How To Use Air Fryer Oven: Your Guide for Perfect Results

Air fryer ovens are gaining popularity, but many new owners wonder how to use Air Fryer Oven. The internet provides plenty of helpful advice for traditional basket-style air fryers. But full-sized air fryer ovens are a bit different. Sometimes figuring out how to use air fryer oven settings can feel confusing.

An air fryer oven essentially combines convection oven cooking with traditional basket air frying capabilities. Although air fryer ovens aren't deep fryers, many find that it can replicate deep frying to an impressive degree. You can also accomplish a wider range of cooking tasks, making it worth the cost.

Jump to:

• Countertop Air Fryer vs. Air Fryer Oven
• How to Get Started Using Air Fry Mode In Oven
• Tips for Cooking in a Traditional Oven with Air Fry Function
• How to Cook with an Air Fryer Oven
• Common Problems and Solutions for Oven Air Fryers
• FAQ's
• Conclusion

Countertop Air Fryer vs. Air Fryer Oven

Although both a countertop air fryer and an air fryer oven use hot air, each model does things a little differently. An air fryer oven can save counter space by combining the functions of an air fryer and a full-size oven, eliminating the need for an additional appliance.

This means there are times when a specific air fryer is the best choice. Additionally, air frying is a healthier alternative to deep frying because it requires less oil and allows for cooking with little to no oil.

Countertop Air Fryer

A countertop air fryer (sometimes called a basket-style air fryer) generally cooks food more quickly, because the size is smaller. You'll be limited by space in some ways though because the average air fryer usually only cooks around two to four servings worth of food.

Although that size might be good for people living alone, if you have more people in your family it can get annoying to make multiple batches of food. Countertop air fryers do shine when cooking smaller portions because they get them crispy very quickly.

Although some of the ovens with built-in air fryer modes take around 17 minutes to heat, the countertop air fryers typically only need a couple of minutes to heat up. This can mean cutting down on cooking time overall and using less power, as cooking frozen French fries might only take 10 minutes or so compared to cooking them in a conventional oven, which takes around 20-25 minutes.

Check out this recipe: Air Fryer Corn On The Cob

Air Fryer Oven

The main benefit of an air fryer oven is that it offers much greater space to cook larger meals at once than a basket air fryer, sometimes up to a 14-pound turkey. Using an air fry tray allows you to cook larger meals in a healthier way compared to deep frying.

Unlike the traditional basket-style countertop air fryer that opens upward and contains a removable basket, a wall oven or a convection oven range usually has a drop-down oven door. Convection fans circulate hot air quickly to crisp up food, making these ovens highly effective.

This means that depending on what’s cooking in the air fryer oven you’ll want to select bakeware suited to it. They can be used like a mini convection oven or as an air fryer that does not require you to preheat.

The Differences in Cooking Methods and Pans

When cooking in your traditional oven with a preheat air fry setting, most foods cook a little longer and the heat may feel more intense at the start. The oven takes a bit longer to get up to temperature since the entire space has to get hot versus countertop models or toaster ovens.

But it's worth it since the final product generally has less risk of burns around the edges. A Nasdaq report showed how it can cost less money to operate an air fryer over a full-sized conventional oven, but you have to think through how much time it saves, too.

Is It Necessary to Use Special Bakeware in a Range Oven With Air Fry Mode?

It's especially critical that when you're cooking with air fry mode you're using the right bakeware or else it just won't be the same. This is especially important to know for recipes meant for a traditional countertop or toaster oven with an air fryer function, too.

To mimic a basket air fryer's intense cyclonic air frying function in your full-size oven, you will want to invest in a special crisper tray with a rack. These usually come with a drip tray as well to help with messes, making your life easier.

A crisper basket can fit a surprising amount of food depending on what is cooking. The basket is great because the heat air comes from underneath and cooks the food faster because of it. That being said, when cooking with thicker ingredients such as chicken wings, I flip them over about halfway through, although some ovens don't need to preheat when air frying.

