Is Air Frying Healthy
The biggest myth about air fryer chicken nuggets, busted.
Food Network Kitchens Air Fryer Zucchini Chips, as seen on Food Network.
Renee Comet
It may seem as though everyone you know has jumped on the air fryer bandwagon and for good reason. This trend has been around since 2010 with the major appeal of faster, easier recipes that taste just as good as their deep-fried counterparts. While many have come a long way from air frying French fries, the basic idea that anything made in the air fryer must be healthy persists. We hate to be the ones to say it, but just because you air fry French fries, doesnt make them as healthy as baked potato. Dont worry, though. Its true air frying uses far less oil than deep frying and, therefore, can be a healthier option. Here are a few ways to make sure youre using your air fryer to the best of its healthy cooking ability while still having some fun in the kitchen.
Switching To An Air Fryer May Aid In Weight Loss
Deep-fried foods arent just higher in fat, but theyre also higher in calories and may contribute to weight gain.
One study of 33,542 Spanish adults found that a higher intake of fried foods was associated with a greater risk for obesity .
If youre looking to trim your waistline, swapping your deep-fried foods for air-fried foods may be a good place to start.
Clocking in at 9 calories in every gram of fat, dietary fat contains over twice as many calories per gram as other macronutrients like protein and carbohydrates.
Because air-fried foods are lower in fat than deep-fried ones, switching to an air fryer may be an easy way to help cut calories and help you manage your weight.
Besides being higher in fat and calories, frying food can create potentially dangerous compounds like acrylamide.
Acrylamide is a compound formed in carbohydrate-rich foods during high-heat cooking methods like frying .
According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, acrylamide is classified as a probable human carcinogen, meaning that some research shows that acrylamide may be linked to cancer development .
The Environmental Protection Agency also finds that acrylamide is likely to be carcinogenic to humans .
Air-frying your food instead of using a deep fryer may help lower the acrylamide content of your fried foods.
In fact, one study found that air-frying reduced acrylamide by up to 90% compared to traditional deep-frying .
Breaded Air Fryer Pork Chops
Get the applesauce out: It’s time for pork chop night. The combo of Panko and seasoned whole wheat bread crumbs give the outside of these crispy chops a varied texture, and by air-frying instead of pan-frying, you can reach your end goal without suffering a countertop covered with splattered oil.
Get our recipe for Breaded Air Fryer Pork Chops.
Read Also: Jimmy Dean Sausage Biscuit In Air Fryer
Air Fryer Advantages And Disadvantages
There are multiple advantages to adding an air fryer to your kitchen gadgets. Air fryers allow you to save time by cooking foods faster. They also allow for faster kitchen clean up time. Most importantly, air fryers allow you to make healthy dishes that actually taste good.
There are a few disadvantages to cooking with an air fryer that are worth pointing out.
Overcooking meats in an air fryer can cause them to get a layer of blackened crust. This layer of crust is called acrylamide, a fairly common compound that can potentially cause cancer. When cooking in your air fryer you should remove this layer of the blackened crust before eating your meats.
Air fryers also present you with a higher risk of burning or drying out your food. These magic gadgets cook food rapidly at high temperatures. It is important that you watch your food and cook for the proper duration.
Veggie Air Fryer Recipes
Air fryer veggies are in a class of their own. The hot air of the air fryer turns every veggie into the crispiest, crunchiest version of itself. Here are a few faves to include when you want both flavor and good nutrition in your side dish.
Air Fryer Vegetable Egg Rolls by Life Currents Blog
When they arent deep-fried, vegetable egg rolls are such a delicious, healthy little package. I like a recipe like this one because it puts the emphasis on vegetable. Filled with cabbage slaw, onion, and bell peppers, these are crispy without a residue of oil from deep frying to coat your fingertips. And theres a bonus of flaxseeds for protein and healthy fat. If you have a smaller air fryer, cook these off in batches of two to allow for the best browning.
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+ Air Fryer Healthy Recipes For All Meals
First the magic bullet and now the air fryer. Every so often a food craze breaks out thats so great that you cant help but jump on the bandwagon. In my quest to eat healthier but still enjoy the taste of my food Ive landed on the infamous air fryer. In this blog post, Im going to share with you my mega list of healthy air fryer recipes.
Note: This page contains affiliate links, which means that if you buy something using one of the links below, I may earn a commission.
Rotisserie Chicken Cooking Tips
- Cooking a whole chicken in an air fryer at home ensures it will be perfectly moist. I think weve all purchased a store bought rotisserie chicken at some point that was sadly undercooked. Never again!
