Why You Can Trust CNET 7 Things I'll Never Cook in an Air Fryer Again
And you shouldn't either.
Wild convection heat is not ideal for large cuts of meat.
The air fryer may seem like it can do anything -- and it sure can do a lot -- but there are some foods that just don't work in the speedy countertop cooker. If you're wondering which foods shouldn't go in an air fryer, I found out the hard way after a few trial and errors.
The air fryer blasts food with fast, hot convection heat. That style of cooking is ace for making crispy, juicy meals out of food that contain a fair amount of natural fat such as chicken thighs or a filet of salmon. But try to cook lean meats or fragile veggies in the air fryer and they'll get pulverized and dried out but the air fryer's fierce flow of hot air.
So which foods should you never cook in the air fryer? Here's a list of seven things I'll never make in the air fryer again.
1. Boneless pork chops
Boneless pork chops dry out too easily for an air fryer.
A perfectly cooked pork chop is a thig of beauty but these lean cuts of meat can dry out in a hurry. Bacon, bone-in pork chops and fattier cuts of swine can handle the air fryer but lean, boneless pork chops tend to dry out when subected to the blast of high heat. If you're going to use the air fryer to cook pork chops, do so on a lower temperature and use some fat to keep things moist.
2. Spinach and leafy greens
Crisped spinach and kale will not turn out well in an air fryer.
Leafy greens are a big no when it comes to air-fryer cooking. The hot convection air will crisp most leafy greens such as spinach, kale and chard far beyond anything you'd want to eat.
3. Steak
Steak cooked in an air fryer may end up tough and rubbery.
Steak reheats well in the air fryer, but it's not a good place for it the first time. Air fryer baskets get hot but not hot enough to give the outside of your steak a proper sear. I've tried cooking steaks in the air fryer before. Even fatty, forgiving steaks don't come out as well compared to when they're cooking on a hot plancha, cast-iron skillet or grill.
4. Unbreaded chicken breasts
Unbreaded chicken breasts are not the best candidates.
Chicken wings, thighs and any bone-in pieces are perfect candidates for the air fryer. Boneless chicken breasts don't have much fat and will dry out easily. Protect them with a little egg batter and breadcrumbs and you'll be okay, but bare chicken breasts cooked in the air fryer often emerge dry or rubbery.
5. Large cuts of meat
Pot roast typically needs low and slow methods of cooking.
Large cuts of beef, pork and lamb typically do best when cooked with a low and slow method such as braising or smoking. Avoid the air fryer with its hot blast of convection air when cooking large cuts of meat and opt for the Dutch oven, slow cooker or pellet smoker.
6. Uncovered broccoli
The air fryer will singe broccoli unless you cover it in foil.
If you wrap your broccoli in foil, you can use the air fryer to roast it — and quickly. If you leave it uncovered and exposed to the hot convection air and you'll end up with sizzled broccoli ends that are anything but delicious.
7. Shellfish
Clams and mussels are better for a pot instead of an air fryer.
Shellfish such as clams and mussels need liquid to cook without drying out. They are also easily overcooked, which can lead to a chewy rubbery morsel that you don't want anywhere near your plate. Avoid the air fryer when cooking most shellfish.
If you're looking for a great air fryer, here are CNET's top-rated models for 2024. For more, these are the best air-frying toaster ovens for 2024.
