Best Oil For Air Fryer

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If you’re looking to air fry your favorite foods, you’ll need to know which oils are best for the job. Different oils impart different flavors on food, and some are better for keeping your equipment clean and safe. Learn more about the Best Oil For The Air Fryer!

Can you use oil in an air fryer? Yes, but not for deep frying. Though fryer is in the name of the equipment, this kitchen gadget uses dry circulating heat to “fry” food giving it a crispy texture on the outside without the use of oil for deep frying.

But, that doesn’t mean that zero oil is used to make food in your air fryer. In fact, oil plays an important role in air fryer cooking because it’s what lends to the crispy texture on the outside of food. Adding a thin layer of cooking oil to your food will help it cook evenly and taste delicious.

But not all oils are created equal! Some have to low of a smoke point to handle the high heat of the air fryer, and some will give your food an undesirable flavor.

First, let’s talk about the types of oil you shouldn’t use in your air fryer.

🚫Worst Oil To Use In Air Fryer

Olive Oil: Has a low smoke point which means it could burn easily and add lots of smoke to the area while cooking.

Grapeseed Oil: This oil has a low smoke point so that it will burn and smoke quickly. Additionally, the flavor is not one that everyone enjoys.

Butter: Although butter tastes delicious, the milk solids containing lactose will burn easily, creating smoke and a burnt flavor.

Coconut Oil: This oil has a relatively high smoke point but imparts a strong coconut flavor to your food. You can find triple refined coconut oil to use instead that will not give your food a coconut flavor unless you want it to.

✅Best Oils To Use For Air Fryer

Avocado Oil: Avocado oil has a high smoke point and is a neutral flavored oil, making it ideal for air fryer cooking. It also contains lots of health benefits and is our preferred choice to use for cooking in all methods.

Peanut Oil: Peanut oil also has a high smoke point and is flavorless, making it a perfect choice for air frying.

Canola Oil: Canola oil has a high smoke point and is flavorless, making it another great choice for air fryers.

Refined Coconut Oil: Not only does this have health benefits, but its natural coconut flavor is neutralized in the refining process, making it a good choice for air fryer cooking.

💦Using Cooking Spray In The Air Fryer

Can you use cooking spray in the air fryer? Yes, but we recommend avoiding it if possible. Cooking spray is an aerosolized form of oil that can be difficult to evenly coat your food with. This can lead to uneven cooking and wasted product.

Additionally, the chemicals in some cooking sprays can leave a residue on your air fryer that is difficult to clean. If you use cooking spray, we recommend using avocado or refined coconut oil that contains no other ingredients.

The best way to use spray oil in the air fryer is to use an oil sprayer. You simply add your favorite cooking oil to the bottle and spray it where you need it. This saves you money and will allow you to have healthy cooking oil on hand!

❔FAQ

Is cooking with olive oil in the air fryer healthy?

While olive oil is healthy to use in foods, using it in the air fryer may heat it up too much, negating the health benefits. It also could leave a sticky residue on your air fryer.

Why is my food not crispy in the air fryer?

There could be many reasons for this. You didn’t coat the food with a light layer of oil. The air fryer basket is too crowded, causing the food to steam, or you’re not cooking at a high enough temperature or flipping the food if needed.

Do you spray oil on frozen french fries in the air fryer?

Generally, you don’t need to because most frozen french fries already have an oil coating on the outside and crisp up nicely without additional oil. You can toss them in oil for extra crispy fries but watch them so they don’t burn. Oil may also be helpful when reheating french fries in the air fryer.