Avoid These Mistakes When Cooking Chicken In The Air Fryer
NEWS
By ELAINE TODD
Preheating
One notable advantage of using an air fryer over a regular oven is the lack of a long preheat time. However, this step often goes overlooked and skipped with an air fryer.
Skipping this step means the chicken will warm slowly without crisping it up. The fryer could also have cold spots in those early moments and might not cook the chicken evenly.
Temperature
Air fryers will speed up your cooking, but the shortened cooking time can leave your chicken overcooked and dried out if you don't adjust the temperature at the start.
Instant Pot suggests reducing the temperature by 35 degrees Fahrenheit and cooking time by 20-25% for fresh food. For frozen food, only reduce the cooking time by 50%.
Basket
While it's tempting to fill the basket as much as possible to save time, doing so can actually force you to recook some of the food.
An air fryer uses hot air circulating around the food to cook it, and filling the basket as much as possible blocks the flow of air, meaning it works less effectively.
Chicken Breast
Breasts are the most common cut of chicken purchased in the U.S., but they're not the tastiest part and are easy to overcook.
Although the air fryer gives you a better chance of succulent results than other cooking methods, you should take the opportunity to explore different cuts, like thighs and legs.
Oil
Air fryers famously use much less oil, but you are missing out on texture and flavor if you refrain from adding any to your chicken.
Try brushing oil onto the chicken before adding it to the basket. For even more flavor, season your oil with salt, pepper, and other herbs and spices before applying.
