Can Air Fryers Make Crisper Food Than Deep Frying? (How-To Guide)

Table of contents

Can air fryers make food crisper than deep-frying?

Yes, air fryers do have the ability to make food that is crisper than the food you get when deep frying since they use less oil so it is not going to sink into the breading after cooking and they can cook your breading all the way through.

How to get your air fried food to be as crispy as possible

In order to get your air fryer to produce the crispiest food possible, you need to make sure you are rotating your food halfway through cooking so all sides can get crisp, that you are using the right type and amount of oil, and that you are cooking your food long enough depending on what the food you are cooking is.

The thing you need to understand is that the hotter the oil, the crispier it will become. The temperature has a strong correlation with crispiness. However, you must make sure you understand that some of these oils have certain thresholds that are unique to that particular oil.

How and why does the outer layer of food get crispy?

Food crisps up as the water from inside the food starts to work its way out through the cooking process. Your breading creates a barrier that hardens and crisps to keep the food moist and to ensure that all the moisture from your food does not escape. When your breading cooks it hardens or crisps up as part of the cooking process. Breading that is starchy tends to work best and tends to crisp up best overall.

With an air fryer

With an air fryer convection or the circulation of hot air works to help cook your food. As the food cooks the hot air helps to force water out of your food and helps to create that crispy texture on the surface of your food that we all love.

With a deep fryer

With oil and deep frying, the reaction and the process of crisping are a bit faster. The hot oil rapidly removes the water from the surface layer of your food creating a crispy crust that then gets crisper and crisper as it cooks.

What types of food would yield the crispiest when cooked properly in an air fryer?

To get the crispiest food in an air fryer you want food that is either already thawed if it was frozen or food that has a good breading on it. Smaller pieces tend to crisp up better than larger pieces and foods that have a good starchy breading are going to crisp up beautifully.

Reasons why your air-fried food is not getting that crispy texture

There are a few reasons your air fryer is not getting crispy enough.

You’re not adjusting for cooking times

Cooking times for each food are different. Though you might be tempted to set your fryer at one setting then forget it, you should be adjusting your temp depending on what you are cooking. Most air fryers get as hot as 425 degrees and this allows you to adjust depending on what you are cooking.

You’re not monitoring the temperature of your air fryer

On top of making sure your temps are right out of the gate, you should also take the time to make sure you are taking note of your air fryer temps as it works. To get the best crisp you want an even cooking temperature that does not fluctuate greatly. Most air fryers are going to have a read-out of some sort that lets you know what the internal temp is while it is cooking.

You’re not using enough oil with your air fryer

Even though an air fryer is great for cooking without oil, you do still need a little oil to get that reaction that is needed for a crispy crust. You need the oil in order to make the water evaporate quickly and to create that barrier that leads to a crispy shell.

You added too much oil to your air fryer

You can use too much oil, however. Since the air fryer is not like a deep fryer and all the oil does not heat up to the same temperature at the same time, too much oil can also lead to soggy food. If the oil is not heated properly it is going to leave a greasy and soggy mess on any food that you are trying to cook.

You used PAM in your air fryer

Another issue you might be running into is using something like PAM in your air fryer. While spray oils are fine, PAM is not necessarily a spray oil that is going to help crisp your food. It is best used for keeping food from sticking not for making food crisp up.

You overfilled the air fryer basket

A basket that is too crowded can also cause a ton of issues. You want your food in an even layer, not touching if possible, across the bottom of your fryer. This is going to give all the food all the space it needs to get cooked evenly on all sides.

You’re ignoring the oil’s smoking point that you used in your air fryer

The smoking point of your oil also has a lot to do with how well it crisps up. If you have an oil with a very high smoking point, you want to make sure your oil is going to get hot enough to actually crisp but not hot enough to burn.

You don’t give your air fryer room to vent

Your air fryer needs to be moved away from walls and other objects on the counter so it can draw in the fresh air and regulate its temperature on its own and so that it can put off hot air when it gets too hot. Not doing this can negatively affect the outcome of cooking.

You don’t clean your air fryer often enough

You also need to clean your air fryer. Old oil can make your food soggy and it can also make it taste strange. Clean your air fryer every time you use it to ensure the best results.

You didn’t preheat your air fryer

Preheating is another great tip. It helps get your air fryer up to temperature before the food is even added to allow maximum heat the entire time the fryer is cooking.

Your seasoning is flying around the basket

When cooking something with fresh breading in an air fryer, it can affect the overall process. You want to use enough oil to help keep the seasoning on the food so that the air fryer can do its job.

You are cooking leafy greens in the air fryer

Foods with tons of water in them like greens tend to do nothing more than wilt and burn when placed in an air fryer. If you are looking to dry out greens, a low and slow method in a conventional oven is much better.

You’re not using the accessories for your air fryer

Your basket and the accessories that come with it are a great asset. If you have the rack that can help elevate your food up off the bottom of the fryer this will allow the air to get all the way around your food through the entire cooking process.

You’re not drying your air fryer completely

Any water that is left in the fryer after washing can have a negative effect on your food and how crispy it is. You want to make sure you dry your air fryer fully before use.

You need a better quality air fryer

Another problem may be the air fryer itself. If you have one that does not get hot enough, that does not cook evenly or that has issues, you might be dealing with an air fryer that is simply not going to crisp your food fully.

Do Air Fryers Actually “Fry” Food?

Air fryers do not fry food in the traditional sense because they do not immerse it fully in the oil. They do however mimic frying and provide a tasty crust.

Does air-fried food taste like deep-fried food?

Air fryer food is not going to taste exactly like deep-fried food because some of the flavors do come from being submerged in the oil. It can still be super tasty, however.

What is the main difference between deep-frying and air-frying?

The main difference between air frying and deep-frying is the method of heating. A deep fryer heats the oil that then heats the food, an air fryer heats the air around the food that then heats the food fully.