Why You Should Probably Avoid Cooking Raw Rice In An Air Fryer
The invention of the humble air fryer has made cooking a lot easier for many people. After all, it saves plenty of time compared to traditional cooking methods, and since it uses less oil churns out much healthier food. This is why the air fryer has become a staple in many households. If you are on the air fryer bandwagon, you may want to learn about some air-fryer hacks to try. As to what can be cooked in an air fryer, there are certain foods you may never have thought to cook in your air fryer but should.
Yet, there are also certain situations in which an air fryer simply won't work. The most important of these is when you attempt to cook raw rice in it. Due to their unique consistency and methods of cooking, certain foods are absolute no-gos when it comes to cooking in an air fryer. Let's find out why raw rice is one of them.
The science behind cooking raw rice in an air fryer
The main thing to keep in mind is that raw rice — and other grains like it — are usually cooked when they are immersed in boiling water. They need to absorb the water as they cook. The air fryer, as a machine, is intended to cook dry food. That's one of the reasons it's so popular, as it makes cooking easier for everyone.
There are, of course, special inserts that are made to cook water-based foods. Yet, even when they are used, the heat generated from the fan is never hot enough to actually boil the water necessary to cook the raw rice through. The main problem with this method is that even though the rice might be cooked, it isn't evenly done. Hence, instead of an air fryer, your best bet would be to use a rice cooker or an instant pot. Or simply use the traditional method of boiling rice on the stove. Fortunately, once your rice is already cooked using these other methods, you can cook it again in the air fryer for tasty, delicious, and super-quick fried rice.
Other things to avoid cooking in an air fryer
Now you know that things that require water should not be cooked in an air fryer, you might be interested to learn about other items that work on a similar principle and should be cooked in other ways. Plain cheese, or dishes that require cheese to be laid on top, make a gloopy mess when cooked because the cheese melts before what's cooking underneath it is fully done. Anything with a wet batter will also create a similar mess, so leave your freshly dredged chicken and onion rings for the deep fryer.
Certain baked goods also rarely get cooked through in an air fryer because the mixture can dry out, which is especially true for muffins. Although there are recipes for air fryer donuts, some batters can be too wet for the gadget to handle. Even when you attempt to make vegetables — a popular food for air frying — be prepared for them to be a little dry unless you add plenty of oil. Large bone-in meat cuts rarely get cooked all the way through, either. However, the most important tip to keep in mind when using an air fryer is the quantity of what you decide to cook in it: Too much of anything will lead to a soggy mess due to trapped moisture. You're aiming for a crispy crunch, so leave plenty of room for the hot air to circulate.