Do You Put Oil In An Air Fryer?

Hey guys, so we recently covered How To Preheat Your Air Fryer. Now let’s talk about oil. Deciding to put oil in an air fryer may sound a little contradictory.

And it’s true that making food in an air fryer requires far less oil (and yes, sometimes no oil at all) than traditional cooking methods.

However, knowing when to use oil and which oil to use will help you get the most from your air fryer and ensure your dishes turn out perfectly cooked and perfectly delicious every time.

When deciding whether to put oil in an air fryer, there are a few factors to consider: the type of food you are making, how much food you are making, and the cooking temperature.

You should also be aware of the smoking point of the oil you’re planning to use (more about this later!).

Foods That Need Oil to Cook in an Air Fryer

There are lots of air fryer recipes that call for the addition of oil. Anytime you want food that is nice and crispy on the outside, you’ll want to give it a light coating of oil.

• Breaded or coated foods, like this air fryer fried chicken or crispy Air Fryer Fish.
• Homemade tortilla chips or potato chips.
• Vegetables (fresh or frozen), including potatoes.
• Frozen foods that tend to dry out during cooking, like frozen pierogies or frozen egg rolls.

When To Not Use Oil in Air Fryer

Many foods do not require oil to cook in an air fryer. You do not need to use oil for most meats. Especially meat that has already been marinated. Other foods that you do not need to use oil to cook include;

• Bacon and sausage.
• Hamburgers and hot dogs.
• Chicken wings.
• Frozen food that already contain oil, like tater tots, chicken nuggets, French fries, & onion rings.
• When baking cookies, cakes, and brownies.

How To Put Oil in Air Fryer

1. Add 1 teaspoon – 1 tablespoon of the oil of your choice to a mister or spray bottle.
2. Open the air fryer basket.
3. Holding the mister or spray bottle a couple of inches away, spritz the inside with a light coating of oil. You can also use a basting brush to apply an even, thin coating of oil onto the bottom of the basket.
4. Place the food inside and cook as directed.

Best Oils to Use in an Air Fryer

You can use almost any type of oil in the air fryer. Selecting which oil to use depends on the flavor profile of the food and the temperature at which you’ll be cooking.

This is due to the smoking point, which is the temperature at which an oil begins to smoke.

It’s important to use an oil with a smoking point that is higher than the temperature you will be cooking at. Following is a list of oil to use in an air fryer and the corresponding smoking point temperatures;

• Avocado Oil – 570F / 299C.
• Peanut Oil – 450F / 232C.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 410F / 210C.
• Vegetable Oil / Canola Oil – 400F / 204C.
• Coconut Oil – 350F / 176C.
• Butter – 250F / 121C.

Tips For Success

• Lightly spritz all sides of your food for even cooking. 
• Food starting to dry out during cooking? Then spray it with a bit of oil.
• Air fryer temperatures vary depending on the make and model. When cooking, it’s a good idea to start with less time, check food for doneness, then add more time as needed.

FAQs

Air Fryer Recipes You May Like

• Parmesan Breaded Air Fryer Chicken.
• Crispy Air Fryer Potato Chips.
• Easy Air Fryer Fried Pickles.
• Air Fryer Chickpeas (Super Crispy).
• Air Fryer Fried Oreos.

Thank you for reading my Do I use Oil in an Air Fryer post. And please come visit again as I continue to slice, dice, and dream up affordable Air Fryer recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Southern Recipes, and more. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog.