Fryers strive to replicate the delicious flavor of deep-fried dishes, but can you use extra Virgin olive oil in air fryer?
This blog article will answer this question and describe how to utilize oil in an air fryer.
Since of its mild but tasty flavor and a smoking point of 380°F, Extra virgin olive oil is an excellent choice for the air fryer because it can withstand such high temperatures without losing its health advantages or spoiling the taste of your meal.
Continue reading to learn more!
What to Consider When Using Extra Virgin Olive Oil in An Air Fryer
Can you put olive oil in an air fryer? The quick answer is that it depends on the dish you’re cooking and your desired texture.
We realize that is a rather hazy response. However, we have established a guideline to assist you in deciding whether or not to utilize it.
Air fryers work just as well as deep fryers because they provide the same high fast heat that causes moisture on the item’s surface to evaporate immediately.
However, extra virgin olive oil may be used in an air fryer, but there are certain things to keep in mind first.
This includes:
1. Texture/Crispiness
Depending on the type of food you’re preparing, some can be prepared without the need for extra virgin olive oil.
However, this may entirely dry out the food.
Consider how the food will behave when prepared using other dry cooking techniques, such as grilling or roasting.
When Roasting:
For example, while roasting sweet potatoes, no oil is required for them to cook and remain juicy.
If you roast asparagus, which doesn’t have as much moisture and is quite thin, it may become excessively dry and tasteless when cooked without oil.
If you want to create crispy sweet potatoes, fries, or roasted carrots, the oil will help you get that texture quickly without drying out the dish.
It mostly serves as a supplement to the air fryer but not as the primary crisper.
2. Nonstick Characteristics
This is just another element to consider. Certain materials burn fast when exposed to such high temperatures.
This may cause the products to adhere to one another or the cooking surface.
Extra virgin olive oil will function as a lubricant, preventing all of this from occurring.
3. Flavor
Yes, oil still adds taste to meals, particularly when using specific oils.
This may include Extra virgin olive oil and a variety of other oils. They may provide their distinct taste to the meal while it cooks.
4. The Type of Food
Certain foods need oil to cook in an air fryer, and others do not; let’s start with the ones that do.
Fresh vegetables need a little extra virgin olive oil when cooked in an air fryer; otherwise, they will dry.
Examples of fresh vegetables cooked with a little extra virgin olive oil:
- Brussels Sprouts
- Baby potatoes, whole air fried
- Baby Carrots Fried in the Air
- Homemade Sweet Potato Fries with Roasted Broccoli
When air frying most frozen foods, no additional extra virgin olive oil is required.
Frozen sweet potato fries, for example, include oil in their components and do not need additional spritzing during cooking.
Open the drawer to shake or rotate the basket midway through cooking, and add oil as required. Remove the oil if you don’t want to use it.
Other frozen foods that don’t need oil in the air fryer include:
- Frozen Onion Rings
- Hot Pockets
- Pizza Rolls
- Hash Browns
Except for certain frozen meats, most meats do not need oil.
Examples of meats that do not need any oil:
- Hot Dogs
- Cheeseburgers/Hamburgers
- Chicken Wings
- Chicken Bites for Sweet and Sour Chicken
Can You Use Extra Virgin Olive Oil In Air Fryer?
Everyone has heard praise for extra-virgin olive oil. Its lack of processing is really what makes it so unique.
However, air fryers do not produce a crispy quality by immersing the food in oil. But does it imply you shouldn’t use any extra virgin oil?
Because the high temperatures will be reached by the air fryer between 360 and 450 degrees Fahrenheit when cooking.
The oil used in the air fryer must be able to withstand such temperatures without losing its health advantages or affecting the flavor of your meal.
The smoking point (the temperature required for the oil to burn or smoke) is critical when cooking with oil.
Extra Virgin olive oil has a reasonably neutral taste and has a smoking point of 370°F.
The refined variants have a higher smoking point, around 450°F, making it an excellent choice for the air fryer.
How To Use An Air Fryer With Extra Virgin Olive Oil
How you use oil in an air fryer varies greatly from how you use it in a deep fryer.
Brush the food item immediately with the oil of your choice for air frying. It should not be poured into a tray or basket.
Pouring it into the frying basket will merely cause the oil to flow through the wires and into the device, creating a massive mess to clean.
Pouring it onto a tray will not lubricate the food and will be virtually worthless.
Because the air is circulated throughout, brushing oil over the surface creates an equal texture.
Then, all that remains is to turn on the air fryer and adjust the temperature and time settings. For Instance;
Roasting Fresh Vegetables:
When air fried, all roasted vegetables need a little oil or butter.
Add the oil as follows:
Toss the cut-up veggies in a basin with one tablespoon of oil until completely coated.
Leaving out the oil in the above recipes might cause the food to become dry and even rough (no one wants that).
Tips For Using Extra Virgin Olive In Air Fryer:
No extra virgin olive oil is required on the surface if you wish to air-fry a crumbed object.
When you add oil to a crumb coating, it becomes mushy, and you won’t achieve a crispy quality.
It’s important to remember that various oils have varying smoking and flashing points.
When utilizing extremely high frying temperatures in an air fryer, you must ensure that the oil does not begin to smoke or catch fire.
Because everyone adds oil to their dish differently, I’ll try to avoid using measurements.
To begin, the quantity of oil you should use depends on your taste and what you want to accomplish with the air fryer.
Use enough oil to coat the whole surface (chicken breast). If it isn’t sharp enough for you, add more.
FAQs About Can You Put Olive Oil in an Air Fryer?
Do you have other questions about whether you can put olive oil in an air fryer? Here are some additional frequently asked questions.
Where Do You Put Extra Virgin Olive Oil in an Air Fryer?
Before cooking in the air fryer, the food is immediately coated with an oil coating.
To manage the quantity of oil, add to meals, spray, brush, or use an oil-and-herb spritzer bottle.
An oil mister bottle is necessary for regular air fryer users.
What Can I Use In an Air Fryer To Put Oil?
Many oil misters on the market may be used to put oil into your air fryer.
You may also use a basting brush when working with a larger surface.
Final Verdict
Can you use extra virgin olive oil in air fryer? Fortunately, Extra virgin olive oil may still be used in air fryers.
You most likely should. Extra virgin olive oil is a lubricant, preventing foods from sticking and burning due to dry heat.
They also enhance taste and assist in retaining moisture inside the food item.
The oil may also offer that additional crispiness that crumbed products need. Thanks for reading!