To keep all the pieces hot after they're done I put them into a warm oven. If you do this make sure it's only at the lowest temp of warm though, or it will dry the pieces out.

How to Get Started Using Air Fry Mode In Oven

Using an air fryer can help cut down on both cooking time and cooking oils needed. Using less cooking oil is considered healthier than deep frying, but you don't have to skip the flavor that comes with using oils because misting them is generally an easy alternative.

Use Oil to Keep Foods Moist

Although I hardly use oil for frozen packaged foods, fresh meats, or vegetables benefit from spritzing them with an oil sprayer so that the airflow around the food won't dry them out, though air fryer ovens work by quickly circulating hot air all over the surface.

But this shouldn't dissuade you from cooking saucier or messier things like saucy chicken wings or breaded foods in the air fryer mode in the oven. Instead of using a perforated crisper tray or air frying rack, use a traditional sheet pan for these types of recipes.

It keeps them contained, avoids spills, and cuts down on cleanup significantly. If you're only making small portions consider using a countertop or toaster oven air fryer, as some even come with grill inserts too.

Tips for Cooking in a Traditional Oven with Air Fry Function

Air fryer recipes and traditional oven recipes aren't one and the same. Here's what I have learned using mine almost daily:

General Advice for Cooking with Air Fry Mode In Traditional Oven

I use a full-size air fryer oven in my kitchen with a built-in air fry option and convection capability. But what do you actually use when air frying this way? Since it has a drop-down door versus opening upward and doesn't have a basket, sometimes I'm not sure which settings to use.

Although there isn't anything explicitly wrong with placing your food right on the baking sheet, it might cook a little unevenly.

So instead I rely on one of two options:

1. Place parchment paper on the baking sheet and lay your food on it. If cooking frozen foods skip this entirely because it only adds more cook time as the paper acts as a bit of a barrier between the food and the intense hot air from beneath.
2. If cooking anything traditionally air-fried, such as French fries (whether frozen or fresh), I use a specialized air fryer basket and tray that you can find online. To let even more heat circulate, I place my oven racks in the top third and lower third positions. Then I put the included baking sheet on the bottom rack, which is sized slightly smaller than the overall air fryer rack to let hot air cook from the bottom too.

How to Cook with an Air Fryer Oven

Air fryers cook in a fraction of the time as your standard conventional cooking in your regular oven. Here are the five steps you should use for better results:

Preheat Your Air Fryer

Some manufacturers such as GE recommend skipping preheat when cooking in air fry mode. You can check the owner's manual to know the specifications for yours but it probably does have this feature.

Since there are so many types of air fryers to choose from it's impossible to know all the instructions, but using a higher temp will make a huge difference with some of the smaller oven-style countertop fryers.

Five minutes or so will be long enough if your model suggests preheating, especially because too high of a temp can actually be harmful to delicate foods like fish filets.

Use Cooking Instructions From Recipes Meant for Air Fryers

Countertop and wall ovens are often equipped with both an air fryer basket and a cooking tray that looks a lot like a sheet pan. If the air fryer came with instructions or a cookbook, following those instructions for those recipes specifically can give you much better outcomes.

Many websites and cookbooks that I have looked at explain how the time and temperature can be completely different from traditional ovens. But with a traditional oven with an air fry mode, you can cook up multiple dishes at the same time without the worry of any flavors competing for space.

They are great too because they have both convection capabilities as well as broil options. You won't necessarily be missing those features if your appliance doesn't come with both.

Related: Air Fryer Hacks: Genius Ways to Use Your Air Fryer

Flip Food Mid-Way During Cooking Time

When cooking things like french fries or wings using the fry mode or convection capability on the oven with an air fry setting, you want to check for a few key signs. Around halfway during the recommended cooking time for your recipe, peek at your dish to look at the level of crisping.

If the food is getting a good amount of golden browning to your liking you should turn the oven air down about 20 degrees or lower.

