In Defense of the Air Fryer

TikTok convinced me that owning an air fryer would change my life. It also convinced me to whip my instant coffee and that I should have more Cool Spring colors in my wardrobe, so I believed the algorithm, caved, and bought one.

Don’t get me wrong, I do likeee it. It’s game changing when it comes to reheating leftovers and I’ve made some great crispy salmon bites (this is the recipe I used!) and cauliflower wings in there, but I’ve never felt like I truly understood the hype that the “I worship at the altar of my air fryer” speak of, so I decided to do some digging.

All of that to say…I get it now. Big time. That odd spaceship looking machine on my counter has earned it’s spot. I finally understand why (as of this month), they are reported to be in 71% of American homes?!

How They Work

The first misconception about air fryers is in the name. They don’t actually fry anything. That’s why everyone got so hype about the “healthier” alternative when they first hit the market. Air fryers are pretty much just super aggressive convection ovens.

TLDR: A heating element gets hot, a fan blasts that hot air around your food, and the perforated basket lets the air circulate underneath and around everything. That really fast airflow removes moisture from the surface of your food, allowing it to brown and crisp much faster than it would in a conventional oven.

Which brings us to the most important rule of air frying: DO NOT CROWD THE BASKET

I didn’t believe that it was thaaat big of a deal until I experienced the difference. I used to always say “done is better than perfect” and go along my merry way, dumping the whole thing of frozen fries in and hoping for the best.

Unfortunately, the extra time it takes to do it in batches is ultimately worth it (and still faster than frying or baking).

An air fryer needs room for that hot air to circulate. Overcrowding traps moisture, prevents proper browning, and turns the whole thing into a tiny steamed-food convention. The USDA specifically recommends cooking in batches when necessary because an overcrowded basket can interfere with even cooking.

The Foods That Actually Deserve An Air Fryer

Some foods are simply better suited to the air fryer than others. Here are my air fryer go tos:

Potatoes

This is the obvious one, but for good reason. Toss cubed potatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper, and whatever seasoning situation you have going on, then air fry until deeply golden and crisp.

Brussels sprouts

Halve them, toss with oil and salt, and let the edges get aggressively brown. Finish with lemon juice, Parmesan, balsamic, or hot honey.

Chicken thighs or wings

The skin gets ridiculously crisp while the meat stays juicy. Just remember that poultry needs to reach 165°F internally, so use a thermometer rather than trusting the little timer on the machine.

This is the wing recipe I go back to every time! It’s perfectly proportioned.

Salmon

This is one of my favorite weeknight applications because you get browned edges without turning on the entire oven. Add a little olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and lemon, and you've basically handled dinner. Recipe here!

Leftover anything

This is the ultimate air fryer superpower. Pizza. Fries. Chicken tenders. Roasted vegetables. Anything that was crispy yesterday and sad today can be reheated with dignity in an air fryer.

Crispy snacks

One of my favorite ways to use an air fryer is for things that feel slightly too annoying to make in the oven. I love chucking in garbanzo beans to make crispy snacking chickpeas or old tortillas to make tortilla chips. It’s also great for anything you want to melt cheese in but keep the outside crispy, like grilled cheese or mozz sticks.

I never thought I would say this, but I just made these air fryer pickles, and they were…transcendental.

All of the above are just some general ideas to get you started! An easy formula to keep in mind is: protein + vegetable + seasoning + heat = meal

For example:

Chicken thighs + broccoli + olive oil + garlic powder

Salmon + asparagus + lemon + Dijon

Shrimp + peppers + chili crisp

Tofu + soy sauce + sesame oil