Cook Multiple Items Simultaneously in an Air Fryer Oven

Air fryers are a fun and easy way to cook up crispy, browned food with a deliciously crisp exterior and a roasted, “fried” flavor. Air frying uses a fan and hot air to rapidly envelop food with super-hot air, which mimics the effects of a deep fryer but requires much less oil. This allows you to make food at home that would otherwise be out of reach, from frozen foods like onion rings or fried chicken to from-scratch foods that mimic pre-fried items, such as mozzarella sticks and calamari rings.

These little ovens use a process called the Maillard reaction to achieve their great results, which means they’re able to produce the browned texture and roasted flavor of deep-fried foods while using very little oil. That makes them perfect for a wide range of recipes you’d typically be inclined to roast or deep fry, but they can also help with baking and other kitchen tasks that require lower temperatures than an oven.

The biggest drawback to cooking multiple foods in an air fryer is that food often needs to be flipped and shaken during the cooking process to ensure even browning. This can be particularly problematic when cooking larger food pieces, such as steak or a whole chicken.

This is because if some of your food is more cooked than others, the heat generated by the air circulating around them can cause a layer of moisture to develop over the top. This can affect the texture and taste of your food.

Can You Cook Multiple Items Simultaneously in an Air Fryer Oven?

To avoid this, try to choose foods that are compatible with one another and cut them into similar sizes. This will allow the hot air to circulate more evenly around them, and prevent overdone or undercooked food from developing. You can also try adding additional racks to your air fryer or using a cooking sheet when you’re preparing more than one item, in order to increase capacity and improve air flow.

Some air fryers come with a twin basket setup which lets you cook two foods simultaneously. This is ideal for things like potatoes and protein or breakfast foods such as hash browns and bacon. You can also pair them with accessories such as a grill plate for added versatility. Many models offer handy match and sync modes that can automatically apply your settings to both of your air fryer baskets, so they’re finished at the same time.

Some manufacturers have also created dividers for their air fryer oven which can be used to separate different types of food during cooking. This can be helpful when you’re cooking foods that have differing cook times, such as chicken wings and fries, because it allows them to finish at the same time without the risk of them sticking together or overlapping. This can also be a good idea when cooking foods that have strong flavors or aromas that may contaminate each other, such as seafood and poultry. Alternatively, you can simply place each type of food in its own air fryer basket or tray.