Use A Toothpick To Fix This Annoying Issue In The Air Fryer

An air fryer is helpful for whipping up crispy, tasty dishes in very little time, but it does have a few practical drawbacks. One of the problems that flies under the radar is the power of the internal fan. While the fan is there to circulate heat and cook food thoroughly, it can also blow lightweight ingredients all over and ruin your dish.

Whether you've wrapped jalapenos in bacon or are just trying to crisp up a grilled cheese sandwich, the air fryer can get the job done but may also toss loose bread and bacon strips around with the air flow inside. An air fryer is just a convection oven, after all, and blowing hot air is the secret to its ability to evenly cook and make food crispy. Anything too lightweight is subject to the same results you would experience if you took it into the yard on a windy day.

The simple solution is to affix any loose ingredients to the rest of the meal with a toothpick. A single toothpick in a sandwich can hold that top piece of bread in place. They are also great for items like a stuffed chicken breast or pork chop. The same goes for wraps, rolls, and pinwheels that could unravel while cooking.

Sticking a toothpick in a sandwich sounds pretty straightforward, right? There is a little more to it than that, especially if you plan on flipping your food in the air fryer. A toothpick sticking out of the top will make it difficult to get your sandwich to sit evenly. Instead of inserting one vertically, slide the toothpick in at a shallow angle of around 30 degrees. That way, if you do need to flip your sandwich or your air fryer jalapeno poppers, they will still lie flat. You should also check before flipping because you may not need the toothpick at this point. A cheese sandwich, for example, will have cooked enough that the melty cheese holds everything together.

If you are cooking a few items and the toothpicks are buried deep, do not forget them when cooking is finished. At those shallow angles, it can be easy to overlook toothpicks when slicing your food, which can lead to cutting them as well. The last thing you want is an accidental choking hazard.

When we covered the biggest mistakes you make with your air fryer, this little hack was one of them. It also came with another piece of advice. If you're cooking something very small and light that a toothpick can't hold, like kale chips, try covering them with a small rack instead to hold them in place. Keep your food secure, and your air fryer will keep producing the tasty food you expect.