Can You Put Butter in the Air Fryer?

If you love using your air fryer as much as I do, you probably experimented with different way to cook your favorite foods in the air fryer.

It is so much better than using your oven or stovetop! But some recipes need oil to cook the food properly. But what should you do if you don’t want to use oil?

Can you put butter in the air fryer instead of oil?

You can use butter to fry your food in the air fryer. However, it’s not a good idea to pour butter directly onto your food in the air fryer basket. Instead, use a basting brush to brush melted butter onto the food while it’s in the air fryer basket.

You can melt butter in the air fryer, but it has to be in a small bowl.

Using a butter spray is also an option. Just don’t drench your food in the butter spray. When adding butter or oil into an air fryer, don’t use as much butter as you would if you were cooking it in the oven or a frying pan.

Can You Use Butter In the Air Fryer?

Yes, you can put butter in the air fryer. If you feel like the food you are cooking needs a little more frying power, then butter is always a good oil substitute.

But you can’t just pour butter into the fryer basket and start the air fryer.

It would be better to place the food in the fryer basket, dip a basting brush into melted butter, and then brush the butter on the food.

The butter won’t drip down below the grate and the butter will coat all the food evenly.

Can I Melt Butter in the Air Fryer?

If you need to melt butter and the microwave is not available, then the air fryer is a proper substitute.

First, place the butter in a shallow air fryer safe container. Ramekins can go in the air fryer, so place the butter in a ramekin.

Do not place the butter stick directly on the grate.

Cut the butter into pieces so it melts faster. The larger the piece of butter is, the more unevenly it will melt.

Plus, if the butter is in the air fryer for too long, it will turn into brown butter.

When melting butter in the air fryer, put the temperature down to the lowest setting. You don’t want to cook your butter at 400 Fahrenheit or 204°C.

Actually the smoking point of butter is around 350°F or 176°C. It would be a good idea to lower the temperature of the air fryer to 325°F or lower.

What Are Some Popular Butter Recipes for the Air Fryer?

Air Fryer Steak

One of the most popular and certifiably delicious air fryer recipes is air fryer steak with butter. This delicious piece of meat is all over TikTok, Instagram, and Youtube.

There are so many different variations of this recipe, but you need four ingredients: unsalted or salted butter, rosemary, garlic, and steak.

Air Fried Banana

You can make desserts in the air fryer. One delicious recipe that is a staple in our household is air frying a banana.

With just two ingredients. bananas, and butter, it is so simple and easy to make.

The banana needs to be ripe. You definitely don’t want to cook a banana that is still slightly green.

Cut the banana in half long ways, brush it with the butter, then place it in the air fryer.

Place parchment paper onto the grate before placing the banana in the air fryer basket.

You can also melt the butter, mix it with a little bit of nutmeg and cinnamon, and then baste the banana.

What Should You Never Put in the Air Fryer?

The air fryer Is an almighty cooking tool that has radically changed how millions of people around the world cook their favorite fried foods.

But there are a few things that you should never add into the air fryer.

Not only will these foods cause a massive mess inside the air fryer, they could destroy the ventilation and heating mechanisms.

Then you’ll have to throw out your air fryer and buy a brand new one. Here are some foods to never put in the air fryer:

Cheese

Never add cheese all by itself into the air fryer. It will melt all over the grate and you’ll have to scrub it with your toughest scrubbing sponge to remove it.

Plus, small shredded slices can fly into the vents.

Wet, Battered Foods

Do not dip food in batter and place it into the air fryer. You might be a bit surprised to hear this rule, but it is true. Never fry battered foods in the air fryer.

You can certainly reheat frozen foods that have already been battered and cooked. But don’t stick a piece of shrimp into an egg or milk batter and then fry it in the air fryer.

If you want to make your own battered foods at home, then batter and fry your favorite foods that you normally would. Then store the foods in a freezer bag in the freezer.

When you are hungry, fry the home fried food in the air fryer.

Foods Bathed in Sauces

Do not place foods drenched in sauces in the air fryer. For example, cooking buffalo cauliflower in the air fryer is delicious and fast.

But you cannot cook buffalo cauliflower in the air fryer if it already has the buffalo sauce on it.

If your fried food comes with the sauce, cook the fried food first in the air fryer and then add the sauce later.

Do not add too much food to the air fryer basket. You should still be able to see the bottom grading between the pieces of food.

Conclusion to Putting Butter in the Air Fryer

Yes you can put butter in the air fryer. Use it as an oil to fry the food in the air fryer basket.

Do not pour melted butter directly into the air fryer basket.

Use a basting brush to brush melted butter onto the pieces of food in the air fryer basket. Place cut up pieces of cold butter in a Ramekin or small bowl to melt it in the air fryer.

Two popular recipes that involve basting foods with butter and cooking them in the air fryer are air fryer steak and air fried bananas.