprayer. This will evenly distribute the oil all around your meal for even and balanced cooking.

Another good reason why some people might want to put a little bit of extra oil in their air fryer is to give it a nice, golden color.

Do you need oil to use an air fryer?

No. You can use an air fryer without having to add any oil.

In fact, air fryers are built with the intention of not having to use oil at all. You can still of course add oil, but it’s not necessary for most meals.

Air fryers work by circulating hot air around the food and cooking it evenly. This super hot air helps pull out the water from the surface of the food, drying that outer layer and creating a natural crispy texture.

What types of oils can I use in an air fryer?

There are many oils you can use in your air fryer. Some oils, like olive oil, are best for breading things like chicken or fish before cooking to make them crispy and crunchy. Other oils, like avocado oil, are best to use in things that need a lot of heat and a high temperature for cooking.

Also, adding some extra virgin olive or coconut oils will ensure your food comes out more crisp and crunchy than ever before!

Mistakes to avoid while making your food crispier in the air fryer

To avoid mistakes while making your food crispier in an air fryer, keep the following in mind:

Don’t use too much oil or butter
Don’t use a lot of spices or other ingredients at once
Don’t rush cooking the food
Make sure you’re using a large enough pan
Don’t overfill your basket full of food
If you’re going to use aluminum foil or parchment paper, play something heavy over it so that it doesn’t move around and block the fan or heating element
Make sure your air fryer is clean before you cook with it
Make sure you pre-heat your air fryer
Don’t leave your air fryer alone, always monitor it and the food that you’re cooking
Make sure you were cooking at the right temperature
Make sure you’re cooking for the right length of time
Don’t forget to flip your food over for more even cooking

Which air fryer makes the crispiest food?

Since an air fryer only functions to cook and circulate hot air around the food. There’s not much it can do in regards to increasing the crispiness of your food other than how high its temperature goes and how well the circulation process works.

If you don’t want to spend nearly an arm and a leg to buy an expensive commercial air fryer, then I highly recommend you look at the Ninja Foodi Dual Heal Air Fry Countertop Oven (Link here to Amazon). While most consumer-level air fryers can reach up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, this air fryer cooks from both the bottom and the top, with the bottom reaching up to temperatures of 500 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the kind of temperature you could use to properly sear a steak, creating that perfect crispy exterior.

How much oil do I put in my air fryer?

If you are dead set on adding oil to your air fryer, then I would suggest using an oil sprayer. These things are sometimes called an oil mister. It’s basically just a spray bottle that you put oil in. However, it’s designed specifically to handle the viscosity of the oil.

You can check out the link here on Amazon for an oil sprayer that works well for air fryers.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to get an oil sprayer, then you should try and measure out about 1 to 2 teaspoonsful of oil and spread it evenly throughout the food that you placed in your air fryer. This should be enough to help increase the crispiness of your food.

FAQ

Do I need to put oil in the air fryer when cooking french fries?

No, you do not need to put oil in the air fryer when cooking fries. However, french fries usually have that oily flavor to them, and if that’s what you want, you can spray or add a little bit of extra oil to your frozen french fries if you like.

Do you put oil in the bottom of an air fryer?

Yes, you can put oil at the bottom of your air fryer, but this isn’t for the same reason you’re thinking. Oil prevents food from sticking to the plate.

I recommend that you put a very thin layer of oil on the inner surface of your basket so that food that doesn’t fall into it gets stuck. Most air fryers are made with a nonstick coating inside. But it never hurts to help add a little bit of oil to help keep your basket’s nonstick material lasting longer.

When using an air fryer where do you put the oil?

If you want to make absolutely sure that the food that falls to the bottom of the basket doesn’t get stuck at all, then add a thin layer of oil to the surface of the basket. If you’re wanting an even crispier texture for your meal, then spray no more than 1 to 2 teaspoons of cooking oil over your food.

How do I make sure my fried food is crispy?

To make sure that your fried food is crispy, try not to over fry it. This will keep the crust from coming off when you are eating it. Try cooking the food at a lower temperature until a crispy crust forms.

In some cases, the opposite may be true. Cooking at last time but higher heat may actually produce a crispier outcome.

Other interesting articles: