How to Air Fry Without Directions

Despite the remaining air fryer haters out there, this mini convection oven is here to stay. You can air fry steaks, and cheesecakes, but my favorite things to air fry are frozen pre-made snacks like samosas, French fries, and phyllo-wrapped anything. Unfortunately, the companies that make your favorite frozen appetizers and finger foods haven’t quite caught up. They know we’re out here air frying, but plenty of boxes don’t have air fryer directions on the back. Here’s how to troubleshoot air frying blind.

Consider your air fryer, historically

Air fryers come in two main varieties: the basket or the hinge-door (the one that looks a lot like an intense toaster oven). As with most appliances, they run slightly differently from model to model, machine to machine. Consider your air fryer’s past performance. Have you noticed that some recipes cook faster? Do you always need to shave off a few minutes or your fries burn? Maybe the outside cooks before the inside, so you always knock the temperature down 50 degrees.

If you’re rocking a recipe for the first time and your only directions are for a conventional oven, use that as your starting point, and adjust knowing that convection will be hotter and faster. Stary by bringing the temperature down. I usually drop it by 50°F, and one piece of advice on reddit is to decrease the temperature by 25°F, and take the time down by 20%.

In the market for an air fryer? Consider these models:

Think about what you’re air frying

Some tasty morsels are going to require different treatment in the air fryer, so consider the shape, density, and temperature of the item going in. A frozen shoestring fry is going to take less time than a sirloin steak. Frozen, boxed spanakopita might achieve more even color at a lower temperature, whereas the room temperature, homemade version might be fine with a short, hot stint. Desserts or more delicate bits will require more of a watchful eye. That reminds me:

Check on it

Sometimes even packages with air-fryer-specific recipes can be wrong. As mentioned above, some models just cook to the beat of their own drum. Always check on your air frying food. Since they cook rapidly, I usually check halfway through my predicted cooking time. I’ve pulled food out of my air fryer at that point because it was completely finished. It’s never too early to take a peek. I have a basket model air fryer that alerts me to flip the food halfway through, so this is a nice built-in check point for me. Hinge-door air fryers with a window are a real boon for this because you can simply peer inside without interrupting. That being said, I always set a timer for halfway regardless. I like well-crisped food, but I refuse to eat a desiccated French fry.

Until every box comes with air fry instructions, these considerations will help keep you from burning precious snacks.