We are falling in love with air frying, and we think once you try it, you’ll be hooked too!

Some of the main benefits of air frying include:

• Easy preparation
• Fast cooking time
• Uses less oil than pan frying or oven cooking (healthier)
• Frees up oven to cook something else (i.e. cook meat in air fryer, cook vegetables in oven)
• Easy to clean
• Produces fantastic crackling!

If you’re not on the air frying bandwagon yet or are new to the party, these are just the tips you need to get you started!

1. Experiment with cooking times

One of the main things to be mindful of with air frying is that there are many different models of air fryers available, all with different capacities and wattages. For this reason, when you first start cooking in your air fryer, take advised cooking times as estimates and keep a close eye on the meat to avoid over or under cooking.

2. Baking paper

Be mindful of using baking paper – check your air fryer instructions to see if this is recommended. Some do not suggest the use of baking paper or tin foil as it can affect the airflow inside the air fryer.

If you are using baking paper, cut the paper to the size required and ensure the meat can weigh it down adequately. Failing to do so may result in the paper flying up into the element and burning. Do not use baking paper in the preheating process for this reason.

3. Using oil

Using oil in an air fryer is perfectly fine and helps the meat to remain moist and come out looking golden brown. However, a little oil in an air fryer does go a long way. With most cuts of pork, simply rubbing some oil into the meat will be all you need. You can use either regular olive oil or a spray oil.

4. Turning your meat

If you are cooking cuts like steaks, chops or schnitzel always turn your meat halfway through your estimated cooking time (unless you have a halo style air fryer which is automatically doing the turning for you).

5. Cooking with bone in or out

Both is possible - if you are cooking meat on the bone the cooking time will likely be slightly longer than with boneless cuts (i.e. bone in chops v boneless steak and bone-in shoulder v boneless rolled loin).

6. Checking temperature

It is useful to use a thermometer to check the meat is cooked properly – the internal temperature should be 71°C.

Almost any cuts of pork can be cooked in an air fryer, mostly you’ll only be restricted by the size of the cuts – for instance, you may need to choose a smaller roast or pork belly.

For more information on air frying, including estimated cooking times for cuts click here.