You must be aware of the ideal oils to use if you intend to air fry your favorite foods. Different oils add different flavors to food, and some are better at maintaining the cleanliness and safety of your equipment. Find out more information about the best oil for air fryers!

Can You Use Oil in An Air Fryer?

Undoubtedly, but not for deep frying. Though fryer is in the name of the equipment, this kitchen gadget uses dry circulating heat to “fry” food giving it a crispy texture on the outside without the use of oil for deep frying. Also Read: Can Air Fryers Cause Cancer

High smoke point oils that won’t burn at high temperatures, like avocado oil, extra light olive oil, peanut oil, and sesame oil, are the best oils to use in the air fryer.

However, that does not imply that the food you cook in your air fryer uses no oil. Because it contributes to the food’s exterior crispiness, oil actually plays a significant role in air fryer cooking. Your food will cook more evenly and taste better if you sprinkle it with a little cooking oil.

Oils, however, are not all created equal. Some have too low a smoke point to withstand the high heat of the air fryer, and some will impart an unfavorable flavor on your food.

7 Best Oils to Use for Air Fryer

1. Avocado Oil

As it has the highest smoking point of any oil, avocado oil is the best choice for air frying. Avocado oil will not begin to smoke until it is heated to a temperature of 570 degrees Fahrenheit. Oil doesn’t degrade and turn rancid thanks to its high smoke point.

Use this for recipes that call for a lot of heat in an air fryer.

Here’s the nutritional value of 100 grams avocado oil:

• 70 grams of monounsaturated fats
• 13 grams of polyunsaturated fats
• 12 grams of saturated fats

The most nutrient-rich oil on the market is avocado oil. It offers vitamins and minerals like:

• Omega 9
• Vitamin E
• Lutein

Everyone discusses omega 3 and 6. But omega 9 is also very important. These monounsaturated fats are effective at regulating and balancing your body’s cholesterol levels.

Vitamin E is present in large quantities in avocado oil. nonetheless, not just the tocopherols. Tocotrienols are also present in avocados. In this manner, the entire vitamin E complex is being consumed. It has also been discovered that the high lutein content shields eye tissue from oxidation.

Therefore, avocado oil for air frying not only has the highest smoke point, but it also has powerful health advantages like better eye and heart health.

Also Check: 20+ Instant Pot Air Fryer Recipes 2023 – Tasty & Delicious

2. Ghee

By separating the proteins in butter and leaving only the pure oil behind, businesses make ghee. Because of its low to medium heat requirements and 485 degree Fahrenheit smoking point, it is ideal for air frying.

Ghee is a stable cooking oil that won’t oxidize because it contains over 50% saturated fat.

In addition to being heat-stable, ghee also offers health benefits like:

• It contains a lot of butyrates
• The fat decreases insulin resistance
• It boosts energy

All foods, including butter, have butyrate concentrations that are higher than ghee. For those who have IBS or any colon problems, this makes it beneficial.

You cannot produce the necessary amount of butyrate if you have bowel issues. So take into account using ghee, and after a few days, see if your symptoms have subsided.

Due to the fact that ghee is made entirely of fat and contains no carbohydrates, it also has the advantage of reducing insulin resistance. For diabetics and pre-diabetics, ghee is a necessity because of this.

Additionally, you’ll notice that ghee increases energy because butyrate is the preferred fuel for colon cells.

3. Coconut Oil

The holy grail of healthy oils is unrefined coconut oil, which can be used for medium-heat cooking thanks to its 450°F smoke point. 100 grams of coconut oil contains:

• 100 grams of fat
• 87 grams of saturated fat
• Zero carbs

It’s possible that you’re concerned about heart problems because coconut oil contains a lot of saturated fat. The opposite, however, is supported by a number of thorough investigations, including the Sydney Study and the Minnesota Coronary Survey.

Saturated fats increase mortality risk and decrease quality of life in people who choose polyunsaturated fats instead.

So feel free to air fry your preferred foods using coconut oil. Additionally, coconut oil has no flavor, so it won’t alter the taste of your food.

But coconut oil offers additional benefits like:

• It boosts brain power
• The medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs fight dementia
• It keeps you fuller for longer

Despite being healthy, coconut oil will start to deteriorate and oxidize if the temperature rises above 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. Extra Light Olive Oil

The smoke point of extra light olive oil is 470 degrees Fahrenheit, which is 95 degrees higher than that of regular olive oil. If you’re using an air fryer, this makes it a better choice. Here is the nutritional breakdown of 100 grams of extra light olive oil.

• 100 grams of fat
• 15 grams of saturated fat
• 74 grams of monounsaturated fat
• 11 grams of polyunsaturated fat

Extra light olive oil, like avocado oil, has a high monounsaturated fat content, making it ideal for anyone trying to lose weight.

It does not solidify below 74 degrees Fahrenheit, unlike coconut oil, so you do not need to reheat it in the microwave.

This type of olive oil offers unique health benefits like:

• It’s packed with vitamin E, K and antioxidants
• The high antioxidant content reduces inflammation and fights oxidation
• It doesn’t contain trans fats or other harmful chemicals

5. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Extra virgin olive oil has a low smoke point despite having a lot of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. Around 375 degrees Fahrenheit, it begins to smoke. Therefore, stay away from using it for high-heat cooking. Meals should only be air-fried at low temperatures because they quickly go bad.

100 grams of extra virgin olive oil contains:

• 12 grams of saturated fat
• 74 grams of monounsaturated fat
• Five grams of polyunsaturated fat
• Zero trans fat

The only issue with olive oil—aside from its low smoke point—is that, in an effort to cut costs, most businesses add canola oil and other harmful ingredients. To ensure you are purchasing organic olive oil, it is crucial to read the label.

Check the bottle when shopping. Extra virgin olive oil must be packaged in a dark glass bottle because light oxidizes the oil. Canola oil is most likely present if the container is plastic.

Before using your oil for cooking, give it a taste. The real deal can be detected if your olive oil gives you a slight kick in the throat. If the flavor of your oil is more bland, it probably contains unhealthy oils like canola or grapeseed oil.

Olive oil offers health benefits like:

• It protects against heart disease
• The monounsaturated fats makes weight loss easy
• It helps prevent strokes

6. Butter

Butter is a good choice for air frying despite having a lower smoke point than other cooking oils. Therefore, add a few sticks of butter to food that you are cooking in avocado oil when it is nearly done. In addition to keeping your butter from burning, this adds more flavor to your air-fried food.

100 grams of butter contains:

• 81 grams of fat
• 52 grams of saturated fat
• 21 grams of monounsaturated fat
• Three grams of polyunsaturated fat

However, butter’s flavoring distinguishes it from the other oils on this list. Whether you’re air frying steak, fish, eggs, or frozen French fries, adding some butter elevates the flavor.

Not only is butter healthy, it also offers health benefits like:

• Strengthened bones and teeth due to the high vitamin K and D content
• The butyrate supports digestive health
• It boosts immune function

7. Beef Tallow Or Lard

Beef tallow and lard is another excellent fat for air frying with a smoke point of 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Here’s the nutritional value of beef tallow:

• 100 grams of fat
• 50 grams of saturated fat
• 45 grams of monounsaturated fat
• Zero trans fat
• Zero carbs

The fact that beef fat is so inexpensive is its best feature. Make beef tallow out of the leftover fat and use it to cook fatty meat and fish cuts.

To purchase beef tallow or lard in large quantities, get in touch with a farm if one is nearby. If you can establish a rapport with some of the local farmers who discard this, you can purchase pounds of beef tallow for a reasonable price.

Tallow made from beef is healthy as well. It contains vital fat-soluble nutrients like vitamin A, D, E, and K2.

Worst Oil to Use in Air Fryer

Olive Oil: Having a low smoke point, it may burn quickly and produce a lot of smoke while cooking.

Grapeseed Oil: The low smoke point of this oil makes it burn and smoke quickly. The flavor is also not one that everyone finds appealing.

Butter: Even though butter tastes great, the lactose-containing milk solids will burn quickly, producing smoke and a burnt flavor.

Coconut Oil: Even though this oil has a high smoke point, it gives food a distinct coconut flavor. If you prefer, you can substitute triple-refined coconut oil, which won’t impart any coconut flavor on your food.

Why Do I Need Oil in An Air Fryer?

We purchased air fryers so we wouldn’t have to use oil to prepare food, right? I’m sure I did, but in all honesty, I’m aware that’s not always the case. foods with little to no fat (like lean chicken breasts, unprocessed potatoes, tofu) tend to dry out and stick to their cooking pan at high temperatures. (Read More: Can I Wrap Chicken In Foil In Air Fryer) Therefore, putting those items and the cooking basket in the air fryer before spraying or misting them with oil will help solve those problems. Foods that were processed, like frozen tater tots and frozen french fries, were made with oil so they won’t suffer the same fate and can be cooked in the air fryer without additional oil.

Also Read: Can You Put Water In An Air Fryer

Can You Use Cooking Spray in the Air Fryer?

Yes, but if at all possible, we advise against it. Cooking spray is an oil that has been aerosolized, making it challenging to evenly coat your food with it. Uneven cooking and wasted food are potential consequences of this.

Additionally, some cooking sprays’ chemicals can leave a tough-to-clean residue on your air fryer. If you use cooking spray, we advise using unrefined coconut oil or avocado oil.

Utilizing an oil sprayer is the best method for using spray oil in the air fryer. All you have to do is fill the bottle with your preferred cooking oil and spray it where you need it. You’ll be able to have healthy cooking oil on hand and save money as a result!

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