Three Things I Learned Using an Air Fryer: How to Meal Prep for the Week
I typically use my air fryer to cook frozen entrees or to quickly process meats and veggies , but I appreciate this countertop convection oven most when I need a break from the usual sink full of bowls and pans left over from cooking dinner.
Last week I needed that freedom more than ever, so for the first time in my air fryer history, I tried cooking all my meals in the Instant Vortex Air Fryer . It didn’t always work out, but I ate and learned.
Why I Love the Instant Vortex Air Fryer
For this test, I chose the Instant Vortex. It’s a basket-style air fryer, and while I’ve tried a fair few , it’s my go-to for most everyday recipes. You might be wondering why I don’t go with a toaster-style air fryer, like my “best overall” pick, the Cuisinart Air Fryer and Toaster Oven . I like them and think they’re great for baking, but they require a lot more countertop space than I have in my apartment.
On the other hand, the Instant Vortex is a medium-sized unit that’s light enough to easily slide in and out of the storage compartment while still producing even browning and crispiness.
The Best Ingredients for Air Fryer Meals
Last week was a hectic one, so my meals weren’t always perfect examples of balanced eating. Even though I’m a food writer, many of my meals were more like random snacks. This week’s menu included eggs, potatoes, mushrooms, peppers, various marinated meats, sausages, dumplings, ravioli, cheese, and sandwiches. Some of these dishes turned out as expected because I make them all the time, but others were a surprise. One of them I will never make again.
Here’s what I learned.
Dishes made from simple fried ingredients are the best
The Instant Vortex is great for roasting vegetables. Everything from mushrooms and sweet potatoes to chickpeas and peppers , I’ve had success roasting veggies in just this simple basket fryer. This week, I threw three medium sweet potatoes in at once. I pierced the edges, mostly because that helps determine doneness (the sweet juices that bubble up will caramelize as the potatoes cook), and I ended up eating one as a snack three days in a row.
One night I made baked stuffed portobello mushrooms for dinner (basically a mega version of those stuffed mushrooms I love so much). I tried another version, with mashed potatoes as a filling. Verdict: incredibly filling and delicious, and easy to clean, just rinse the air fryer basket with soapy water.
Bottom line: Any meal that consisted of two or three fried items would be easily pulverized in the Instant Vortex. Dinners were easy and effortless all week long. If you decide to go all-in on the air fryer, this is my first tip.
A small cake pan is an indispensable tool.
What if you have eggs for breakfast or something else that you usually cook in a frying pan? This was literally my first challenge, because I can’t not eat eggs in the morning. I know I can take the bottom rack off and fry the eggs right in the basket, but I didn’t want the bottom of the basket to get all oily and have to clean it up. Plus, I knew I’d be putting sausages in there and making a sandwich for breakfast.
Instead, I put my 6-inch baking pans to good use. The pan, which fit into the basket, gave me a small, sturdy surface, and it was metal: Although convection ovens heat up from the top, I knew that metal would eventually conduct that heat through the bottom.
I greased the pan, cracked an egg in it, and threw in a couple of Brown ‘N Serve sausages. I set the pan in the basket, and since there was room on the sides, I put a bun in there to toast it, too. After a few minutes, I checked the sandwich and took the bun out to keep it from getting too dry. Everything else was done in about five minutes, and my breakfast was a success.
Bottom line: If you want to mimic the air fryer experience without all the hassle, a small baking dish is your best friend.
An air fryer isn’t very good for steaming, but it can be made to work.
Unfortunately for me, I love soups and steamed dishes. Soup obviously wouldn’t work in an air fryer, so I didn’t try it, but I just couldn’t give up steaming. I’d tried making dumplings in an air fryer before, but was disappointed. This time, with newfound success with a muffin tin, I tried a different approach.
I filled a muffin tin with about a quarter inch of water. I layered the carrots and frozen dumplings on top. Then I covered the tin tightly with foil. The idea was to trap the steam that would escape as the tin and water heated up. I used the carrots so that the dumplings wouldn’t touch the water like in a steamer, and I figured that they might cook too, and the carrots would steam nicely.
Well, the dumplings did get steamed . However, it took longer in the air fryer than in a regular steamer, and the carrots didn’t get cooked through. I tried the foil method again, but without the water, using chilled ravioli from the fridge on top of some small pieces of asparagus and some leftover barley. This worked much better, and I think it had to do with the higher initial temperature, and the fact that the dumplings were less dense, so no additional moisture was needed.
Bottom line: If your stovetop and microwave are broken and all you have is an air fryer, I’d recommend trying steaming covered with foil, but not for frozen or dense ingredients. It takes too long and you risk some ingredients turning to mush.
My most successful dish cooked in the deep fryer
I fried up a ton of chicken, marinated pork, and steak. It was incredible, but what I was most proud of was making an entire breakfast sandwich in five minutes with virtually no cleanup. I also threw some queso blanco in the air fryer and it was perfectly crispy and browned—a huge win.
My least successful air fryer dish
Without a doubt, the steamed dumplings and carrots were worse than any other way to cook them. Your air fryer just doesn’t steam very well.
So, is it worth cooking all your meals in an air fryer?
While the air fryer is a versatile tool, you probably won’t enjoy cooking every dish with it. You can cook one thing after another in the Instant Vortex, but you’ll miss out on some variety. Everything will be crispy or baked. The air fryer can’t cook soups, slow-fried dishes, steamed ingredients, and, of course, blanching.
However, an air fryer can make a lot of cooking much easier, and you can cut down on the time you spend at the sink simply by emptying that basket. Just keep my three tips in mind as you plan your recipes.