How To Keep Potentially Airborne Tortilla Chips Grounded In Your Air Fryer

Since its invention in 2010, the air fryer has taken over kitchens nationwide. Part of the appeal of this handy appliance is that it's very convenient — adjust the temperature, pop your food in the basket, set the timer, and let it do its thing. However, if you are an old hand at air frying, you may have noticed a few problems that can disrupt this process. Namely, lighter foods like tortilla chips, bacon, and even fries can fly around while frying. This can lead to food clumping up and cooking unevenly, but there are a few simple solutions to this problem.

One quick way to ensure that your chips or chunks of cheese cook properly in the air fryer is to open the basket and check on everything intermittently. If things have started to stick together or have congregated on one side of the basket, use tongs or another long utensil to break clumps apart and ensure the food is evenly distributed in the cooking space. You'll want to check often enough so items don't cook unevenly for too long. Depending on the cooking time, you might want to move things around every three to five minutes.

Other methods to keep your food grounded involve using tools that you probably already have in your kitchen. Light food flies around in the fryer because of the air circulation, so anything you can use to add some weight to your snacks should help. For example, if you are airfrying soft food like cheese or vegetables, you can stick toothpicks through them before tossing them in the basket. The toothpicks will weigh the food down and act as a barrier so items don't stick together. 

Another option is to use the cooking rack or tray that comes with most air fryers as a weight to keep food in place. Before you turn the temperature up, remove the crisper plate or tray from the bottom of the basket, place your food inside, and rest the tray on top. To make sure items get cooked on all sides, you may want to flip your food halfway through the cooking process. You can also line the basket with aluminum foil or parchment paper before adding your food to make cleanup easier.

Now that your food is staying put, it should cook perfectly so you can enjoy quick and easy snacks like these samosas. The only time food should be airborne is when you're tossing it onto your plate.