What Is Air Frying & Is It a Healthy Way to Cook?

Convection ovens can be used for air frying, saving you space and reducing the need for another appliance. In order to air fry in a convection oven, you’ll need a basket tray to put your food in that allows for enhanced airflow. In the tray, be sure to space the ingredients out so air can contact every part of the food. Dishes in countertop air fryers and convection ovens usually cook 20° C to 25° C (68° F to 77° F)  cooler than in conventional ovens, but you should always check cooking instructions before starting. Since convection ovens are larger, air-frying may take longer than with a traditional air fryer, so make sure to observe your food carefully to see if it needs to brown longer or shorter.

A LITTLE OIL CAN GO A LONG WAY
The food doesn't need to be submerged in oil as with a deep fryer, air fryers only require one or two tablespoons.

SPACE YOUR FOOD OUT EVENLY
Air frying relies on hot air coming into contact with the food. You should arrange your food in a single layer to allow air to circulate.

SHAKE THE AIR FRY BASKET TO ENHANCE CRISPINESS
For a consistent outcome, you should shake the air fry basket occasionally while making sure you keep your food in a single layer and remain spaced out for proper air circulation.

You may be wondering: is air frying healthy? By using air for cooking food, less oil is used compared to deep frying, making it a healthier alternative. With a deep fryer, food is caramelized or browned by using heated air to dry the surface, which promotes the cooking process that results in browning or caramelizing. Air frying uses the combination of hot air and oil to brown or caramelize food, but only requires one to two tablespoons of oil compared to the minimum of four to six cups used when deep frying. 

With a convection oven that can air fry, like these Air Fry Ranges from Maytag®, you can make more than fried foods, allowing you to create a variety of dishes. The air fryer is not only useful for cooking meat and potatoes, but also for cooking vegetables, certain baked goods, and pasta.

Things to Air Fry: 
To get you started, here are some air fry recipes that you might enjoy.

• Chicken wings
• Chicken tenders
• Brussels sprouts

• French fries
• Mozzarella sticks