Almost all air fryer recipes require some kind of oil. Using oil in your air fryer accomplishes a couple of things: oil helps to ensure that your food won’t stick to the air fryer basket and it also gives the food a classic fried/crispy texture.
How to Use Oil in an Air Fryer
Most air fryer recipes call for cooking oil to be sprayed (or drizzled) (1) directly on top of the food just before air frying and/or (2) directly into the air fryer basket. There are vastly different reasons for applying oil to the food versus into the basket.
Why do air fryer recipes call for oil to be sprayed on the food?
The purpose of spraying cooking oil on the tops of the to-be-cooked food, is to make the food crispy.
Why do air fryer recipes call for oil to be sprayed into the air fryer basket?
When an air fryer recipe calls for cooking oil to be applied directly into the basket, this is to prevent the food from sticking during the air frying process. If you do not have a cooking oil spray (do NOT use an aerosol spray can), you can drizzle a little oil into the basket and spread with a paper towel.
How much oil should I use in the air fryer?
Most air fryer recipes will use a little oil. If you have an oil sprayer, you will often spritz the tops of the food before cooking. If you do not have a sprayer, you can drizzle or brush 1-2 teaspoons of oil per serving onto the tops of the food. For breaded items you’ll want to use a little more oil (1-2 tablespoons per serving).
Why is aerosol cooking spray not recommended with air fryers?
Aerosol sprays have propellants and other chemicals that can degrade the non-stick surface of your air fryer basket. Over time, the aerosol sprays can cause chipping or flaking of the non-stick surface. It’s best to invest in a good quality oil mister or bottle.
Best Oil Sprayer For Air Fryers
Any spray that does not include a chemical propellant will work great in an air fryer. This EVO Oil Sprayer is highly recommended, but its price point is also a little high (around $30). For about $10 less, you can get another great option: NGECORS Oil Sprayer
Best Kind of Oil For Air Fryers
Certain oils are better suited for air fryer due to their high smoke points. The smoke point is the temperature at which the oil will begin to smoke. We’ve compiled a list of the most common cooking oils and their smoke points below.
Cooking Oil Smoke Points
- Refined Avocado Oil: 520F
- Light/Refined Olive Oil: 465F
- Soybean Oil: 450F
- Coconut Oil: 450F
- Peanut Oil: 450F
- Sunflower Oil: 440F
- Vegetable/Canola Oil: 400F
- Grapeseed Oil: 390F
- Virgin Avocado Oil: 375F
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: 325F-375F
- Extra Virgin Avocado Oil: 350F
- Butter: 200F
If your air fryer recipe calls for higher temperatures, you will want to use an oil with high smoke point. For example, if your recipe calls for 400F, you would not want to use Extra Virgin Olive Oil as its smoke point is 375F.
What kind of air fryer recipes do not require oil?
Frozen foods are typically processed with some oil and therefore do not require additional oil when cooking in the air fryer.