Air fryer fried chicken is healthier, cleaner, and tastes downright good. And it is possible with that wonderful machine known as an air fryer. This wonderful countertop machine circulates hot air around your food at high speed thus cooking the food and producing a crispy layer via the Maillard effect. And Viola! you get air fryer fried chicken and a great fried taste without all that grease clogging up your arteries.
How Does It Work
An air fryer has a fan that circulates hot air around the food while it is cooking. You use little to no oil. The temperature and timer knobs allow for more precise cooking. The air fryers have a basket you put the food in and then the basket sits into a drip pan to catch the “drippings” from the cooking food. The air fryer I have recommends shaking the basket halfway through the cooking process to ensure even browning. The air fryer works in a similar fashion as a convection oven but is smaller and portable, and they give off less heat into the kitchen.
The great thing is that you are cooking healthy and the food tastes great. You can also put frozen food into the fryer and have a meal in no time. You can make steaks, vegetables, chicken, french fries and so much more. The air fryer I have came with a nifty instruction booklet that included recipes. There is a vent at the back of the unit so make sure that it is away from a wall.
Convenience
No hassles of deep frying-waiting for the oil to heat up then cool down before cleaning, filtering, and storing the oil. And no odor. Much safer than deep frying with no grease splatter or the danger of “popping” grease. No worry about spilling the grease, either on the floor or on you thus no danger of those nasty grease burns. Which I can tell you is no fun and the pain associated with grease burns hurt!
Clean Up Is A breeze
Clean-up is a breeze too. Just wipe down the unit with warm soapy water. The basket and drip pan are dishwasher safe. Wipe out the inside after removing the drip pan and basket as well. No grease all over the counter either. Easy peasy!
A Great Air Fryer Fried Chicken Recipe
I started with 4 chicken thighs. I dipped them in 1 egg, beaten, and then 1 1/2 cups flour mixed with 1 teaspoon ground thyme, 1 teaspoon ground rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon paprika. I then sprayed the thighs with nonstick cooking spray. I also sprayed the bottom of the basket. Added the thighs sprayed side down into the basket and then sprayed them again. I cooked/fried them at 380 degrees and set the timer to 10 minutes. After 10 minutes I shook the basket and reset the timer to 10 minutes. When this time was over I turned the chicken over and continued to cook/fry another 20 minutes checking them after 10. They were done at a total of 35 minutes.
You can play around with this by setting the temperature at 400 degrees and less cooking time. But I wanted the chicken to be ready at the same time as my hash brown potatoes that I was browning in a skillet on the stove were.
And There You Have It! Air Fryer Fried Chicken
The chicken turned out a nice brown color and at the texture I like it. (When I do order KFC chicken I get the original recipe as I do not like extra crispy chicken). The chicken was juicy and no greasy taste that you would have gotten had you fried it in a skillet full of oil/shortening or had deep-fried it. Chicken made this way is a lot healthier for you and gets the fried chicken you have been craving for. Win-Win in my book. The only drawback is that I do not get enough drippings to make gravy:(
I love homemade french fries and they are great made in the air fryer as well. No standing over the deep fryer and no popping grease when adding the fries to the hot oil.
I just cut my potatoes into french fries and soak them in water for 30 minutes. Then dry them off and place them into a large bowl. Drizzle them with about 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and toss to make sure all the potatoes are coated with the oil. Add them to the basket and set the temperature at 380 degrees. After 10 minutes I shake the basket and continue cooking until done, shaking about every 10 minutes. They usually take about 20-25 minutes depending on how full your basket is. I use about 4-5 medium-size russet potatoes. That is just about the right amount for my husband and me. I do recommend that if you use more than that, cook the french fries in batches to get even browning and cooking. After all, you don’t want to crowd the basket.
There are many air fryers on the market. Shop around and compare prices. I do have to say that I love my Faberware air fryer.
Please leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts about air frying. I would love to hear from you.
As Always
