I remember the first time I heard about air fryers — it was in a health-focused Facebook group where everyone raved about how they could eat fries and still “stay on track.” I was intrigued. Who doesn’t want crispy food without the guilt?
But here’s the thing: if you’re someone who already steams their vegetables or bakes their meals with minimal oil, tossing a tablespoon of olive oil onto potatoes and blasting them in an air fryer might not be the health upgrade you think it is. That’s the catch — air fryers aren’t inherently healthy or unhealthy. It all comes down to what you’re cooking, what you’re replacing, and how often you’re using it.
So let’s break it down. Are air fryers healthy? Kind of. But not in the way most people think.
What Is an Air Fryer, Really?
At its core, an air fryer is just a compact convection oven. It uses a heating element and a powerful fan to circulate hot air around your food at high speeds. The result? Crispy exteriors and tender insides — no vat of oil required.
The fryer in an air fryer has a self-regulating system which monitors and automatically adjusts the temperature to maintain the right cooking environment. It also includes timers, so you can relax while your food cooks without worrying about overcooking or burning it!
It has a heating element radiating from the top of the machine. This hot air quickly gets circulated around inside, down and then up again to touch all sides of your food before it begins frying to produce crispy browned flavors called Maillard reactions which occur between reduced sugar and amino acids.
If you’re a regular reader of Serious Eats, you’ve definitely seen us refer to the Maillard reaction time and again. That’s because the Maillard reaction is responsible for the browned, complex flavors that make bread taste toasty and malty, burgers taste charred, and coffee taste dark and robust. If you plan on cooking tonight, chances are you’ll be using the Maillard reaction to transform your raw ingredients into a better sensory experience.
Long story short: With the right amount of heat, moisture, and time, those specific sugars and proteins will act like a couple of lust-drunk lovers making out in the back of a Chevy, rapidly becoming a tangled, hot mess, until, nine months later, a whole new creation emerges. Except that with the proteins and sugars, it takes minutes, not months, and instead of a child, the result is an increasingly complex array of flavor and aroma molecules, along with a darker color courtesy of newly formed edible pigment molecules called melanoidins.
An Introduction to the Maillard Reaction: The Science of Browning, Aroma, and Flavor | Serious Eats
Unlike deep frying, where food is submerged in bubbling oil, air frying requires only a light coating — if any. You might toss veggies in a teaspoon of oil or none at all, depending on the recipe. The cooking process triggers the Maillard reaction — the same browning effect that makes roasted coffee, toasted bread, or grilled burgers so flavorful.
But here’s where it gets tricky: marketing often makes air fryers sound like a miracle device. They’re not. They’re convenient, yes. They’re fast. But they’re not going to transform frozen junk food into a nutrient-dense meal.
So if you’re picturing a deep fryer replacement — you’re on the right track. If you’re thinking it’s going to make tater tots the next kale — maybe take a beat.
Is Air Frying Healthier Than Deep Frying?
Short answer: yes — but let’s not stop there.
Air frying dramatically reduces the amount of oil needed to get that crispy finish. Traditional deep frying can soak food in several cups of oil, easily adding hundreds of calories. In contrast, air frying might use just one tablespoon — or none at all — depending on the recipe.
Take chicken, for example. A deep-fried chicken breast can contain up to 30% more fat than a roasted one. Air frying gets you closer to the roasted version in terms of nutrition, but with more of that crispy texture people crave. The same goes for fries. Deep-fried versions are oil-logged. Air-fried ones? Crunchy with a fraction of the fat.
A 2020 study published in the International Food Research Journal found that air-fried potato strips absorbed significantly less oil than deep-fried ones — and showed fewer chemical changes associated with oxidation. Less oil + less degradation = a win, at least compared to deep frying.
So yes, air frying is a step in the right direction if you’re coming from a deep-fried baseline. But is it a health food? Not quite.
But Healthier Than What? Steaming vs. Air Frying
Here’s where it gets personal — and a little uncomfortable. If you’re used to deep frying everything from chicken wings to taquitos, then yes, an air fryer is a big health win. But what if your norm is roasting vegetables, steaming potatoes, or eating raw foods? Then adding oil (even just a tablespoon) and crisping everything up might be a step sideways—or even backward.
This is where the “healthy swap” illusion kicks in. It’s easy to think you’re doing something better just because it feels lighter or looks trendier. I’ve done it — swapped out my steamed broccoli for air-fried zucchini chips, only to realize later that I’d added oil, salt, and way more snacking temptation to something that used to be plain and nourishing.
