Ever since Supersize Me came out at the box office, people have been talking about the dangers of eating fried foods. Fast food companies, too, have started to ease up on the fried goodness in favor of new cooking methods. One of the more popular methods is air frying.
Does air fried food taste as good as deep-fried food? Flavor is in the mouth of the beholder, but we’d be lying if we said there wasn’t a difference. The flavor that fat offers is far less noticeable in air fried food.
Though there are many sales letters that claim flavors of air-fried and deep-fried foods are nearly identical, the truth is a little less savory. Here’s what frying fans should know about the flavor profiles of each method.
Does Air Fried Food Taste as Good as Deep Fried Food?
It all depends on how much you like the flavor of fat. Fat has a specific flavor profile that tends to add substance to a dish, which is why many people enjoy it. The thing is, air frying doesn’t have the fatty flavor palate that regular deep-fried food has.
If you’re a fan of the fatty, almost melty flavor of oil, then you probably won’t think that air fried food tastes as good as deep-fried food. On the other hand, if fatty foods repulse you, you’re probably going to be an air fryer fan.
What Does Air Fried Food Taste Like, Compared To Deep Fried Food?
If you haven’t ever bitten into food made in an air fryer, then it can be hard to figure out what “oil-less frying” could taste like. However, there’s a pretty good analogy that you can experience thanks to your local grocery store.
Most grocery stores have bags of baked potato chips in stock. If you try a bag, you’ll get a better idea of what air fried food tastes like when compared to deep-fried food. If you prefer baked chips, chances are you’ll enjoy air fried food.
If Air Frying Can Lack Flavor, Why Is Air Frying Becoming Popular?
There are a lot of reasons people choose to use an air fryer in their homes, but the biggest reason usually has to do with these reasons:
- Some want to go on a diet that avoids deep-fried food and calorific content. Air fried food has ⅓ less calories and fat than deep-fried food but has a similar crunch and flavor. This makes it a “guiltless” treat for many dieters.
- They don’t want to deal with the cleanup deep-frying entails. Cleaning a deep fryer can often be a fairly gross endeavor. Unless you’re okay with scrubbing congealed oil out of a fryer, you might want to stick to an air fryer.
- People don’t always feel comfortable with a deep fryer. Deep fryers can be risky and can cause burns or fires if mishandled. Since safety can be an issue, it’s easy to see where people might want to avoid deep frying.
- Others are just tired of greasy fried foods. This is a big issue. A lot of people simply don’t want to blot their food before they bite it, and that can make some people decide to switch to air frying.
- Some cooks also can’t stand working in a piping hot kitchen. Deep fryers can jack up the temperature in a kitchen pretty badly. Air fryers don’t do that, making them a more temperature-friendly option.
Why Is There A Difference In Flavor Between Air Frying And Deep Frying?
It all has to deal with the main difference in how the items are fried: the oil. With air frying, oil isn’t used. Deep frying, on the other hand, relies on oil. Whether people want to admit it or not, the use of oil does affect food’s flavor.
When oil is used in the frying process, the oil ends up sinking into the food itself. Oil, particularly vegetable oil, has a light, buttery flavor. This ends up getting imparted on the food that you’re frying.
How Oil’s Addition Further Impacts Food
The taste of oil on its own is very subtle, but what’s not subtle is the effect it can further have on food’s flavor. Adding fats to food is helps bring out the flavors that people enjoy, especially when it comes to foods high in umami or savory profiles.
This is actually why many restaurants tend to use cheese, butter, and oil heavily in their recipes. It’s a flavor carrier.
Is Air Frying Really Frying?
If you want to be technical about it, air frying really isn’t a form of frying. Frying is defined as using oil to transfer heat into food, and air frying doesn’t actually use oil in its cooking process. Air frying is really just a convection oven style of baking.
The fact is that this form of baking just tends to be a little crispier than your typical oven, which is why it’s marketed as “frying.” It’s a fairly smart marketing ploy.
Is There Anything You Can Do To Make Air Fried Food Taste Like Deep Fried Food?
This is the million-dollar question, isn’t it? If air frying could get the same results as deep-frying, then most restaurants would toss out their fryers without a second thought. Truthfully, it’s not a replacement for a deep fryer regardless of what you do.
That being said, there are some tips that people can use to make the food taste a little more like the classic fried stuff:
- Adding more salt. Some air fried dishes can get a similar “fried kick” by adding more salt to their recipes.
- Dipping food in liquid batter and freezing it prior to frying it. Liquid batter doesn’t fare well in an air fryer, which is terrible considering how well it works to make foods taste fried. Thankfully, there’s a workaround here. All you need to do is dip your food in liquid batter, then freeze it. Once it’s frozen solid, you can use your air fryer to cook it.
- Spray food down with some oil before it cooks. If you don’t mind adding oil to your food, spritzing some olive oil on your food before you air fry, it can potentially help lock in flavor and keep moisture intact.
- Focus on the sauces. With a lot of fried meals, the crunchy food you’re eating is more about making a way to get the sauce to your mouth. Sometimes, adding a little extra sauce is all you really need to do.
What Are The Best Foods To Cook With An Air Fryer?
Sometimes, the easiest way to get an authentic deep-fried flavor is to stick with foods that are known for working well with air fryers. These include:
- French fries
- Southern fried chicken
- Chicken nuggets
- Fried pickles
- Fried fish and shrimp
That being said, if you’re really serious about your frying, then the good news is that owning an air fryer can be a great way to explore different recipes and interesting new ways to create mouthwatering meals.
So, if you don’t see your favorite food on the list of options here, don’t fret. Rather than write off your favorite foods as impossible to air fry, take it as a challenge. The more you explore your air fryer’s capabilities, the better a chef you’ll be, and the happier you’ll be with the results.