Elevating Your Frozen Food Game: Air Fryer Tips and Tricks | Easy Home Meals (2024)

FAQs

How do you elevate frozen meals? ›

Make Sure Your Food Is Dry

Especially if you're frying a recipe with a marinade, make sure you pat your food dry before putting it in the fryer. The drier your food is when it goes in, the crispier it'll be when it comes out.

If there is too much food in the basket, the air fryer will steam the food. To add to this, “overfilling the basket causes uneven cooking and browning, as well as undercooked soggy areas,” Fiona told Choice.com. To overcome this, cook food in batches or purchase an air fryer with a larger basket.

Preheat for Perfection: Preheat your air fryer for a few minutes before adding your frozen goodies. This ensures they start cooking immediately and develop that coveted crispy exterior.

It's essential that you spread the potatoes in a single layer in the air fryer basket and that you leave a little space between each one. If they're too crowded, the potatoes will steam inside the air fryer, and they won't get crispy. In order to give them adequate space, you'll likely need to work in batches.

use russet potatoes. they crisp up more than waxier potatoes like Yukon gold🥔 2. slice 'em THIN🔪 3. Soak with hot water for 10 minutes💦 this draws out some of the excess starch so they can crisp 4.

Is it okay to directly put frozen food in an air fryer? ›

The answer to this question is, yes – anything is possible with these magical machines. We all know the hassle of waiting for something to defrost before you can cook it, but with an air fryer, you can simply pop the item inside, in its frozen state, and start cooking.

A: Yes you can. There is an option for Frozen Food or you can set the time and temp yourself, I just wouldn't cook it as long as you would in a regular oven.

Here's how to make pizza in your air fryer: Set the air fryer to 380-400 F and heat the frozen pizza for six to 10 minutes (depending on the thickness of the crust), or until golden and crispy. Due to size constraints, an air fryer is ideal for a small, personal pie or heating individual slices.

If you have some fresh veggies, herbs, or fruit lying around the house, a few sprinkles or squeezes can instantly elevate a frozen meal. "Even just some basil or cilantro, or anything you can get your hands on like citrus, garlic, onions," Sánchez told Insider.

That increase in temperature allows still frozen—but not deeply frozen—food to cook quicker. The safest way to slack is via gradual defrosting in a refrigerator over a period of one or more days, but because the food remains frozen, it can be safely done in other conditions.

Add a side of fresh vegetables or salad

This also helps to boost the nutritional content of a ready meal. Or try adding frozen food such as peas, sweetcorn and spinach to your meal. You could also buy a portion of fresh fruit to have for dessert.

You may also need to pull out the spices that you originally used when making your meal. “Flavors shift in the fridge and also once the food is reheated in the microwave, so be sure to taste whatever you've microwaved and adjust seasonings until it tastes great — and not like leftovers,” Slagle said.