In other words: air frying is healthier compared to what? It’s a tool, not a health guarantee. You can use it to upgrade fried junk… or to downgrade already-healthy meals in the name of novelty.
What About the Oils We Use?
Here’s the part no one tells you when you buy an air fryer: the type of oil you use still matters — a lot.
Air fryers often market themselves as oil-free, but in practice, many recipes call for a light coating. That’s where things can go sideways. Most people reach for whatever oil they have on hand — canola, soybean, corn — without realizing that these refined seed oils are unstable at high heat. They oxidize quickly, forming harmful compounds that can inflame the body over time.
So what’s safe to use? Oils with high smoke points and greater oxidative stability — like avocado oil, refined coconut oil, and ghee (clarified butter). These fats can tolerate higher temperatures without breaking down. Olive oil, despite its health halo, isn’t ideal for high-heat air frying. It starts to degrade around 375°F (191°C), and most air fryers operate at or above that.
It’s not about fear-mongering or tossing your EVOO. It’s about using the right fat for the right job — and high heat cooking isn’t where olive oil shines.
Air fryers have taken the world by storm because they are so simple to use and store. The first air fryer was created in 2006, but other companies soon started making their own versions of this technology. Today, there is a wide variety on the market for people to choose from!
The Best Selling Air Fryers on Amazaon
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Acrylamides and Other Risks: Real Concern or Hype?
Let’s talk about one of the lesser-known risks: acrylamides — chemical compounds that form when starchy foods (like potatoes) are cooked at high temperatures, especially above 248°F (120°C). They’ve been linked to potential cancer risks in animal studies, and while the research on humans is still evolving, they’re not something most of us want in our meals.
Deep frying produces the highest levels of acrylamides. Air frying? Less, but not none.
Studies have shown that air-fried potatoes can contain up to 90% less acrylamide than deep-fried ones, which is good news if you’re trying to minimize exposure. Still, browning your food too much — especially to that deep golden or burnt color — increases acrylamide formation even in an air fryer.
Bottom line: air frying helps reduce this risk, but it’s not a free pass. If you’re trying to eat as clean as possible, aim for light browning, rotate your meals (not every dinner needs to be air-fried), and keep an eye on cooking times.
The Problem Isn’t the Fryer — It’s the Food
This is the uncomfortable truth most marketing skips over: the average air fryer isn’t full of vegetables and lean protein. It’s full of frozen mozzarella sticks, breaded nuggets, and pre-cut fries. The fryer isn’t the issue — it’s what we’re putting in it.
Sure, air fryers can crisp up zucchini, salmon, or sweet potatoes with very little oil. But most people don’t use them that way. If we’re being honest, air fryers often become a permission slip to eat more processed foods under the illusion that they’re now “healthier.”
I’ve been there. Bought the air fryer, tossed in store-bought frozen sweet potato fries, and felt like I was making a better choice — because I wasn’t deep-frying. But those fries were still heavily salted, coated in starch, and more of a side-dish splurge than a nutrient-dense meal.
If you’re serious about healthy eating, the food matters more than the method. A steamed bowl of broccoli will still beat an air-fried “healthified” onion ring every time.
So… Are Air Fryers Healthy or Not?
It depends — and that’s not a cop-out.
If you’re switching from deep frying: Yes, air fryers are a healthier option. They use dramatically less oil, produce fewer harmful compounds like acrylamides, and can help cut calories without giving up that crispy texture people love.
If you’re replacing steamed, baked, or raw foods: Probably not. Adding oil where there was none, or relying on air-fried versions of processed snacks, isn’t a nutritional upgrade — it’s just a tastier version of the same trap.
If you’re hoping the air fryer will “make” your food healthy: That’s not how this works. An air fryer can support healthy eating, but it can’t override a poor diet. A basket full of frozen junk food doesn’t get a health pass just because it was crisped with air instead of oil.
The healthiest use of an air fryer? Cooking whole foods you already eat — like vegetables, fish, or lean meats — with minimal added oil. Use it as a tool, not a loophole.
Tips for Actually Making Air Fryers a Healthy Tool
If you want your air fryer to work for your health (instead of just for your cravings), here’s how to make it happen:
- Cook whole foods most of the time. Focus on vegetables, fish, chicken, and tofu rather than frozen, breaded snacks. Think cauliflower bites over pizza rolls.
