Air fryers have become increasingly popular in recent years as a healthier way to fry and cook foods. Many new ovens now come with a built-in air fryer setting that allows you to get the benefits of air frying right in your oven. But how does an oven’s air fryer setting actually work?
What is an Air Fryer?
An air fryer is a small countertop appliance that uses hot air to cook and crisp foods. The hot air rapidly circulates around food to produce a crispy, fried texture without submerging the food in oil. Air fryers can cook foods like french fries, chicken wings, and veggie fritters with just a tablespoon or less of oil.
While a traditional deep fryer submerges food in hot oil, an air fryer relies on convection to circulate hot air at high speed. This allows the exterior of foods to get crispy and browned while retaining moisture on the inside.
How Air Fryer Oven Settings Work
Oven manufacturers have started including air fryer settings on newer oven models. An oven air fryer setting works by utilizing the oven’s convection fans and heating elements to rapidly circulate hot air around food. Here are some key ways an oven air fryer setting functions:
- High convection fan speed – The convection fan runs at a higher speed to quickly circulate hot air around food.
- Increased top heat – More heat is produced from the top heating element to help crisp and brown foods.
- Optimized temperature – The oven temperature is preset to an optimal air frying temperature, usually between 350-400°F.
- Faster preheating – The oven preheats more rapidly so that hot air starts circulating sooner.
- Oven interior design – Some ovens may include design features like rings or fins to optimize air flow.
While most oven air fry settings rely solely on convection heat, some ovens may also incorporate a small amount of bottom heating to further mimic how a countertop air fryer cooks.
Benefits of Using an Oven’s Air Fry Setting
Cooking with your oven’s built-in air fry setting provides a number of advantages over deep frying or using a separate air fryer appliance:
- Healthier than deep frying – Air frying uses little to no oil compared to the large amount of oil needed for deep frying, reducing calories and fat.
- Larger capacity – An oven interior can fit more food than a compact air fryer, allowing you to cook larger batches.
- Versatility – An oven with air fry provides more cooking functions in one appliance.
- Easy cleanup – With minimal oil, air frying in the oven creates less mess than deep frying and avoids oil spatter.
- More cost effective – Using your existing oven avoids the cost of buying a separate air fryer appliance.
Tips for Using Your Oven’s Air Fry Setting
Here are some useful tips to get the most out of your oven’s air fry function:
- Use a minimal amount of oil – Lightly brush or spray food with 1-2 tsp of oil per pound to get air fried results.
- Cut foods smaller – Cut foods into smaller pieces to maximize surface area for crisping.
- Flip halfway – Flip or toss foods halfway through cooking to expose all sides to circulating air.
- Rotate pans – If air frying multiple pans at once, rotate pans between racks halfway through cooking.
- Raise racks – Cook on higher oven racks to promote air flow around foods.
- Reheat cooked foods – The air fry setting is great for reheating fried foods like french fries without getting greasy.
- Check internal temps – Use a food thermometer to confirm food is cooked through.
- Adjust cook times – Initial cook times may need adjustment from countertop air fryer recipes.
Common Foods to Air Fry in your Oven
Many foods that are traditionally fried can be made in your oven’s air fryer setting. Here are some of the most common and tasty foods to air fry:
- French fries
- Chicken wings and nuggets
- Meat cutlets like chicken, pork, or fish
- Brussels sprouts
- Asparagus
- Eggplant
- Zucchini sticks
- Potatoes
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Root vegetables like carrots, beets, turnips
- Empanadas
- Spring rolls
- Onion rings
- Donuts
- Pizza
The air fry setting gives all these foods and more a light, crispy exterior without a lot of added oil. Herbs, spices, bread crumbs, or small amounts of oil can add flavor. But essentially, the circulating hot air does the work of making foods taste fried.
Conclusion
An oven air fry setting takes advantage of built-in convection fans and heating elements to replicate the quick, crispy results of an air fryer right in your oven. It allows you to cook fried favorites like fries, wings, and veggies with just a little oil for a healthier, convenient option. Follow air frying tips like cutting smaller, flipping foods, and adjusting cook times as needed to get perfectly crisped results using your oven’s built-in air frying mode.