What Cannot Be Cooked in an Air Fryer? (19 Things to Avoid!)
The air fryer is a popular kitchen appliance that promises to eliminate the need for extra fat and oil. But what can’t be cooked in an air fryer? You might be surprised to find out what you can’t air fry.
I’ve put together the ultimate list of things you should know and some workarounds to do them anyway!
1. Air fryers can’t help you make sauces
Air fryers are amazing appliances that can help you cook a variety of food items. However, there are some things that air fryers just can’t do. One example is sauces. Sauces are difficult to make in an air fryer because they are composed of mostly liquid. They also require a lot of mixing and intervention. As a result, the sauce will not cook evenly and will likely be burnt on the outside while being under-cooked on the inside.
2. Air fryers can’t boil water
While air fryers are great for frying foods, they cannot be used to boil water. This is because they only reach a temperature of 450 degrees Fahrenheit, which does seem hot enough to boil water.
However, the problem has to do with the way air fryers work. Because air fryers use their fans to push hot air over exposed surfaces of your food, the only exposed surface would likely be the top of the bowl of water you put in. Rather than boiling all the water, the boiling will likely occur at the top, where it is exposed to the hot air.
Boiling water with an air fryer is simply not efficient. You’re going to use a lot more power than any of the other kitchen appliances, like microwaves and stove tops. If you need to boil water, you should use a stove top instead.
If you are looking for an appliance that can boil water, then you may want to consider investing in a microwave or stove top. These are much more efficient ways of boiling water.
3. Air fryers get messy with wet batter
Air fryers are great for cooking up all sorts of foods, but they can get messy with wet batter. The consistency of wet batter doesn’t set well, so it just drips off the food while it’s cooking. Air fryers use powerful fans in order to push hot air across and around all of your food. Because wet batter is not hard enough to stay on your food, the chances of it being moved over and warped are highly likely. This can create a big mess in your air fryer, so you should avoid using wet batter altogether.
If you want to coat your food in a crispy layer, it’s best to use dry ingredients like cornmeal or breadcrumbs. But it’s important that you make these things stick to your food so that it doesn’t fly around thanks to the fan. You can mix these with some wet ingredients like eggs or milk to create a batter that will stick to your food. Then just toss the food into the air fryer basket and cook away!
4. Air fryers may unevenly cook leafy greens
Leafy greens like spinach are a healthy addition to any diet, but they can be tricky to cook in an air fryer. The high speed at which the appliance cooks food can cause them to burn, and they may not be cooked evenly. It’s also possible that the fan inside the air fryer can end up making the leafy greens fly around everywhere, causing a mess.
If you’re going to put leafy greens inside your air fryer, be sure to have something that will hold them down so that they don’t get loose and end up as a mess inside the air fryer. It’s important to monitor your food carefully when cooking leafy greens in an air fryer and to coat them with enough oil so that they weigh down and cook evenly. Kale chips are a good option for air frying, as they do well when coated in oil.
5. Most air fryers aren’t big enough for whole roasts
Many air fryers are small and compact, making them a great option for small meals or snacks. However, they are not typically large enough to accommodate a whole roast.
Although air fryers are becoming more popular, they don’t have the same capacity as ovens. This means that they aren’t ideal for roasts or whole chickens. The basket or cooking rack is simply too small. If you put a roast or chicken in an air fryer, there’s a good chance that it will be so large that all its parts will touch the corners of the air fryer, including the heat source. The side of the roast or chicken closest to the heat source will cook well before the other side, potentially burning it.
To avoid this, you’ll need to cook a few pieces at a time for an air fryer to correctly cook chicken. Cut your roast or chicken into smaller pieces and set it into the air fryer in multiple batches.
6. Cheese gets messy in an air fryer
Cheese is a popular food that can be cooked in an air fryer, but it can be messy. When cheese is cooked in an air fryer, it will melt everywhere and release oil, creating a mess. For this reason, it is best to cook the cheese on parchment paper first. Just make sure that your air fryer’s heating element is not too close to the food or it will burn the parchment paper.
There are different ways to cook cheese in an air fryer. However, be cautious when using air fryers because the heating element is close to the food. If you’re not careful, your food may end up burning.
You can also layer cheese inside a sandwich if you don’t want it to get messy.
7. Raw grains can’t simply go into an air fryer
If you’re looking to cook some grains in your air fryer, you’re out of luck. Grains like rice and pasta need to be cooked on the stovetop or in a rice cooker so that they will properly rise and gain the right texture. Otherwise, they’ll simply turn into a big mushy mess.
It’s also not recommended that you cook raw grains in an air fryer. They won’t get the same consistent texture as if they were cooked on the stovetop, and they may end up sticking to the bottom of your appliance.
8. Air fryers can’t cook rice
Air fryers are a great appliance to have in your kitchen, but there are some things they just can’t do. One such thing is cooking rice. Rice takes around 10 minutes to reheat in an air fryer, and it’s not a very good idea to try and cook frozen rice in one. The thawing process unevenly heats the rice, and it can easily become burnt if you’re not careful. However, the trick is to open up your air fryer and move your eyes around halfway through the reheating process.
Air fryers aren’t as good at boiling water as pressure cookers or rice cookers, so if you’re looking to make some rice, those might be better appliances to use. Air fryers don’t cook water well. In fact, if you try to boil water, the surface of the water will get the most hot, followed by a potentially cooler center. Making rice in an air fryer will not leave the right consistency like other appliances. Alternatively, you can invest in a rice cooker for making large batches of rice that are otherwise difficult to cook.
Also, it may take a lot longer to cook rice in an air fryer. This is because that’s the way it heats only the top of the water surface. You are going to spend a lot more energy getting an air fryer to cook and boil water than it is just using a rice cooker.
