Never cook these 23 foods in your air fryer

Air fryer disasters

The trusty air fryer may be your favourite kitchen gadget for awesome chicken wings and perfect roasted vegetables – after all, these gadgets are quick, easy and more economical to use than a conventional oven. But there are some things better left to other cooking methods, whether that’s due to mess, uneven cooking, safety or simply because it's not worth the bother. To help you avoid any air fryer mishaps, we've compiled a list of foods you shouldn't cook in your air fryer, from broccoli to boiled eggs.

Read on to discover the common foods you should NEVER cook in the air fryer – counting down to the one you should always avoid.

23. Steak

Technically, you could cook a steak in an air fryer, but would you cook a steak in the oven? The problem is there isn't sufficient heat to give that gorgeous, caramelised external crust you get when you sear a steak over a very high heat. It's also very easy to overcook a steak in an air fryer. Stick to a griddle pan or outdoor grill instead.

22. Broccoli

Although you may see recipes for air-fried broccoli, the result is very dry and it's much tastier steamed. Frozen broccoli, however, works a treat as the freezing process adds moisture. As an alternative try roasting Brussels sprouts, which retain their juiciness. Toss them in a little oil with sea salt and black pepper, then air fry at 180ºC/350ºF for about 10 minutes, shaking the drawer halfway through.

21. Quiche

It's possible to bake a quiche in an air fryer, but it's very fiddly. You could only bake a small one, blind baking is rather hit and miss (the edges can easily overcook) and imagine the palaver of trying to put a pastry case filled with a wet custard into an air fryer basket without spilling the filling. The heating element will also cause the surface to over-brown. Use a conventional oven, though the air fryer is still great for reheating a slice of quiche.

20. Boiled eggs

We've all seen recipes for air-fried boiled eggs, but honestly, why would you cook them in the air fryer when it's quicker to use the old-school method of a pan and boiling water? By the time you've heated up the air fryer, cooked the eggs, left them to stand for a minute, you've spent 13 minutes cooking a soft-boiled egg. It takes five minutes in a pan of water – this one's a no-brainer!

19. Fish without skin or coating

An air fryer is a mini convection oven, not a steamer, and it will dry out a simple piece of fish in no time. Instead, try brushing on some pesto, or cooking it in a foil parcel with some soy sauce, sesame oil and chilli. Butter, lemon juice and zest with sea salt and black pepper also work brilliantly in a parcel. An air fryer cooks fish quickly, but it does need moisture of some sort for best results. If cooking directly in the basket, a good spray of oil on both the fish and basket will prevent sticking.

18. Oily foods

Most foods cooked in an air fryer need a little oil but use it sparingly. Just a tablespoon or two should be sufficient, whether you're brushing it on, tossing in or using an oil spray. Excessive oil will make food soggy and greasy, which pretty much defeats the purpose of using an air fryer at all. Plus, you'll have more cleaning up to do, not only of the basket but the cavity below.

17. Scrambled eggs

You'll find plenty of recipes and videos online for air-fried scrambled eggs, but frankly, what's the point? They take longer to cook in an air fryer, and there's much more chance of them overcooking and becoming rubbery because an air fryer gets too hot for eggs. Use the simple method of cooking them over medium heat in butter, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, then while there's still a little liquid, remove from the heat and keep stirring for a minute or two.

16. Dry rubs

Any kind of seasoning which doesn't contain moisture will be blown off by the powerful fan. It could burn on the heating element and make a mess of your air fryer – resulting in more cleaning, unfortunately. But there's a simple solution: just mix your rub in a little olive oil so there's something to make it stick to your chicken wings or fish.

15. Breadcrumbs

Shop-bought crumbed foods such as fish fingers and schnitzels cook to perfection in an air fryer. But if you're cooking anything which is topped with breadcrumbs from scratch, it's important they have something to stick to. Otherwise, that pesky fan will blow them all over the air fryer, burning them on the element and creating more cleaning. Tossing the crumbs in oil will do the job – even prepared crumbed foods need a spritz of oil for a crispy crumb. Adding crumbs to chicken pieces, for example, is fine so long as you've dipped them in flour and then beaten egg.

14. Baked custard

Creamy custard desserts such as crème brûlée or crème caramel need gentle cooking in a water bath to prevent curdling and ensure a soft, non-grainy texture. You wouldn't want to put a dish of water in the air fryer anyway, as it will get too hot and create steam, making the custard curdle. These are definitely best left to a conventional oven. The same applies to any custard tarts – the heat from the element is just too intense.

13. Grated cheese

Yes, folks, we're back to that fan again. Grated cheese used as a topping will fly off, ending up in the bottom of the basket where it will burn. But luckily, there are several easy fixes to solve this problem. If topping a parmigiana or similar, press the cheese into the sauce with a fish slice. If you want to melt cheese on a burger, add it once the air fryer is off – the residual heat will be sufficient to melt it. Otherwise, spray with a little oil, press it down and cook. Because of the heat from the element, cheese melts very quickly, so you may want to add it a few minutes before the end of the cooking time.

