Home LivingGardenBarbeque6 expert-approved tips for making BBQ food in an air fryerBeat the rainy weather and make delicious BBQ food using an air fryerWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Home LivingGardenBarbeque6 expert-approved tips for making BBQ food in an air fryerBeat the rainy weather and make delicious BBQ food using an air fryerWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Beat the rainy weather and make delicious BBQ food using an air fryer
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Ninja)
(Image credit: Ninja)
Despite it being the middle of the summer, the weather in the UK has taken a turn for the worse. Long gone is the scorching heatwave that had us all outside enjoying the sun. Now, it’s overcast, windy and rainy… far from BBQ weather! If you love barbecues but don’t want to stand outside in the cold frying up a burger, it turns out you can make delicious BBQ-style food in an air fryer.
Now, this might come as a shock to some. From searing and grilling to steaming and reheating, thebest barbecuegives food that authentic smoky flavour and texture that’s hard to replicate with traditional methods of cooking. Despite the power and popularity of thebest air fryers, their way of cooking is completely different from barbecues, grills andsmokers… so how can you possibly cook BBQ food in one?!
If you want tasty BBQ food no matter the weather, here are 6 expert-approved tips to transform your trusty air fryer into a mean lean grilling machine.
1. Preheat for maximum flavour
Just like how you’d preheat your BBQ before putting food on the grill, it’s important to preheat your air fryer too. Doing this replicates the high heat that you get from a BBQ and maximises flavour and crispiness. Getir recommends “preheating your air fryer for 3-5 minutes between 175°C and 200°C which is the best temperature to cook most BBQ-style foods.” Cooking at this high heat in your air fryer ensures your food will get a juicy tender inside and a crispy sear on the outside.
2. Season the basket with an onion
BBQ food is all about flavour and to replicate this with your air fryer, “a great trick is to cut an onion in half and rub it on the basket grates before you start grilling.” Not only does this add extra seasoning to your food, but the natural enzymes and acidity from the onion prevents food from sticking to your air fryer’s basket, making clean-up a lot easier.
3. Choose thicker cuts of meat
As air fryers offer extremely fast cooking times, it’s important to factor this in when you’re choosing what BBQ food recipes you want to make. Getir recommends using a thicker cut of protein to account for this speed and to ensure the flavour and texture of the meat is at its best. For example, burgers are one of the most popular things to BBQ and Getir suggests cooking them at 180°C for 7 minutes on each side for a medium-rare air fried burger. If you prefer your burger well done, add a couple of minutes to the cooking time on each side.
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(Image credit: Amazon)
(Image credit: Amazon)
4. It’s all in the marinade!
To get that charred smoky flavour that barbecues are known for, you need to pay attention to your marinade so you get the same bold tastes using your air fryer. For maximum flavour, marinate your protein and vegetables overnight before chucking them in the air fryer. While you can buy pre-made marinades, it’s better to make your own, using “olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper to form the base and adding paprika, barbecue sauce, cumin and smoked salts or spices” for a smoky flavour.
5. Use skewers
Using skewers in your air fryer is a great way to increase capacity and prevent food waste. As air fryers don’t have as much room compared to a grill, making skewers and kebabs means you can make multiple batches of food at a time and cater to larger groups of people. To maximise your space even more, use yourair fryer’s trays or racksfor more layers of food. Not only does this help with even cooking and easy flipping, “but it prevents tiny bits of food from falling through the cracks in the air fryer basket,” says Getir.
6. Monitor cooking time
For more food advice, take a look at thebest foods to cook in an air fryerand try theseBBQ recipes for charcoal, gas, pellet and electric grills.
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