Why You Should Never Put These 5 Foods in The Air Fryer

If only a few years ago it was not so widespread, today everyone knows about the air fryer and has been convinced to at least try it. The appliance invented in 2005 by the Dutchman Fred van der Weij is an excellent alternative to the oven, but also a means of "frying" food without using oil or butter.

The air fryer, in fact, uses only the heat that accumulates in the cooking chamber for cooking. A simple but effective system, which thanks to the very high temperatures it reaches in a short time allows you to cook many tasty recipes.

But be careful: not all foods can be cooked inside it. In fact, some foods should never be put in the air fryer because they may not cook well or even spoil.

After explaining in detail the mistakes not to make for perfect air fryer cooking, we will show you which foods you should never try to cook with this appliance and we will explain why.

Liquid Doughs Without a Mold

The very first food, or rather more than any other type of preparation, to keep away from the air fryer is very liquid dough to be cooked without a mold. We are not talking about cakes that are cooked in a container, but preparations such as batter or pancake dough: in this case, in fact, the liquid will drip away from the food we are cooking, settling on the bottom of the basket and therefore leaving the food with nothing. This type of cooking, in fact, lends itself much better to a type of dry breading, in which there is no risk of uncomfortable "dripping".

1. Broccoli

To cook them at their best, broccoli requires a particularly humid environment, which is not the case in an air fryer: if you put them in as is, without oil or other liquid these vegetables could dry out so much that they pulverize. It is better to use other appliances to cook them, but if you really have no alternative, be sure to add a spoonful of water to the bottom of the basket in order to create a minimum of humidity.

2. Fresh Leafy Vegetables

Broccoli isn't the only vegetable you should be careful about, as not all of them are suitable for air frying. Especially fresh leafy vegetables could become too dry with the heat and become unappetizing. So avoid cooking vegetables like spinach, chard, and cabbage in the appliance unless they are frozen: in this case, the ice will maintain the right level of humidity and the vegetables, instead of going limp, will remain nice and crunchy.

3. Cheese

There is nothing better than a slice of scamorza on the grill or a provola alla pizzaiola, unless you use the air fryer. This appliance does not go very well with the cooking of this particular food because in the fryer basket the slice of cheese would not just melt but would settle on the bottom creating a real disaster.

4. Pasta, Rice or Foods Cooked in Liquids

Whether it's pasta or rice, or any other food that needs to be cooked in a boiling liquid (for example, oat flakes used to make porridge), remember that this is not suitable for being placed inside the air fryer. In fact, the very system of operation of the appliance does not match the type of cooking required by these particular foods.

5. Roast

The roast, but any piece of meat that is particularly large, is not suitable for cooking in the air fryer. This type of preparation, for example a whole chicken, requires a long and uniform cooking that is not that of this particular appliance, more effective instead in cooking a few small pieces for a period of time that is not too long.

Other Foods to Never Put in The Air Fryer

In addition to the specific foods we mentioned above, there are other more general categories of foods that you should never cook in the air fryer if you want to avoid guaranteed disasters. As specified in the last point, it is always better to avoid inserting foods that are too large, such as whole chickens or fish, or giant steaks: they will not cook evenly, making only the outside cooked but leaving the inside raw.

Also prohibited are foods that are too moist, those that are too liquid like the batter already mentioned, but also sauces, gravies, soups and broths. The hot air is blown everywhere inside the appliance and at a very high speed, with the result that these liquids spread everywhere, ruining your dish but also the appliance.

For the same reason, foods that are too light and crumbly, such as frappe, are not good: the air that circulates very quickly in the basket would move them all and, instead of making them puffy and crunchy, would destroy them. It is better that you avoid them then, unless you have the special net to specifically keep this type of preparation on the bottom of the basket.

Even foods with too many layers (such as the classic lasagna alla bolognese) are not suitable for cooking in the air fryer, for the same reason as foods that are too large: the compactness of the layers prevents air from circulating in every area of ​​the preparation, with the result that the food is well cooked on the top but very raw inside and moist on the bottom.