12. Loose herbs

You guessed it – the fan will blow away any loose, leafy herbs added to a dish. They will just fly around the machine, make a mess and possibly burn. But there are some easy tricks that allow you to still add herby flavour to your dish. Finely chop or blend them with oil before brushing over food, or blend them into a herb butter which you could add towards the end of cooking. More robust herbs, such as rosemary or thyme, could be tied up with string then tucked underneath your meat or fish to add flavour while they cook.

11. Bone-in joints of meat

Although an air fryer is great for roasting small, boneless joints of meat such as rolled belly pork or beef topside, bone-in cuts are better cooked in the oven. There's not enough space for the air to circulate around a larger piece. The meat won't roast evenly, and you may find it browns too much on the outside but is still raw in the middle. Small chops work well, so long as they are not crammed in and have sufficient space for the air to circulate.

10. Toast

Stick to your toaster and forget your air fryer when it comes to toast. It's too light for the fan, toasts unevenly and is so much quicker in a toaster. Chunky croutons, though, work well if you want to make a small batch. Simply toss in oil and sea salt and bake for four minutes at 200ºC/400ºF, shaking halfway through.

9. Whole chicken

You could roast a very small chicken in an air fryer (one under 2lb 4oz/1kg), if you wanted to. But anything larger and there won't be sufficient space around it for the fan to function efficiently. And once your main oven is on, you can cook potatoes and roast vegetables at the same time. However, the air fryer produces succulent roast chicken thighs. For four bone-in thighs, rub with oil and salt, and cook skin-side down for 10 minutes at 180ºC/350ºF. Turn over, and cook for a further 10-15 minutes until cooked through and the skin is crisp.

8. Deep or large cakes

If your forearms bear the burn scars of trying to get a big cake tin with a wet batter into an air fryer, you'll know where we're coming from here. Even if you could fit the tin in, larger or deeper cakes tend to over-brown on top, while still being raw in the middle. Baking recipes for a conventional oven don't convert easily to an air fryer, either. If you want to bake a couple of muffins or cookies, fine, but stick to the oven for your baked treats.

7. Uncooked rice

Air fryers aren't built for steaming or boiling foods, and any attempt to cook rice from raw will end up in an unevenly cooked mess. A little water in an air fryer is okay, but any more creates steam, spitting and could damage the element. However, it's fine to crisp up cooked rice mixed with a little melted butter.

6. Dishes with sauce

As much as we all love chilli con carne, goulash and meat ragù, these dishes are best left to the hob, slow cooker or oven. The hot air circulating inside the air fryer causes the hot liquid to splatter, which is both messy and potentially a fire hazard. An air fryer basket is quite small, so even if you could use it, it would be for a small amount. It's much more efficient to cook a larger amount in another way and freeze what you don't need.

5. Spinach and other leafy greens

Spinach, chard, lettuce and spring greens are far too light to be put into an air fryer. The fan just blows them around, which could cause damage to the appliance or even fire. Stick to using the hob for these. An exception is kale, which is delicious crisped up as a snack in the air fryer. Massage the leaves with plenty of oil and seasoning (this adds weight to prevent them flying around) and roast for three minutes at 180ºC/350ºF, shaking the basket halfway through.

4. Raw grains

Just like rice, grains such as lentils or chickpeas should be cooked on the hob, not in an air fryer. Once cooked and added to a dish to bake in the air fryer, they are fine. Cooked chickpeas crisped up in the air fryer are also delicious as a snack or salad topping. Toss them in oil, garlic powder, salt and paprika, then roast at 200ºC/400ºF for 10 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.

3. Pasta

Any foods which need cooking in plenty of boiling water are totally unsuitable for an air fryer, so cook your pasta on the hob. But you could make a small portion of macaroni cheese using pre-cooked pasta and then bake it in the air fryer. For two, cook 9oz (250g) of macaroni, heat a can of evaporated milk (around 14oz/400g) on the hob with 8oz (225g) grated Cheddar, combine and bake at 180ºC/350ºF for about 10 minutes, until it's browned and bubbling.

2. Battered foods

Wet batters just drip through the basket and make a frightful mess. An air fryer simply can't replicate a deep-fat fryer, where the hot oil seals the batter immediately on submersion. But if you buy frozen fish fillets or tempura in batter, you can cook them in an air fryer, so long as they are cooked straight from the freezer.

1. Popcorn

An air fryer doesn't get hot enough to pop corn, plus it's one of those ultra-lightweight foods which fly around due to the fan. The kernels could stick to the heating coil and burn, causing a hazard, as well as creating a mess. Best to stick to the microwave or hob for movie night snacks.

Now discover 15 unexpected dishes you CAN make in the air fryer