The Worst Type Of Seafood To Cook In The Air Fryer

If you're in the mood for seafood, you're often spoiled for options. There are tons of popular types of seafood that everyone can get on board with. But if you've caught on to the air fryer trend, you should skip one type of seafood, according to Rachel Buck, senior demo chef at Ninja Test Kitchen.

Chef Buck revealed, "It's best to avoid cooking fresh clams and mussels in an air fryer, as they require moisture to open up, and air frying can dry them out before they cook properly." Fresh clams and mussels in their shells are absolutely delicious when properly prepared, but can turn into a chewy, unpleasurable experience if cooked poorly. Although the air fryer is great at many things, it simply can't do it all and fresh clams and mussels have unfortunately missed the train. If you're really craving clams and mussels, Buck recommends that you use the old-school method, saying, "steam or cook them in a covered pan," instead.

That being said, Buck stated that there was one particular instance where she felt an air fryer would be an acceptable choice and that was with canned clams or mussels. "These are already cooked," she said. "So you can reheat them in the air fryer. Cook at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for two to three minutes to warm them up, being careful not to overcook."

You may be wondering why you would even have them on hand, but canned clams are worth buying. There are lots of creative ways to put them to use and they can add a spark to an otherwise casual weeknight meal. The fact that you can heat them up in just a few minutes using your air fryer makes them all the more versatile.

But texture is key to getting this right, regardless of whether or not the clams or mussels are fresh. No matter how good your recipe idea is, it won't matter if what comes out on the plate is an unpalatable mess. So take chef Rachel Buck's advice and keep those clams hydrated. 

The air fryer has quickly become America's favorite kitchen appliance, and while it's still relatively new, there's no need to make the mistakes that others have already learned from. Although some seafood can be good in the air fryer — we're looking at you, shrimp — fresh clams and mussels aren't it. If you're still dreaming of a dish of fresh clams or mussels, try our quick linguine and clams recipe, which cooks the mollusks in white wine sauce, for tasty results, or our creamy garlic mussels, which uses a similar technique.