Should You Really Add Water To Your Air Fryer When Cooking Vegetables?

Just when you thought you had all the best air fryer hacks for the perfect plate of crispy vegetables, here's one you probably didn't see coming. In what appears to be a counterintuitive step to achieving crispy roasted vegetables in an air fryer, coating your freshly chopped veggies in a one-to-one mixture of water and oil might be the key to unlocking better results — a fork-tender interior with a crispy golden exterior. There is a science behind why adding moisture to an appliance designed for crispy cooking can transform your vegetable game. 

It comes down to the two distinct phases of cooking vegetables and how the added water and oil complement each other. At first, the water is heated and steams the vegetables, ensuring they become tender at their core and evenly cooked. As the water evaporates, the oil takes over, providing the heat transfer needed for that golden-brown finish of perfectly roasted veggies.

So, skip hovering over a hot oven and say goodbye to overly charred veggies, and instead, sprinkle in some moisture and oil to elevate your air-fried fresh vegetables. However, for frozen vegetables, the process is a little different because they naturally release moisture as they cook. So, in this instance, all you need to do is coat them in oil and your favorite spices and seasonings (while forgoing the water). While air frying frozen vegetables, make sure to check that the veggies aren't laying in a pool of moisture during the cooking process, and drain out excess moisture as you will end up with a soggy serving of vegetables if you don't. By managing this moisture, you can achieve a gourmet, restaurant-quality serving of vegetables at home.

While air fryers are fantastic for minimizing the amount of oil used in cooking due to the device's rapid circulation of hot air, skipping oil altogether is actually a common mistake that can lead to disappointing results. A light coating of oil can elevate your plate of air-fried vegetables from lackluster and dry to succulent and crisp. First, oil helps conduct heat evenly across the vegetable's surface, facilitating uniform cooking and browning. Without it, you might end up with spots that are overcooked while others remain undone.

Oil also helps create that desirable golden-brown exterior by facilitating the Maillard reaction, which is different from caramelization, and is the chemical process responsible for developing complex flavors and that appealing crispy texture. When vegetables are air-fried without oil, they can become dry and tough rather than crispy. Additionally, oil acts as a binding agent, ensuring that your favorite seasonings stick to the vegetables' surface rather than falling to the bottom of the basket. To maintain the air fryer's reputation as the go-to appliance for minimal oil in cooking, go light on the amount of oil (about 1 tablespoon per pound of veggies), and choose oils with high smoke points, like avocado or light olive oil, for best results.