Air Frying Without An Air Fryer: Is It Possible?

Air fryers are popular kitchen appliances that use a small amount of oil and rapidly circulating hot air to fry foods. They are essentially tiny convection ovens with a fan that can achieve the crispiness of fried food without the mess and fat of a traditional fryer. However, they have some drawbacks, such as taking up counter space, having limited cooking capacity, and often being a one-trick pony. So, can you air fry without an air fryer? The answer is yes! You can use a convection oven or a toaster oven with a convection setting to achieve similar results. These larger appliances can hold more food and may even have dedicated air-fry settings. Additionally, using a perforated pan or oven-safe cooling rack can help circulate air around your food for even crisping. By following some simple tips and techniques, you can enjoy the benefits of air frying without needing to purchase a separate appliance.

Use a convection oven

If you want to air fry without an air fryer, you can use a convection oven. Convection ovens use a fan and exhaust system to circulate hot air, which helps to crisp up foods.

To use a convection oven for air frying, you should:

• Use a perforated pan or oven-safe cooling rack to allow air to circulate under and around your food.
• Avoid overloading your pan to ensure even crisping.
• Cut your food into long, thin sticks or small, bite-sized pieces to maximise the surface area and encourage browning.
• Dry your food thoroughly before placing it in the oven. You can also spray it with cooking spray or toss it with a neutral oil, like vegetable or grapeseed oil, to enhance browning.
• Flip your food halfway through the cooking process for even cooking and browning.
• Adjust your recipe temperature and cooking time: air fryers cook at a higher temperature and faster than a convection oven.

By following these tips, you can achieve similar results to an air fryer using a convection oven.

Use a toaster oven

Toaster ovens are a great alternative to air fryers. They are versatile appliances that can bake, broil, roast, toast, and, in some cases, even air-fry. They are perfect for small kitchens and can be used as a backup oven for daily cooking needs.

If you're looking to air-fry in a toaster oven, here are some tips to get the best results:

• Use a toaster oven with a convection setting: The convection setting circulates hot air around the food, similar to an air fryer, resulting in crispy and browned food.
• Choose a toaster oven with a dark or non-stick pan: Darker bakeware absorbs more heat and radiates it onto the food, helping it brown better.
• Use a perforated pan or an oven-safe cooling rack: This allows air to circulate under and around the food for even crisping.
• Don't overload the pan: Spread the food in an even layer with plenty of space between each piece to allow air circulation.
• Cut your food into long sticks or small bite-sized pieces: This maximizes the surface area and provides more exterior for browning.
• Prepare the food properly: Spray it lightly with cooking spray or toss it with a neutral oil to encourage browning and crisping.
• Flip the food halfway through cooking: This helps it cook and brown evenly.
• Adjust the recipe temperature: Air fryer recipes usually recommend a temperature 20°F to 25°F lower than a conventional oven. Increase the temperature by 25°F if using a regular oven or toaster oven without a convection fan.
• Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro: This toaster oven has a sleek design, an easy-to-use interface, and a spacious basket for airflow. It can toast, bagel, bake, broil, roast, warm, pizza, proof, air-fry, reheat, slow cook, and dehydrate.
• Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven: This toaster oven has convection capabilities and can be used for air-frying, baking, broiling, and toasting.
• Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer: This smaller model performed well in tests and has a high-contrast LCD screen and a user-friendly interface. It also has functions for keeping food warm, dehydrating, and slow cooking.

Cut food into long sticks or small, bite-sized pieces

When preparing food to be air-fried, it is important to cut it into long sticks or small, bite-sized pieces. This is because the shape maximises the surface area of the food, providing more exterior for browning. For example, tofu can be torn into pieces instead of slicing, to create a craggy shape that will encourage the formation of crispy, jagged edges.

When cooking steak bites, the steak should be cut into evenly-sized cubes. This is so that all the bites cook to the same level of doneness. For a medium-rare steak bite, cut the steak into larger pieces, otherwise, it will cook through during the air-frying process.

For steak bites, the steak should be seasoned and air-fried for around 20 minutes. The air fryer should be preheated for 5 minutes at 400ºF before adding the seasoned steak bites. The steak bites should then be cooked for 4-6 minutes at 400ºF.

Use a perforated pan

A perforated pan, also known as a perforated crisper tray, is a great alternative to an air fryer. It allows air to circulate under and around your food, resulting in even crisping. If you don't already have one, you can use an oven-safe cooling rack instead. Just remember to line the bottom of your oven with aluminium foil or place a baking sheet underneath to catch any crumbs or drips.

When preparing your food, make sure it's cut into long sticks or small, bite-sized pieces to maximise the surface area and encourage browning. You'll also want to ensure your food is dry before it goes into the oven. Lightly spraying it with cooking spray or tossing it with a neutral oil, such as vegetable or grapeseed oil, will help achieve that deep-fried taste and encourage browning and crisping.

It's important not to overload your pan. Food should be spread out in an even layer with space between each piece to allow for air circulation. Overloading the pan will cause the food to steam instead of bake or air-fry.

When following a recipe intended for an air fryer, remember that air fryers cook at a higher temperature than conventional ovens. You may need to increase the temperature by 20 to 25 degrees Celsius and allow a few extra minutes of cooking time. Be sure to check your food regularly to avoid overcooking.

Adjust the temperature

Adjusting the temperature is a crucial step when air-frying without an air fryer. Here are some detailed instructions and tips to help you get the best results:

• Lower the temperature: When converting a recipe meant for deep-frying, a traditional oven, or a convection oven, you generally need to reduce the temperature by 25°F (1.7°C) to achieve similar results in an air fryer. So, if a recipe calls for deep-frying at 350°F, you would set your air fryer to 325°F.
• Adjust for convection ovens: If you're using a convection oven, which has a fan that circulates hot air, you can follow the same temperature recommendations as for air fryers.
• Regular ovens: If you're using a regular oven without a convection setting, you'll need to increase the temperature by 25°F. Make sure to preheat your oven fully before placing your food inside.
• Check your food regularly: It's a good idea to start checking your food for doneness at the halfway mark. Different foods cook at different rates, so keep a close eye on your dish. If it's getting too dark, reduce the temperature by another 25°F.
• Use a meat thermometer: To ensure your food is thoroughly cooked, especially when cooking meat, use a meat thermometer. Check the USDA's Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Guide to determine the ideal internal temperature for your food.
• Start with a lower temperature: When in doubt, it's better to start with a lower temperature and increase it if needed. This will help prevent your food from getting too dark or crispy on the outside while remaining undercooked on the inside.
• Reduce temperature for frozen foods: When cooking frozen foods, such as French fries or chicken tenders, follow the same temperature reduction rule. However, you don't need to add any extra oil to frozen foods as they usually already contain oil in their ingredients.

Remember, air fryers cook food faster than traditional ovens due to the circulating hot air. Therefore, you'll likely need to reduce the cooking time by about 20% when converting oven recipes to air fryer settings.

Frequently asked questions