9. Air fryers may dry out your burger
Air fryers are a great way to cook food, but they may not be the best option for cooking burgers. Burgers require a certain level of doneness, and air fryers may not be able to provide that.
Additionally, air fryers may dry out your burger because of the high heat they use. A lot of people use air fryers to crisp the outside layer of their food. Obviously, you don’t want to crisp the outside layer of your burger patties. Burger patties need to be soft and juicy.
10. Lose seasonings can create a mess in your air fryer
When it comes to seasoning your food, you should be careful with how much you use. If you’re not careful, the seasonings can easily create a mess in your air fryer. The air fryer fan is very powerful and can knock your seasoning off your food and have it flying around the basket.
The food you are seasoning can end up getting caught in crevices or stuck on other pieces of the device, which can make it harder for you to clean it properly later and can potentially damage your air fryer down the road.
11. Air fryers can dry out your Ravioli
If you’re not careful, your air fryer can end up drying out your pasta, especially your ravioli. Air frying is a great way to cook food quickly and healthily, but it’s important to be aware of the downsides and factors to consider when using this appliance. For example, an air fryer can cook at a lower temperature than traditional cooking methods, which may dry out your pasta.
Ravioli needs to be cooked with plenty of moisture, and unfortunately, air fryers will try to harden the exterior of the pasta and make it crispy instead.
12. Air fryers create a hard crust on your baked goods
If you’re looking for a crunchy texture in your baked goods, an air fryer is the way to go. However, you may not be happy with the results if you’re after a soft-baked sweet treat. Air fryers are known for creating a hard crust on donuts and cookies. So, if you’re after something soft and fluffy, this may not be the cooking method for you.
13. Air fryers are small and can’t cook for a large party
Air fryers are small appliances, so they’re perfect for cooking for a small party. They don’t take up a lot of space on the countertop, and they’re easy to use. You normally can’t cook a whole chicken in an air fryer, or pizza, or even pounds of finger foods. If you want to, you’ll have to opt to buy one of the larger, more expensive air fryers that do it all.
If you’re throwing a party, you might want to reconsider using an air fryer for much of the cooking. If you’re still
14. You can’t put too much food into an air fryer
The bad thing about air fryers is that you can’t put a lot of food into them, and if you do, you might end up with an unevenly cooked, soggy meal. You’ll also have to worry about your food burning and not cooking properly because the air that the fan pushes around might not be able to reach all those hard-to-reach places in your meal.
Similar to cooking for a large party, you’ll have to break your meal into parts and cook them separately. This, in turn, takes time and might end up leaving your family or guests waiting for a long time. I recommend using a larger kitchen appliance if you need to cook for a lot of people.
15. Air fryers make muffins with hard outer layers
Air fryers are becoming more and more popular, but they’re not ideal for making baked goods. We all love that soft, caramelized top that tasty muffins always end up with. However, you might find it a little difficult when it comes to making muffins in the air fryer.
The air fryer makes muffins that have hard outer layers. What will likely happen is that your muffin top will rise but end up hard and crispy due to the functional nature of the air fryer—making things crispy.
If you’re in the mood for a sweet treat, consider trying these recipes: air fryer donuts or air fryer chocolate chip cookies. But, be ready for a slightly harder exterior than normal.
16. Air fryers can make eggs taste rubbery
It’s no secret that air fryers are all the rage right now. They make it possible to cook food without using a lot of oil, and they produce crispy results without the mess. However, there is one thing that air fryers can’t seem to do well, and that’s cook eggs.
Many people have found that when they try to hard-boil eggs in an air fryer, they come out rubbery and unpleasant-tasting. There are several reasons for this. First of all, the air fryer cooks at a much higher temperature than other methods of boiling eggs, which can cause them to become rubbery. Secondly, the lack of water can also make them tough.
Fortunately, there are plenty of other kitchen appliances that can cook your eggs for you. The most common one is a simple pot or pan and a stove. There are also ways to cook your eggs in a microwave, and you can check out our article on it here.
17. Air fryers burn baby spinach
Air fryers are not perfect for cooking spinach. The fans can blow around leaves, leaving the cook with a mix of raw and charred greens. It’s better to air fry kale instead of baby spinach because kale is meant to be crispier than spinach in small batches and it is more robust than spinach.
The cooking time for kale is about 10 minutes. Keep in mind that 3 packed cups of raw kale yields about 2 1/2 loosely packed cups of cooked kale. Zucchini and carrots also shrink significantly when cooked in an air fryer, so keep those in mind if you want to cook for a crowd!
18. You can’t boil noodles in an air fryer
While the air fryer is a great way to cook food that doesn’t need boiling water, like chicken or French fries, it won’t be able to bring water to a boil. This means you can’t cook pasta properly according to package instructions.
Air fryers will mostly cook the top surface of the water, leaving the submerged area of the
So if you’re looking for an alternative to the stove top or microwave for cooking pasta, the air fryer isn’t your best option. However, the air fryer is a great way to reheat leftover pasta dishes instead of using the microwave. Just make sure you turn your pasta over halfway when cooking in an air fryer.
19. Don’t air fry soups
Just like boiling water, it’s important to understand that air fryers just doesn’t work with anything that has lots of liquid in it. In this case, if you’re thinking about air frying soups, then don’t bother.
The first thing that’s going to happen is that your soup is going to be very hot on the top and kind of warm at the bottom. This uneven cooking is going to leave you kind of feeling that it didn’t fully cook your soup all the way through. You might even get a cold center.
Another disadvantage to cooking with an air fryer, is that if you’re going to cook soup with it you’re probably going to waste a lot of energy doing so.In order to fully cook your soup with your air fryer, it’s going. Take a lot longer than what you would get from a microwave or stove top oven.
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