Is air fried food really healthy? Here are the pros and cons of air frying

From hot chips to chicken nuggets, crispy roast veggies, crunchy falafel, and easy desserts, it seems like you can air fry just about anything. 

Convenient, fast, and healthier than the deep fryer, this handy appliance promises to cook your food at greater speed without the calories you’ll find in its oily arch-nemesis. 

The biggest selling point might just be that it promises to cook healthier versions of all your favourite foods. 

But is everything you chuck in the air fryer necessarily better for you? 


Photo / Getty

How does an air fryer work? 

First, it’s important to know how an air fryer actually works. 

Unlike a deep fryer, which fully submerges foods in hot oil, an air fryer calls for either only a small amount of oil or none at all. 

It then crisps up your food using convection cooking technology, quickly heating up and circulating hot air around the basket with a fan. 

Photo / Getty

Air frying vs deep frying and the traditional oven 

What we do know is that air frying is a healthier cooking method than deep frying, because it involves fewer calories and less inflammation. 

Traditionally deep-fried foods are high in acrylamide, a chemical which when found in carby foods cooked at a high temperature can increase the risk of certain types of cancers. Swapping your deep fryer for an air fryer can reduce chances of this chemical appearing by up to 90 per cent, studies have shown. 

But it’s not so easy to compare an air fryer to your oven, since they work in a similar way. The main differences are that an air fryer is faster, cooks smaller quantities at a time and can lower your power bill if you’re using it to cook dinner instead of heating up your oven. 

One downside of an air fryer is that it cooks your food at a high temperature, which can increase the risk of potentially harmful chemicals like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) or heterocyclic amines (HCAs) forming in things like meat or fish. 

So it’s important not to overcook things, which can sometimes be tricky since the appliance heats up and cooks so quickly. 

The verdict 

The answer really depends on what you’re comparing air-fried food to. 

In one sense it’s simple: Are you cooking healthy foods in it? Foods like fruit and veg, grains, fish and lean meats are probably just as healthy when cooked in the air fryer as in a regular oven. 

But if you’re simply chucking frozen battered chicken nuggets in there and expecting them to turn out healthier than a trip to the McDonald’s drive-thru, you might be a tad disappointed. 

And if you’re adding lashings of oil to the air fryer basket - which some foods need to cook properly so they don’t dry out - the health benefits probably aren’t great either. 

But don’t let that stop you from enjoying an at-home fakeaway meal. It’s a good way to replace fried food that’s already part of your diet, but it doesn’t automatically make everything you pop in the air fryer better for you. 

Recipes to try 

If you are looking for healthier air-fried versions of your favourite dishes, here are a few recipes to try. 

Photo / Supplied

Air fryer popcorn chicken 

Instead of reaching for your freezer or hopping on Uber Eats, why not try this homemade version of fried chicken? This recipe uses chicken thighs to keep things juicy and flavoursome, coated with tasty spices and just the right amount of crunch. 

Find the recipe here. 

Light crispy prawns with sriracha mayo 

Impress your next dinner guests with these crispy air fried prawns as an entree. Cooking prawns can be tricky but an air fryer simplifies the process. Don’t use too much sriracha in the sauce if spice isn’t your thing. 

Find the recipe here. 

Air fryer roast chicken with rosemary wedges 

Cooking a roast doesn’t have to take all day and involve every pan in your kitchen - this air fried version is ready in just one hour. It’s important to use a butterflied whole chicken or smaller chicken pieces to ensure it cooks thoroughly. 

Find the recipe here. 

Crispy lemon pepper cauliflower 

This is arguably the best way to eat cauliflower. And when the winter vegetable costs this much at the supermarket, you might as well use it to make something tasty. 

Find the recipe here. 

Air fried banana s’mores boats 

Two classic desserts combine in this recipe, with air fried bananas making the perfect base for delicious s’mores toppings. An easy way to impress the kids - or adults - with a sweet tooth in your life. 

Find the recipe here. 

This article was first published by the NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.