Can you Cook Frozen Food in an Air Fryer?

An Air fryer is an Oven, Yes! But it is more than just an oven; 

An Air fryer is a Convection Oven. Yes, it is but there is more to it;

An Air fryer is a small Countertop Convection Oven. Yes, and it fries deeply without immersing the object to be fried in a lot of oil.

An Air fryer has the same working principle as the convection oven. It makes use of air to get food items fried instead of using oil. It is a digital air fryer that has come to replace the conventional Oven.

The cooking process starts by converting electrical energy into heat energy. A fan inside makes it possible for heat circulation to occur and reach every surface of the food. 

There are a good number of things an air fryer can do, from cooking meats to roasting vegetables, to baking, to cooking fish sticks, sweet potatoes, etc.

If you’ve ever wondered if it is possible to get frozen food ( e.g., frozen egg rolls) done in an air fryer. You should stop wondering now because It is just that perfect kitchen appliance for air frying frozen foods. So yes, you can cook frozen food in an air fryer conveniently and perfectly with a more crispy taste achieved.

Cooking Method for Frozen Air Fryer Food

To cook frozen air fryer food or air fryer snack as the case may be is a no big task because all it requires for you to do is just in four steps;

1.  Open the package and defrost the frozen foods/snacks that you want to fry without allowing them to fall apart,
2. Coat the frozen foods/snacks in any oil and spices of your choice. Stir together to evenly coat,
3.  Carefully place the defrosted frozen foods/snacks in the fryer without adding too much at a time. You don’t want to overcrowd your fryer.
4. Most frozen food package has the cooking instruction on them. Check the package of the frozen food/snack for the required cook time and temperature. Serve when it is done cooking.

Cook Time for Some Air Fryer Frozen Food

There are a lot of frozen foods and snacks that can be cooked in a standard air fryer. There are different types of air fryers, but it is not so much of a factor in the cooking method of frozen foods. The two major factors to consider in cooking frozen foods to achieve a crispy quality taste are the cooking time and the cooking temperature. The two factors are most of the time represented on a cooking chart. You might want to get a cooking thermometer to help you validate your cooking temperature. You must stick to the cooking instructions for better results.

Below is the cooking time for some of the most common air fryer frozen foods/snacks

• Small Skinless Chicken Breast –  Fry at 25 minutes at around 350^o F
• Large Skinless Chicken Breast – Fry at 30 minutes at around 350^o F or 176^o C
• Fish Sticks – Fry at 8-12 minutes at around 360^o F or 176^o C
• Frozen Egg Rolls – Fry at 12 minutes at around 390^o F or 199^o C
• Mozzarella Sticks – Fry at 7 minutes at around 380^o F or 180^o C
• Potato Skins – Fry at 5 minutes at 370^o F or 187^o C

It is important for you to coat your frozen foods/snacks with oil and spices before you put them in the air fryer.

Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes fries with a Dipping Sauce Recipe

Have you tasted an air fried Sweet Potatoes? If you haven’t, then this recipe is for you. Sweet Potatoes fries done with an air fryer gives extra crispy, super healthy, and perfectly seasoned potato fries.

• Peel your potatoes skin off, wash and slice into thin sizes,
• Soak in a large bowl of water for about 25-30 minutes. This is done to give it a crispier feeling as it gets rid of extra starch from the potatoes,
• The water on the potatoes needs to be drained off of the dripping water, so drain it off and place it in a dry bowl,
• Sprinkle the thinly sliced potatoes with any oil of your choice. Sprinkle also with salts and any spices you like,
• Stir or toss to evenly coat with the oils and spices,
• This is the time to fry. The air frying is in two batches to allow for deep frying. Air fry for 5 minutes at 375o F, then shake the basket for more even cooking and air fry for another 5 minutes,
• Add your store-bought or your homemade dipping sauce and allow to air fry for another 5 mins. The dipping sauce should not be added too early so that all of the sauce does not evaporate away,
• The crispy sweet potato fries with a dipping sauce are now done and ready for serving.

Reasons you should Cook Frozen Food in an Air Fryer

At this point, you can already state two or three reasons in your mind why you should prefer to cook frozen foods with an air fryer instead of a deep fryer or any other type of conventional fryer. Check out the reasons as highlighted below;

• Gives frozen food/snack extra crispiness
• Allows you to use less oil for frying; therefore, it saves cooking cost
• Cooks faster 
• Very easy to use
• Frozen foods are cooked in a clean way with no watery mess
• Healthier to consume as it has less fat in it

Other Frozen Foods that can be Air Fryed

1. Frozen bread dough
2. Frozen pastries
3. Frozen Chicken Wings
4. Potato Skins
5. Frozen French Fries
6. Frozen Pizza Rolls
7. Got Pockets
8. Frozen meatballs
9. Frozen Fish Fillets
10. Frozen Veggie Burgers

Final Words

No doubt, Air Fryer is beginning to gain so much recognition and a lot of people are beginning to consider a shift from the conventional fryer to the air fryer. Apart from the fact that it is small and won’t be taking up a lot of space in the kitchen. It is also easy and economical to use. Most importantly, you get to use about 80% less of the oil you will use in a conventional fryer or a deep fryer in an air fryer.

Yes, of recent majority of people have been showing concerns and asking questions as regards the cooking of frozen foods in an air fryer. Questions like “can I cook frozen foods in an air fryer?”, ” how do I cook frozen foods or snacks in an air fryer?”. The purpose of this writing is to validate the fact that an air fryer is able to cook frozen foods perfectly with even a much more crispier taste. 

With the provision of cooking recipe and cooking time, you are sure that you are on your way to making really nice fries. 

So if you already have an air fryer and you’ve not been optimally making use of it, start now. Get those frozen foods/snacks into the air fryer. On the other hand, if you are yet to own an air fryer, get one when next you are out to get kitchen appliances. I bet it is a good investment.

I hope the few writings here have been able to do justice to your doubts. Feel free to drop your questions if you are still unsure of some things regarding this article in the comment section or via email.