There’s something almost magical about air fryers. We’re big fans of the small countertop appliance in this house, especially when they cook foods quickly and perfectly. There’s no other way I’d prefer to cook wings, French fries, last night’s pizza or even a whole chicken. But not all of our experiments with the air fryer have gone as well as hoped — there are some foods not worth cooking in the air fryer, tempting as it is.
Leafy greens, certain lean meats and other foods are no longer welcome in my air fryer basket. The most recurring issue is how fast the air fryer cooks which can cause some foods without much oil or density to dry out, burn or crisp too quickly.
Here are eight foods you should never cook in the air fryer.
1. Lean pork chops or tenderloin
A perfectly cooked pork chop is a thing of beauty but leaner cuts of the other white 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 and tenderloin tend to dry out when subjected to the blast of high heat. If you’re going to use the air fryer to cook pork chops, do so at a lower temperature and use some fat to keep things from getting too dry.
2. Spinach and leafy greens
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. Solid veggies including Brussels sprouts, squash and zucchini fare well in the air fryer, but leafy greens are best when sautéed, stewed or steamed.
3. Steak
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
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
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. Naked broccoli
If you wrap your broccoli in foil, you can use the air fryer to roast it (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
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.
8. Most baked goods
While you can certainly do some baking in the air fryer, use caution since the air fryer’s superconvection behaves differently than a normal oven’s convection heat.
Baking a cake or batch of cookies in the air fryer using the time and temperature called for in a recipe will often result in an overcooked, dry or burnt dessert. When baking in an air fryer, use recipes that are specific to an air fryer and don’t assume an oven recipe will translate.
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.
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