13 Best Air Fryer Hacks to Try in 2024 (Simplify Your Cooking!)
Ready to get cooking? I’m sharing all my best air fryer hacks!
Have an air fryer?
I was a tad bit skeptical about buying yet another kitchen gadget, but since so many people are buzzing about air fryers and easy air fryer hacks, I decided to try one out. If you’re curious about whether or not an air fryer is worth the investment and how it works, read on my friends!
On a side note, this post went live the other year, but we thought it was worth resharing again for those of you who may have missed it since our whole team is air fryer obsessed!
I have completely fallen in love with air fryer cooking!
My Power Air Fryer XL has for sure earned a spot on the counter with my other must-have kitchen appliances. In fact, I affectionately tell people I don’t want to do life without it! My kids and I honestly use our air fryer just about every day now, even if it’s just to reheat leftovers or frozen foods. We’re quickly learning some of the best air fryer hacks to simplify cooking!
Things I love about air frying:
- My air fryer was easy to use straight out of the box. It’s also very lightweight, and it’s SO simple to clean.
- Is my food cooked? You can conveniently remove the air fryer’s basket to see if food is done cooking, and then place it back in to cook longer if needed.
- I don’t have to turn on my oven during the summer! Cook times are faster in the air fryer than in conventional ovens, and it won’t heat up the kitchen like the oven does.
- Air fryers start cooking immediately. There’s no preheating involved or waiting for it to come to pressure like with the Instant Pot.
- It’s like frying without oil! Very little oil is needed to get that delicious crispy fried texture on foo because air fryers cook by circulating hot air.
- It’s so easy to use that even my kids can air fry! My pre-teens can use it by themselves to heat up an air fryer grilled cheese sandwich or to make whatever frozen foods they want in less than 15 minutes!
Here are my 13 best air fryer hacks and tips to try in 2024:
1.) Make the best bacon EVER with zero mess.
Cook times will vary based on the thickness of the bacon, but I was able to make thick-cut, crispy bacon in just 10 minutes at 390 degrees. The best part is that the grease drains to the bottom basket for easy clean-up at the end!
I’m never making bacon in the oven or on the stove again! THIS method ROCKS!
See my full air fryer bacon directions.
2.) Easily adapt oven recipes to air fryer.
Typically, you’ll just lower the cooking temperature by about 25 degrees. For instance, if your recipe states 375 degrees in the conventional oven, go with 350 degrees in the air fryer. You’ll need at least 20 percent less cooking time, although this can vary with what you’re cooking. I love that there’s no preheating involved!
This is definitely one of the air fryer hacks you must know! Try using this helpful Air Fryer Cooking Calculator which does the math for you!
3.) Give foods a spray.
An air fryer can produce a crispy fried texture that’s pretty fabulous. For next-level results, consider spraying food halfway through the cooking time by using an oil sprayer. I’ve read that the aerosol-type oil sprays from the store aren’t recommended for the fryer basket’s non-stick finish.
4.) Shake things up.
For recipes like fries, it’s best to shake up the contents halfway through the cooking time so your results will be extra crispy and delicious. In case you’re wondering, frozen french fries and tater tots are so crispy and delicious, too, in the air fryer!
Hip Tip: I made the most amazing homemade Garlic Parmesan Fries in 18 minutes by following THESE instructions, and then topping them with Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and chopped parsley. YUM!!
5.) Make breading that sticks.
Air fryers move air so quickly that breading can separate from food. To prevent this from happening, try the following tips. Dip food in flour, then egg, and then bread crumbs to ensure the breading sticks to the food.
Hip Tip: Get this easy recipe for mozzarella sticks. They are SO GOOD and easy to make.
6.) Time to make the donuts!
Your air fryer isn’t just for savory foods. I recently made some excellent 5-minute donuts using flaky refrigerated dough! It was easy enough to do quickly on a weekday morning, and my kids were thrilled with this fun project!
Hip Tip: Love bagels instead of donuts? Try making these yummy homemade 2-ingredient bagels in the air fryer!
7.) I use mine to reheat leftovers, and it’s one of my favorite air fryer hacks!
Leftovers have never tasted better! Seriously, you’ll never eat soggy microwaved pizza again! Just a few minutes in the air fryer is all you need to reheat last night’s dinner. The taste and texture are much better than the microwave, and it’s so convenient to throw leftovers in the air fryer.
8.) Don’t overcrowd.
This is probably one of the most important air fryer hacks you should know! You’ll want to make sure food gets cooked evenly and crisps up deliciously.
I bought these large pre-made bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers from my local grocery store’s butcher section. I air-fried them at 370 for about 10 minutes. These are my FAVORITE things I’ve ever cooked in the air fryer. Such a great low-carb and keto-friendly snack or appetizer idea, too!
Hip Tip: Use my easy recipe to make homemade bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers!
9.) Meat turns out DELICIOUS and juicy.
The air fryer goes way beyond tasty fries and snacks. We recently cooked some pretty amazing burgers in the air fryer. Medium-sized patties can be cooked for about 9-10 minutes at 350 degrees or until desired done-ness. YUM!
10.) Air fryer veggies crisp up like a dream.
I made Brussels sprouts that are perfectly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside in just 10 minutes using one of my air fryer hacks! They tasted amazing and were so easy to make. Coat Brussels sprouts with olive oil, season, and then cook in an air fryer for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Stop and shake the basket to turn sprouts halfway through cooking.
11.) Whip up a “bread-like” side dish with one of my favorite TikTok air fryer hacks.
Garlic bread meets quesadilla when you try this fun air fryer hack we spotted on TikTok. Use cheese, garlic, and other spices to create a unique and tasty “bread-like” side. It takes just 10 minutes from start to finish!
12.) One of my easy air fryer hacks is using it to cook a whole chicken. It takes less than an hour!
Want tender, pull-apart chicken? Try cooking a whole one in the air fryer using my simple instructions! Make a meal for the family or cut up the chicken for easy weeknight meal prep!
13) Using Dawn Powerwash and paper liners are two of my favorite air fryer cleaning hacks.
Whenever possible, I like to use paper liners to keep my air fryer from getting too dirty. This saves so much time with clean up!
If my air fryer does need a good scrub, I often use Dawn Powerwash dish spray to cut through tough grease. It works like a charm! You can also clean it by soaking your basket in soapy dishwater for several minutes and scrubbing it clean. Either way, you choose, give your basket a solid rinse to ensure you get all the soap off.
Want more winning air fryer recipe inspiration?
Try these easy and delicious ideas:
- Air Fryer Honey Mustard Chicken Tenders
- Copycat Air Fryer Chick-fil-A Sandwiches
- Copycat Air Fryer Chick-fil-A Nuggets
- Easy Air Fryer Empanadas
- Air Fryer Bloomin’ Onion Recipe
- Easy Air Fryer Cake
- Air Fryer Oreos
- Parmesan Meatballs in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Cinnamon Sugar Churros
How do u cook the whole chicken in it?
Hey Janice! Here you go! 🤗❤️ https://hip2save.com/recipes/cook-whole-chicken-air-fryer-hour/
At first I thought it was hype too. So I waited quite a while to buy a cheaper AF to see if it was anything to crow about. Well I use it more than any of my other appliances. It’s great and hard to mess anything up. Plus I now have 4 air fryers. 😂 2 smaller and 2 large.
😆 Very happy to hear how much use you’ve been getting out of your air fryers, hip2trade! ❤️