7 Simple Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How do you use the air fryer lid on an Instant Pot? ›

To operate the air fryer lid, it just needs to be placed on top of the Instant Pot and plugged in. The air fryer plug has a shield affixed to it that makes it impossible to plug it into an outlet next to another plug.

The Instant Pot Duo Crisp with Ultimate Lid Multi-Cooker + Air Fryer does a decent job air frying, but we disliked its exposed heating element and didn't find it to be as convenient as a basket-style air fryer. Instead, we recommend getting a standalone air fryer.

Although both can take the fuss out of cooking some meals, these two appliances have many differences. Air fryers help crisp up food that you may otherwise cook in a deep fryer, while Instant Pots cook meals that need a liquid element like stews, soups and rice.

Some foods may not require any oil at all, while others may require a light coating of oil. In general, most air fryer recipes call for a tablespoon or less of oil. It is important to note that air fryers are designed to cook food with hot air circulation, so they require much less oil than traditional frying methods.

Since each appliance offers different benefits, this is an important metric when deciding between a pressure cooker and air fryer. With that in mind, here are the five biggest advantages of using an air fryer: Healthier food: With the reduction in oil, air fryers make healthier, more nutritious meals.

Cooking in an “instant pot” or pressure cooker is a great method for preparing your food on many levels — including the nutritional level, according to registered dietitian Beth Czerwony, RD. “Instant pot recipes are absolutely healthy as long as what you put in the recipe is healthy,” she says.

What's more: the "frying" is faster! Caution! Forget about butter or delicate cold-pressed oils, which are very likely to burn and smoke the whole kitchen.

“Cooking sprays such as Pam, often include soy lecithin, an emulsifier, in the formulation,” says Martin Bucknavage, an expert in food safety in the Penn State Department of Food Science. “This is less stable than high smoke point oils and will deteriorate at temperatures used for air frying.

While the need for oil in air frying is not as great as when using an oven or frying something on a pan, a small amount of oil can go a long way in keeping your food moist and providing that golden brown color.

With air frying, you can cook almost anything, from chicken wings to vegetables, with little to no added oil. This function is perfect for those looking for a healthier alternative to deep frying.

Can you put too much oil in an air fryer? ›

Adding fat to the basket is fine, for the most part. (I used bacon grease for my air-fried fried eggs, for example.) There are, however, some rules. You don't want to add too much oil, as that can cause splattering, and splatters can hit the heating element and smoke.

As explained by The Washington Post, you need to dry and lightly brush most fresh foods with a little bit of oil when putting them into the air fryer in order for them to come out crispy and golden brown, but avoid putting too much on or else your food will come out soggy.

Most air fryers call for only a teaspoon or two of oil. If you dump in too much, you'll get regrettable results. “An air fryer is not a deep fryer,” says Jim Mumford, recipe writer and blogger at Jimcooksfoodgood.com. “I've seen people dump two quarts of oil into an air fryer and wonder why their food didn't work.