Cody Casey
Air fryers are a great way to heat up a variety of foods, from chicken nuggets and tater tots to cold pizza and Chinese takeout. You can even use it to crisp up French fries or reheat a steak. For foods with a lot of sauce, it's best to use an ovenproof bowl, while other foods can be lined with air fryer-safe parchment paper. Preheating an air fryer will decrease cooking time, but it's not recommended for delicate foods like shrimp or tomatoes, which are better cooked at a slower rate.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 360°F (180°C) is a good starting point, but some foods reheat better at lower or higher temperatures. |
| Food type | Most foods can be heated in an air fryer, but some foods, like shrimp, garlic, tomatoes, steak, and chicken wings, are better reheated at lower temperatures to avoid drying out. |
| Preheating | Preheating the air fryer can decrease cooking time, but certain delicate foods, like shrimp or garlic, should be cooked at a slower rate without preheating to avoid burning or drying out. |
| Sauce | If the dish has a lot of sauce, heat it in an ovenproof bowl. Otherwise, line the basket with air fryer-safe parchment paper. |
What You'll Learn
Chicken nuggets and tater tots
You can heat up a lot of different foods in an air fryer, including chicken nuggets and tater tots. If you're looking to crisp up your food, reheat it at a higher temperature (390°F/200°C or higher). If you're reheating something small, like chicken nuggets, you can use a higher temperature. Thicker foods, like tater tots, will turn out best at a lower temperature.
A good rule of thumb is that if you're worried about drying something out, reheat it at a lower temperature (360°F/80°C or lower). You can also preheat your air fryer to decrease cooking time. However, certain foods, like shrimp or garlic, would not benefit from going into a preheated air fryer as they may burn or dry out.
If you're heating up a dish with a lot of sauce, use an ovenproof bowl. Otherwise, just line the basket with air fryer-safe parchment paper.
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Pizza, fries and Chinese takeout
You can heat up a wide variety of foods in an air fryer, including pizza, fries and Chinese takeout.
If you're reheating something small, like French fries, you can use a higher temperature to crisp them up. For thicker foods, like chicken breasts, a lower temperature is better. If you're worried about drying something out, like chicken wings, reheat at a lower temperature (360°F/80°C or lower).
Most Asian foods work well in an air fryer because many dishes are sautéed or fried to start with. If the dish has a lot of sauce, heat it up in an ovenproof bowl. Otherwise, just line the basket with air fryer-safe parchment paper.
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Steak and chicken wings
You can heat up a wide variety of foods in an air fryer, including steak and chicken wings. If you're looking to crisp up your food, heat it at a higher temperature (390°F/200°C or higher). However, if you're reheating something smaller, like thin slices of steak or chicken wings, you can use a higher temperature. Thicker foods, like whole steaks or chicken breasts, will turn out best at a lower temperature (360°F/ 80°C or lower). This is also a good idea if you're worried about drying out your food.
To ensure an even cook, shake or flip your food halfway through the heating process. If your dish has a lot of sauce, heat it in an ovenproof bowl. Otherwise, line the basket with air fryer-safe parchment paper. Preheating your air fryer will also help to decrease cooking time, but this isn't suitable for more delicate foods like shrimp or garlic and tomatoes, which you don't want to burn or dry out.
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Asian food
You can reheat most foods in an air fryer, but some work better at lower or higher temperatures. For example, if you're reheating something small, like French fries or thin slices of steak, you can use a higher temperature. Thicker foods, like whole steaks or chicken breasts, are better at a lower temperature. This is to avoid drying out the food.
If you're looking to crisp up your food, reheat it at a higher temperature (390°F/200°C or higher). If you're worried about drying out your food, use a lower temperature (360°F/80°C or lower). Preheating your air fryer will decrease cooking time, but it's not suitable for delicate foods like shrimp, garlic or tomatoes, as they may burn or dry out.
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Shrimp, garlic and tomatoes
You can cook a wide variety of foods in an air fryer, from chicken nuggets and tater tots to cold pizza and Chinese takeout. You can also cook shrimp, garlic and tomatoes in an air fryer, but you should be careful not to burn or dry out the food. To cook shrimp, garlic and tomatoes, you should set the air fryer to a lower temperature to allow the food to cook at a slower rate. You can also preheat the air fryer to decrease cooking time, but this may not be suitable for delicate foods like shrimp, garlic and tomatoes.
When reheating food in an air fryer, it's important to consider the size and type of food. Smaller foods like French fries or thin slices of steak can be reheated at a higher temperature, while thicker foods like whole steaks or chicken breasts are best reheated at a lower temperature. If you're worried about drying out the food, reheat it at a lower temperature of 360°F/80°C or lower. You can also shake or flip the food halfway through to ensure an even cook.
If you're cooking a dish with a lot of sauce, it's best to heat it up in an ovenproof bowl. Otherwise, you can line the basket with air fryer-safe parchment paper.
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Frequently asked questions
360°F (180°C) is a good place to start, and it will work fine for most foods. However, some foods reheat better at lower or higher temperatures.
If you're worried about drying something out (like a steak or chicken wings), reheat it at a lower temperature (360°F/80°C or lower).
If you are reheating something smaller (like French fries or thin slices of steak), you can reheat at a higher temperature (390°F/200°C or higher).
Most Asian foods work well in an air fryer because so many dishes are sautéed or fried to start with.
Certain foods would not benefit from going into a preheated air fryer. If you are making something very delicate, like shrimp or garlic and tomatoes, you don’t want to burn or dry out the food. You want these to cook at a slower rate.