Check Doneness Close to Suggested Recipe Instructions

You might need an extra one to seven minutes of cook time depending on the dish. That's okay though. It is usually not much longer because even wall ovens with air fryers cook way faster than cooking with a conventional oven and this saves you money.

If the oven has other features as well such as toast and broil, try using them with traditional recipes, although you don't need to buy separate trays to experiment with this, especially with those smaller meals. This can free up the larger oven for those larger things, as this is more about what works best for your cooking needs.

Common Problems and Solutions for Oven Air Fryers

Troubleshooting issues with your air fryer can feel challenging, so I'll explain how to tackle the main concerns:

Foods Cook More Slowly

While some ranges or countertop ovens have longer preheat settings than basket-style air fryers, the cook time can be about the same. Don't crowd the sheet pan with too much food because you will end up with uneven doneness and more steam as a result.

This can mean undercooking. Some types of meats require you to check the temperature with an alarm thermometer.

Make sure the food has plenty of space in the crisper tray if you are making those sorts of recipes, especially the breaded foods because they often require a longer cook time than vegetables, pizza, or cookies. You can also cook in smaller batches for a better end result.

Air Fried Foods Don't Get Crispy

Many foods are well-suited to cooking with hot air. Some, although tempting to fry, turn out less satisfying than using a different setting such as a regular conventional setting. Some items can be challenging because they contain sauces that cook and bubble up too fast.

This will often leave you with dry meat but runny sauce because the intense heat cooks the moisture out very quickly, whereas with things like reheating precooked fried foods, it will only take a few minutes to get those deliciously hot crispy textures with those breaded foods.

Foods with more delicate proteins and lots of liquids such as scallops can burn because the circulating air in a full-size convection or fryer oven may heat up faster.

You will have a few options to counteract this:

1. Spray it with a tablespoon or less of your preferred cooking oil.
2. Reduce the temperature by 20 degrees during cook time if necessary. This ensures a longer but also more thorough cooking process and also avoids undercooking, although many recipes recommend higher heat, 350 - 400 degrees Fahrenheit is a good temp.

Also read: Air Fryer vs Gas Oven: Which Saves More on Energy Costs?

Cooking at Too High a Temperature

Sometimes things cook way faster using an air fry oven. So when it comes time to make air-fried foods, what should you be aware of, what things cook too fast, and what steps should you follow?

You want to pay closer attention if you experience this. Take your meat out a few minutes early and check the internal temp or make sure the edges are cooked to your preference before they get too dark.

I recommend preheating and then taking the food out around ¾ of the way through the suggested recipe time if possible so that the food has time to reach doneness at the lowest heat of the warm function.

Sometimes even taking it out at half of the suggested time will mean that the outside is ready, but the interior of the breaded meats isn't there yet.

Use Parchment paper

Parchment paper is great to help avoid messes, but you want to make sure you're not completely covering any holes or openings on a crisper tray or basket because it blocks the flow of hot air around food that can easily result in a dried-out exterior, a burnt exterior or uneven doneness.

With baked goods though you generally only need a sheet of paper placed under them, as with the recipes made in the manufacturer-provided cookbooks.

I typically use parchment paper this way:

1. Tear off enough parchment paper to cover the tray surface that will contact the food, with only a few inches hanging over the edges
2. Crumple the paper, then straighten it and lay it flat onto your sheet pan.
3. Add your foods and slide the sheet pan into your air fryer.

Don't cover your baking sheet completely with parchment paper. You only want to cover it so that the food sits directly on top and not any uncovered parts because those areas tend to burn. Covering it completely will act as a barrier between the paper and food.

Conclusion

An air fryer is a powerful appliance in the kitchen. There is hardly anything I haven't tried cooking with mine, and you can, too! Using an air fryer oven offers a convenient way to enjoy crispy, flavorful dishes with less oil.

Whether air frying in the basket or baking with the convection function, it's a versatile kitchen tool for healthier cooking and delicious results. Happy air frying!