You may not be aware, but air fryers perform similarly to convection ovens. In fact, you might not even need a standalone air fryer if you have a convection oven to achieve the famously crispy results of these countertop equipment.
Before we dive into how to use your convection oven to air fry food, let’s see what’s the difference between convection oven and air fryer.
Convection ovens and countertop air fryers function essentially the same way; the only difference is size. Both contain fans that circulate heat in an oven cavity or a countertop air fryer to produce food that is crispy from air frying. Countertop air fryer compartments may cook food more quickly because they are often much smaller than convection ovens. In contrast to the two servings that some air fryers are capable of, convection ovens have a larger capacity, so you should be able to fit more food in the oven.
Can Your Convection Oven Work As Air Fryer?
As with a countertop air fryer, you can air fry in your convection oven and still get excellent results. Utilizing your convection oven may be more practical because you have more space for cooking. A convection fan circulates heated air around the food in the oven cavity or air fryer compartment in convection ovens and air fryers, respectively. Purchasing an air fryer basket or tray can help ensure that your food turns out properly crispy.
What Can You Benefit From Using Convection Oven To Do Air Frying?
Convenience
There is no need for an additional appliance that takes up counter space when using a convection oven or an oven with air frying capabilities.
Easy to clean up
Instead of utilizing merely a sheet pan in a convection oven, air fryers often require cleaning the basket as well as the pullout section that the food goes in after each usage.
Crispy results
You'll get satisfyingly crispy food when air frying in your convection oven, especially if you use dark cookware or a perforated basket.
Prepare larger batches all at once.
You'll be able to cook more food at once than with a countertop air fryer, where you might have to cook in batches depending on the amount of servings, as most air fryers don't have the same capacity as convection ovens.
Now we know that convection oven has so many benefits when it comes to air frying compared with air fryer. You may wonder how to use convection oven to air fry food. Here comes to the next part.
How to cook food in an air fryer with a convection oven?
If your convection oven doesn't offer an air fry setting or option, you can still achieve results that are comparable to those of an air fryer by making a few adjustments. When air frying in your convection oven, follow these guidelines for results that are golden and crispy.
- Food preparation for air frying
Preparing the meal will ensure a crispy and golden outside, depending on what you're trying to air fry. Cut vegetables and potatoes into bite-sized pieces to make them more palatable. To give them a good crispy exterior and to promote browning, cut them into spears, medallions, or cubes.
When handling meat or fish, make sure the skin isn't overly damp by patting it dry. To help the skin crisp up, lightly cover the surface with oil or cooking spray. Instead of using a wet batter when utilizing breading, air frying produces better results with a drier surface. You can also use toppings like panko, shredded cheese, or breadcrumbs.
- Usage ofproper cookware for air frying
The perforated basket that is made specifically for air frying is one of the things that makes countertop air fryers so effective at crisping up your food. Use a perforated tray or basket to allow the hot air to flow evenly over the full surface of the food in order to guarantee that you obtain similar degrees of crispiness to what you would achieve with an air fryer. Use a dark, nonstick, low-sided tray or an oven-safe cooling rack in the absence of a perforated tray or basket. To collect any drips, put a cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil on the lowest rack.
- Give Enough Space To Your Food
Avoid crowding the area so that the hot air can properly and evenly cook/crisp your food. To aid in the formation of a golden crust, the hot air that the convection fan circulates about the oven cavity must contact the whole surface of your food. Overcrowding will hinder appropriate crisping and may instead result in a mushy exterior that is less appealing.
- Keep In Mind The Air-frying Cycle And Temperature
You'll probably need to tweak the cooking times because countertop air fryers often cook food more quickly than convection ovens. You must take this into consideration when determining the proper cooking periods because countertop air fryers sometimes use higher temperatures. It is best to consult the cook times and temperatures recommended by your oven's manufacturer when using a recipe that calls for a conventional oven. If you don't have your instruction book nearby, start by following the directions on the package or recipe, and watch the food carefully as it cooks.
- Flip halfway through
To increase air distribution to food surfaces while cooking, you might wish to shake or flip your food, just like with a countertop air fryer. However, flipping should only be done if the meal specifically calls for it to prevent heat loss in the oven. To encourage crisping, spritz or rub with a little more oil or cooking spray.
