Frozen food has made our lives easy, and so have air fryers. What else do I want in this short and busy life besides a quick meal when you are hungry?
Yes, you can sure cook frozen raw food in an air fryer, and you will end up loving it, not to forget the time that you will be saving on meal preparation.
Frozen foods are supposedly more nutritious than other preservation methods, and air fryers are better when trying to be on a healthy diet.
If you think, what is a better combination of food and appliance other than this one?
There are so many advantages of frozen food in an air fryer, and I will discuss them in this article. Also, get ready to know some tricks and tips to get your frozen food cooked correctly.
To know it all, keep on reading.
What is an Air Fryer?
The air fryer is basically a countertop convection oven with more power. It doesn’t actually fry your food. Philips Electronics Company patented the small appliance, which is said to be able to make deep-fried food with just hot air and little or no oil.
In the last few years, this gadget has become very popular. As of July 2020, nearly 40% of U.S. homes had one, according to the market research firm NPD Group. You can air-fry a lot of different foods, like frozen chicken wings, homemade french fries, roasted vegetables, and freshly baked cookies.
What can you cook in an Air Fryer?
When you think of air-fried foods, you might think of French fries, frozen pizzas, fish sticks, and other quick frozen meals. In contrast, the air fryer can bake, grill, roast, broil, and even oven fry.
Most meals that can be cooked in an oven can also be cooked in an air fryer. When deciding what to cook in the air fryer, such as fried rice, kale chips, and many other dishes, an air fryer recipe will come in handy. Here are some of the best foods to prepare in an air fryer.
- Fried chicken
- Steak
- Chop
- Fish
- Bacon
Why prefer an Air fryer to cook frozen raw food?
An air fryer is a fantastic invention that can make your life easy, and that goes for frozen food too.
Cooking your frozen food in an air fryer is easy, simple, time-saving, and healthy, and the best thing is that it is not as messy as other ways are. You can clean your air fryer without much oil and greasiness around.
I have always found frozen air-fried food more crispy and crunchy than frozen food fried in a pan or with any other method. The texture is something that attracts you first, and air frying correctly gives a fantastic texture to your food.
In an air fryer, you are not supposed to put much oil in your food; even if it is your regular frozen food item, you just have to dunk it in the basket, making sure not to fill it too much, and you are good to go.
Less oil makes the cleaning much easy and food a little healthier.
Is defrosting necessary?
You do not necessarily have to defrost your frozen food before putting it inside the basket; an air fryer can deal with the hardness on its own.
There is this thing with the air fryers; they can handle it all!
So why should one waste their time and energy by using appliances for defrosting first to air fry later?
There is a chance that defrosting or thawing your frozen food can play with the texture after air frying. So, it is better not to make additional efforts and keep things straight for the best results.
Next time you are hungry and want a quick and small meal in no time, reach out to some frozen food in your freezer and march to your air fryer; you will be indulging in your meal in a couple of minutes.
What is the correct way of doing it?
If you are looking for a perfect eating experience with your frozen food cooked in an air fryer, you just need to do it the correct way.
People often do not support preheating an air fryer, and if your model recommends you not to, then you must not. But if there is no restriction by the makers, preheat your air fryer for a crunchier outside and tender inside of your food.
We often ignore the fact that temperature varies for each food, and it is essential to fry every food accordingly.
Always set the temperature of your air fryer according to the instructions given on the packaging. If the packet only has the oven’s temperature guide, then keep your air fryer’s temperature lower than that.
Air fryers are great because you can make your food in them with the minimum amount of oil possible. The same goes for your frozen food items. Make sure to keep a check on your oil consumption because too much oil can make your food soggy rather than crispy.
Other than potato fries, do not overlap your food in the basket; you will not like the result of it. One layer at a time is the ideal way to cook your food in an air fryer to perfection.
Moreover, if you have achieved good results for one brand of frozen food, do not think that another brand’s food must also be dealt with in the same way. Temperature and timing vary from brand to brand. So, when switching brands, be careful with the frying too.
Check out this video to learn how to make frozen food in an air fryer.
Do cooking times vary for each food item?
Yes, cooking time varies for each food item, and to attain crispier results, it is vital to learn about the timings and temperature required for air frying particular foods.
See this food table to learn more about your favorite food’s cooking time and temperature.
| Frozen food | Temperature | Cook time |
| Frozen Pizza | 400° F | 204° C | 10-15 minutes |
| Frozen Chicken Nuggets | 390° F | 199° C | 12 minutes |
| French Fries | 390°F | 200°C | 14 minutes |
| Broccoli | 390°F | 200°C | 6-8 minutes |
Ending note
There are so many questions in the mind of air fryer users, and they are justified because air frying is an art, and it needs time to master it.
There is so much you can make from an air fryer but be careful every time you are using an air fryer because there is so much you can learn.
- It was thought that one could not make frozen food in an air fryer, but the fact is air frying is a great method of frying your frozen food.
- Be sure to use oil in an adequate amount, though.
- Temperature and cook time vary from food item to item; keep that in mind every time.
- Say no to overlapping and overcrowding your air fryer no matter what.
- Be sure to preheat your air fryer for a crunchier experience.
- Temperature and cooking time also vary from brand to brand; make sure you pay attention to your air frying if you change your frozen food brand.
Time teaches us so much; cooking frozen food in an air fryer can be one of them, too; just make sure you are willing to learn and be consistent!