As air fryers promise and deliver cooking fried food without any oil, it is no wonder that using oil in an air fryer may be the last thing on a person’s mind.
Contrary to belief, using a little oil in an air fryer will not harm an air fryer and actually cook crispier and tastier food.
Even if you use a little oil in your air fryers, it is still healthier than deep frying.
So with that said, let’s dive deep into whether or not air fryers need oil in your food preferences.
Do Air Fryers Need Oil?
Many people get confused about whether or not they should be using oil when air frying. Their source of confusion is mainly behind the saying that air fryers cook the same delicious food with no oil. Thus, no health risks.
The latter may be true but using a small amount of oil on your food does have some perks.
Some oil in an air fryer not only gives you extra crispy food but also has a golden brown outside.
As the amount of oil needed varies with the food and quantity, using oil the right way also matters to make sure that there is no damage to the appliance. Using too much oil may smoke under excessive heat from the air fryer.
How to Use Oil in an Air Fryer?
There are several ways of using oil in an air fryer.
Adding a little oil to your seasoning will not only make the food crispier and have that golden brown exterior, but it will also make sure that the seasoning stays on the food.
If there is no seasoning on your food, you can apply a light coat of oil to your air fryer basket with a brush or by using a spray bottle.
Make sure that you add the oil little by little. You do not want your air fryer to be too oily.
What Kind of Oil Works Best in an Air Fryer?
As air fryers are not supposed to have oils in them, it is vital to know what oil works best in air fryers.
Oils with a high smoke point will tolerate the high temperatures the air fryer reaches and will not burn or smoke. The smoke point refers to the burning or smoking point of the oil.
You want to use oils with smoking points over 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Some oils include peanut oil, olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil.
As these oils have different tastes and fatty contents, it is up to your taste buds.
Cleaning Air Fryers With Oil
Using oil in an air fryer needs thorough cleaning as the basket is not supposed to have oil in there.
Alongside the grease from the food itself, the oil grease will also start adding up inside the basket, particularly in between the tiny holes that are there for heat circulation. This may also prompt the air fryer to use more energy to work.
You would clean the basket the same as before but with more force. Just grab an old rag and dip it into a cleaning solution and start scrubbing.
You want to make sure that there is no excess water inside the air fryer as that could harm the internals of the appliance. Squeeze the excess water by using the rag out of the basket.
In the end, use a paper towel to clean the remaining dirt and grime and to make sure that the insides are fully dry.
Do Not Use Non-Stick Sprays
Non-stick cooking sprays damage the non-stick coating of pans and air fryers.
The basket of the air fryer has to have a perfect non-stick coating or else the food will start sticking to it.
Instead of using non-stick cooking sprays, pour some oil into a spray bottle and make your “cooking spray”.
On the other hand, if you insist on using the non-stick cooking sprays, directly spray the food outside the basket.
Using Butter Instead of Oil in an Air Fryer
The usage of butter depends from person to person as the butter has a lower smoke point than oils and its flavor also turns nutty.
Butter should be used when there is something that can absorb the butter like a piece of bread or dough. This will counter the low smoke point and still give that buttery flavor to your food.
Conclusion
So do air fryers need oil? That depends on your food preferences and taste buds.
While you are not supposed to put any oil in air fryers, a little bit of oil does cook better food and has no harm to the appliance.
