The air fryer has taken over kitchens faster than any gadget in recent memory. Over 70% of US adults either own one or are planning to buy one, which honestly makes sense given how much time and mess it saves compared to traditional cooking methods.
But here’s the thing everyone seems to miss. Just because you can technically cook something in an air fryer doesn’t mean you should throw your grandmother’s recipe in there without making some serious adjustments first. Andreas Hansen, founder and CEO of Fritaire air fryers, has some thoughts on this that might save your next dinner.
Temperature and Time Need a Complete Rethink
Your air fryer isn’t just a tiny oven. It circulates heat way faster, which means things brown and cook through much quicker than you’d expect. That recipe calling for 425 degrees and 30 minutes? Drop it to 400 degrees and check it around the 20-minute mark instead.
Hansen recommends reducing the temperature by 20 to 25 degrees right off the bat to prevent your food from drying out too fast. Then slash the cooking time by 20 to 30%. This isn’t optional if you want your food to turn out right. The smaller cooking chamber combined with rapid air circulation creates a completely different cooking environment than what your original recipe was designed for.
If you have one of those drawer-style air fryers without a window, you’re cooking blind every time you close that drawer. Set your expectations lower on timing and be ready to check earlier than you think necessary.
Size Matters More Than You Think
The biggest mistake people make is trying to cram too much food into their air fryer basket. Hansen is clear about this: “you want the heated air to get on every surface, so you need to avoid overcrowding.” That technology might be impressive, but it can’t work miracles if air can’t circulate properly.
Your sheet pan full of meatballs? That’s probably three batches in an air fryer. Those roasted vegetables need space between them, not piled on top of each other. Some recipes tell you to shake the basket halfway through, which works fine for sturdy items like Brussels sprouts but might destroy something more delicate.
Everything going in at the same time needs to be cut to uniform sizes too. Otherwise you’ll end up with some pieces perfectly cooked and others either raw or burnt.
The Moisture Problem Nobody Talks About
Air fryers strip moisture from food surfaces faster than conventional cooking methods. This is great for getting crispy results but terrible if you don’t plan for it. Hansen suggests adding marinades, brines, or at least a light coating of oil to combat this drying effect.
Those naturally moist vegetables like zucchini and eggplant actually benefit from this moisture removal. Your eggplant parmesan will probably turn out better in an air fryer than it ever did in the oven. But lean proteins or already-dry ingredients? They need help.
This is where thinking ahead about which recipes make sense for air fryer conversion becomes important. If your original recipe is already borderline dry, the air fryer will make it worse. Choose recipes that start with some built-in moisture insurance through marinades or naturally fatty ingredients.
Wet Batters Are Your Enemy
Deep-fried fish with that classic wet batter coating? Forget about getting the same results in your air fryer. The circulating air will blow that batter right off before it has a chance to set and crisp up. Hansen explains that air does what oil usually does, touching everything simultaneously, but it can’t hold a wet batter in place the way submersion in hot oil can.
Breaded items work infinitely better. Anything that gets the flour-egg-breadcrumb treatment or a coating that’s already adhered before cooking will give you those crispy results you’re after. High-fat proteins like chicken thighs release their own fat during cooking, helping the breading brown without needing to swim in oil.
Just make sure whatever you’re coating starts completely dry. Moisture is the enemy of adhesion whether you’re cooking in a deep fryer or an air fryer. And skip the non-stick spray in favor of a light spritz of actual oil on your breading for better texture and flavor.
When to Just Use Your Oven Instead
Not every recipe deserves the air fryer treatment. Sometimes the conventional method is simply better suited to what you’re making. Large casseroles, delicate baked goods that need gentle heat, anything requiring a water bath, these aren’t air fryer candidates no matter how much you adjust the temperature and time.
The air fryer excels at reheating already-fried foods, crisping up proteins, and cooking smaller portions of vegetables quickly. It’s a tool with specific strengths, not a replacement for every other appliance in your kitchen. Understanding those limitations will save you from disappointing results and wasted ingredients.
The real question isn’t whether you can convert a recipe to the air fryer, but whether you should, and whether the end result will actually be better than the original method.
