Air fryer users are being cautioned about using their beloved appliance for cooking a favourite dinner item, as it could lead to problems. The device is celebrated for giving foodies the chance to rustle up their top dishes with ease and speed, surpassing traditional cooking methods.
Yet, experts have issued a warning about preparing meat on the bone in air fryers. These kitchen wonders operate with a cooking chamber, a heating element, and a fan—the latter ensuring that hot air circulates evenly throughout the chamber, cooking the food uniformly.
However, this method doesn’t quite cut it for bone-in meats like whole chickens. Despite the trend of popping roast chickens into air fryers, they’re actually better off in the oven.
Southern Living advised that large bone-in meats should stick to traditional roasting for more even cooking results. Air fryers aren’t cut out for hefty cuts of meat, which are best left to oven cooking.
Better Homes & Gardens cautioned: “The air fryer won’t evenly cook the meat, and you may be left with overcooked or raw portions when it looks like it’s done.”
That said, not all meats are off-limits for the air fryer. Smaller meaty treats such as chicken wings, fried chicken, and bacon can still sizzle away in there.
When it comes to steak, though, size matters, and larger cuts will need to find their way back to the oven. Bone-in cuts are typically more flavourful and less likely to be overcooked, but they may not fit in the air fryer basket.
All Recipes wrote that most air fryers can only reach a maximum temperature of approximately 230°C, which is relatively low for cooking steak.