- Use a small whole chicken that has plenty of room to rotate in your air fryer. You dont want the chicken to come in contact with the heating elements while on the rotisserie. Ideal size is a 4-5 pound chicken. Air Fryer Cornish Hens work as an excellent alternative.
- Use whatever style of whole chicken that fits your preferences and budget. Purchase from your butcher, grocery store, a local farm, in the organic aisle, or select a pre-seasoned bird to save time.
- Slather the whole chicken with butter and spice mixture using your hands. Leave no nook or cranny uncovered!
- Use our homemade dry rub recipe to flavour the skin or purchase your favourite store bought poultry seasoning in the spice section.
- Leave the cavity of the bird empty as you will need to pass the rotisserie rod through the interior. If you traditionally serve roast chicken with stuffing feel free to bake it in a casserole dish in your oven separately.
- Be sure to wrap the bottom crumb tray which catches the drippings in tin foil so clean up is a breeze after dinner.
- This Air Fryer Rotisserie Chicken recipe is finished cooking and safe to eat once the internal temperature reads 165 F.
- Save the bones and use them for a homemade chicken broth recipe.
Also Check: Emeril’s Air Fryer Cookbook
Air Fryer Spinach Pepper And Havarti Frittata
You may not have thought to make a frittata in your air fryer, but you can! You’ll get a gorgeous brown crust with a creamy interiorand clever use of a cake pan makes it a cinch to unmold. We used Havarti for its mild flavor and superior melting qualities, but substitute another good melting cheese such as Cheddar, jack or fontina if you like. Serve the frittata warm or at room temperature.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Spinach, Pepper and Havarti Frittata
How To Flip Food In Air Fryer Appliances
While reading through air fryer Recipes, you are very likely to come across the phrase shake basket Its easy to flip food in the air fryer. How you do so would largely depend on the type of food you are cooking. For flat foods like burgers Simply slide a spatula under the food and flip over gently.
For chicken and steak, a pair of kitchen tongs will do the magic. If cooking fries, shaking the basket would suffice.
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Did You Make Any Of These Easy Air Fryer Recipes
Please leave a comment and rating below, and let me know what you thought of this round up of these easy air fryer recipes. Be sure to snap a picture and tag me on Instagram or share it on the Pinterest pin so that I can follow along.
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How To Know When Asparagus Is Bad
Asparagus should always be firm. Its still okay to eat if the stalks are a little limp but touch the tips and see if they feel soft and mushy. This means they will taste mushy when eating and should just be thrown out.
The bottom of the stalks should always look fresh. If they start to appear woody, this means they are past their prime.
Cut off the bottoms about ½ inch to 1 inch and see if the stalks appear fresh and green, they are okay to eat.
If the stalks still appear woody, the asparagus will continue to have this woody taste when cooked and should be tossed.
Also Check: America’s Test Kitchen Deep Fryer
Spicy Air Fryer Pork Belly With Kabocha Squash
In Korea there are many versions of tong sam gyup goo yi , a favorite ingredient that is often grilled, roasted in the oven or fried on the stovetop. Here it is cooked in an air fryer, which is gaining in popularity there, for an easier, splatter-free alternative to traditional versions it also makes clean-up a breeze. The pork belly is just as browned and crispy on the outside while the interior stays tender and juicy. This update also gets a spicy kick from a streamlined gochujang sauce made with pantry staples. Brush it on in the last few minutes of cooking to create a gorgeous, caramelized coating. Kabocha squash, air fried with the pork belly, rounds out the meal.
Get the Recipe: Spicy Air Fryer Pork Belly with Kabocha Squash
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Other Helpful Tools For Air Frying Food
Pelcher recommends buying a pair of tongs and a food thermometer when you purchase your air fryer. The food is hot after it cooks, so the tongs will help you transfer the food safely to your plate, she says. Also, having a food thermometer to take the temperature of your meats will prevent you from serving raw proteins.
RELATED: 10 High-Protein Dinner Recipes No Meat Required
Best Air Fryer Recipes
You can just add some salt and pepper, or our homemade dry rub to this salmon in the air fryer and it comes out perfect every time.
And making a whole chicken in an air fryer has never been easier. Way better than rotisserie.
Then lets move on to something like air fryer chicken parmesan. It is simple and gets that crunch on the outside you love.
Air fryer fried shrimp is delicious with Old Bay seasoning which I love. If you love spicy, give air fryer firecracker chicken a whirl. Paired with fried ravioli without any oil is great.
- Zucchini boats can be made with cheese or meat. Either way it is simple to make and really cheap too.
- Make air fryer hard boiled eggs and make egg salad for lunch.
