I don't get the hype about preheating the air fryer for everything

I saw a big difference in my chicken wings after I stopped preheating every single time. For about 2 months I followed the recipes that said to preheat for 5 minutes first. Then I tried just throwing frozen wings in cold and adding 2 minutes to the cook time. They came out way crispier and juicier. Has anyone else tried skipping that preheat step with good results?

2 comments

2 Comments

faithf777d ago

Preheating frozen stuff actually makes them worse in my experience too. The cold food hits that hot air and it shocks it, making the outside cook too fast before the inside thaws. I do the same thing with my frozen fries now, straight into a cold basket and add about 3 minutes on the timer. The texture comes out way more even and not dried out on one side.

grant_cooper7d ago

The whole 'cold food hitting hot air' thing you said @faithf77 is exactly it. I do the same with chicken nuggets now, just toss em in cold and add a couple extra minutes, way less burnt on the outside and raw in the middle.