Want a really quick meal that your kids will love to dress up just the way they want to? Try a frozen turkey burger in air fryer tonight.
- This semi homemade air fryer pizza is a favorite with a fast cook time.
- you can also make it as an air fryer hot pocket which is fun for the kids to eat
You can read our article about Ninja air fryer recipes if you have that specific machine. Many are listed here though.
Recommended Reading: Lofter Air Fryer
What You Need To Make Healthy Air Fryer Chicken And Veggies
- Chicken breasts: Chopping the chicken breast up ahead of time will make it cook evenly and faster. The bigger the pieces they are, the longer it will take.
- Bell peppers: Chop up your favorite color of bell peppers or a combination of any of them. I love red because they add color and are a little sweeter but go with what you like best.
- Zucchini: Roasting zucchini in the air fryer tastes impressive! You are going to want to cook it this way a lot after you taste it. Yum!
- Broccoli: One thing I love about this air fryer recipe is that you can easily use fresh broccoli or frozen. This is wonderful when you dont have fresh ones on hand.
- Onion: Chop up some onions, and they will add lots of flavor to the chicken and veggies.
- Garlic: The garlic is optional because we are already using garlic powder but it adds so much flavor and is highly recommended!
- Olive oil: When it comes to cooking in your air fryer, you dont need a lot of oil. Its a much healthier option than deep fat frying food the way you get in a fast-food chain.
- Seasonings: I love using a combination of seasonings to add flavor to the chicken and vegetables. Garlic powder, chili powder , salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning are my go-to flavors. However, you could use lemon-pepper, cajun, or anything else you like.
Using An Air Fryer Can Help Cut Fat Content
Deep-fried foods are generally higher in fat than foods prepared using other cooking methods.
For example, a chicken breast that has been fried contains more fat than an equal amount of roasted chicken .
Some brands claim that using an air fryer can help cut fried foods fat content by up to 75%.
This is because air fryers require significantly less fat than traditional deep fryers. While many recipes for deep-fried dishes call for up to 3 cups of oil, air-fried foods need only about 1 tablespoon .
This means that deep fryers use up to 50 times more oil than air fryers and, while the food does not absorb all of that oil, using an air fryer can significantly cut down on the overall fat content of your food.
One study compared the characteristics of deep-fried and air-fried french fries and found that air-frying resulted in a final product with substantially less fat but a similar color and moisture content .
This can have a major impact on your health, as a higher intake of fat from vegetable oils has been associated with an increased risk of conditions like heart disease and inflammation (
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Balsamic Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
Image credit: The Forked Spoon
Brussels sprouts are continuing to enjoy a popularity spike, and while there are a million ways to enjoy them from frying to roasting they come out especially delicious in the air fryer. These Brussels sprouts are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and just involve slicing and trimming Brussels sprouts, tossing them in a bowl with some olive oil and your seasoning of choice, and heating in the air fryer for 15 minutes. While this recipe calls for pairing with a balsamic dressing, the possibilities are truly endless .
Healthy Air Fryer Parmesan Chicken With Broccoli
This chicken gets incredibly crunchy, thanks to a light coating of panko and Parmesan and a quick cook in the air fryer! Serve it with charred broccoli and a tangy yogurt sauce for a healthy and complete meal you can throw together any day of the week.
Get the Recipe: Healthy Air Fryer Parmesan Chicken with Broccoli
Also Check: Jimmy Dean Croissant Sandwich Air Fryer
How To Assemble & Truss Air Fry Rotisserie Chicken
The spit that comes with the fryer contains three different pieces. There are prongs for each end to hold the meat in place, plus the rod that the food rotates on.
We suggest that you first attach one of the prongs to the bar. Then thread the chicken onto the bar through its empty cavity. Make sure the chicken is securely attached to the prongs on the bar.
Next, attach the second prong attachement to the other side of the rod. Ensure the prongs are both securely skewered between the chicken.
After the whole chicken is secured to the road, cut a long piece of twine with kitchen scissors, approximately 3 feet long. Lay the chicken on your counter or cutting board with the breast facing up.
Place the midpoint of the string in front of the chickens neck underneath the rod. Hold an end of the twine in each hand. Bring the twine up and over the bird, securing the wings in place.
Now bring the ends of the string between the legs and under the top of the chickens cavity. Cross the string under the top of the chickens cavity. Cross the base of the drumsticks and loop the twine around the ankles to secure, pulling tightly and firmly. Make a secure knot with the string.
Cut off the excess twine with a pair of sharp scissors. Voila you have successfully trussed a whole chicken and its ready to cook on a rotisserie in your air fryer!