- Choose oils that handle heat. Use avocado oil, coconut oil, or ghee for air frying. Skip canola, corn, soybean, and even extra virgin olive oil when the temp goes high.
- Avoid over-browning. Crispy is fine, but charred means acrylamides — which isn’t the goal if you’re trying to eat clean.
- Watch your portions. Just because it’s air-fried doesn’t mean it’s low-cal. A mountain of fries, even with less oil, is still a mountain of fries.
- Skip the plastic accessories. If your air fryer comes with plastic parts or BPA-coated inserts, swap them for stainless steel or silicone alternatives that are safer at high temps.
- Use it for texture, not shortcuts. Air fryers shine when they elevate a dish — not when they replace nutrition with convenience.
Used mindfully, an air fryer can be a great tool. But just like any kitchen gadget, the outcome depends on what you put in it — and how often you use it.
But can’t you just use healthy oils to air fry with?
Air fryers have been marketed as being healthier than deep frying, but there are some caveats. Air-fried foods can still contain unhealthy trans fats if the oil is not healthy enough to begin with.
According to the American Heart Association, trans-fats have been known as “stealth fats” because they are usually hidden in foods that we so often eat. This is why reading food labels doesn’t always help or protect you since there are many gray areas in the laws which mean that trans-fats aren’t identified every time. When regularly consumed, these fats raise bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol; increasing one’s chances of developing diabetes type 2 and/or stroke or heart disease.
Steer clear of corn oil, canola oil, cottonseed oil and soybean oil. These are the oils most people use when cooking fried or processed foods – but they’re also toxic! Not only do these four contain trans-fats that become harmful after heating up, they’re also genetically engineered (most likely).
These oils are the worst kinds you can eat. They should not be used for cooking, except coconut oil; it is fine to use at high heat including frying. If you want healthier options, try olive or sesame oil and clarified butter, which also has good properties under medium-high temperatures too, as well as raw butter that’s OK in low heat settings but don’t fry with this option either!
It is no secret that olive oil has many health benefits, but if you use it for frying there’s a chance all of these will be lost due to high heat. For people who like healthy cooking and want their food fried this way without losing any nutrients from the oil, coconut oils can replace other types used in air fryers.
However, if you are really trying to be healthy and invest in an air fryer thinking it’s the healthiest option out there… don’t. I’m sorry, but that is not true at all. It might sound tempting because people say they’re healthier than frying with oil or baking them instead of microwaving food (like we do for most things), but then again that is just a myth as well!
FAQs
Are air fryers carcinogenic?
Not directly. Air fryers actually produce fewer carcinogenic compounds (like acrylamides) than deep frying. However, cooking foods at very high heat — especially until they’re dark brown or charred — can still create compounds linked to cancer risk. The key is not overcooking and not relying on it for every meal.
Is it safe to use olive oil in an air fryer?
Technically yes, but it’s not ideal. Extra virgin olive oil has a lower smoke point (around 375°F), and most air fryers operate at 400°F or higher. If you love olive oil, use it for salads or low-heat cooking — stick with avocado oil or refined coconut oil for air frying.
Are air fryers good for weight loss?
They can be — but only if you’re replacing higher-calorie cooking methods like deep frying or heavily sautéing in oil. If you’re just adding more snack foods to your day because “they’re air fried,” it might backfire.
Can air-fried food be as healthy as baked or steamed?
Not really. Baked or steamed foods typically use no oil and preserve more nutrients. Air-fried meals are often tastier because of the crispiness, but that usually comes at the cost of added oil and more processed ingredients.
Is air frying bad for cholesterol?
That depends on the ingredients and the oils you use. If you’re using trans-fat-heavy oils or eating processed foods regularly, it could affect your cholesterol. But if you’re using healthy oils and cooking whole foods, it’s unlikely to be harmful.
Do air fryers use radiation?
No, air fryers do not use radiation to cook food. They work using convection heat — a fan circulates hot air around the food to create a crispy, browned texture. This is similar to how a convection oven works, not a microwave.
There’s no microwave or ionizing radiation involved, and nothing about air fryers is radioactive. The confusion often comes from the term “radiant heat,” which refers to infrared heat (like in toasters or broilers), but most air fryers don’t even use that. What you’re getting is hot air and fast circulation — not radiation.
Don’t Let the Marketing Fool You
Air fryers aren’t magic. They’re just tools — and like any tool, how healthy they are depends on how you use them.
They can absolutely help you cut down on oil, reduce your intake of fried fast food, and make meal prep faster. But they can also trick you into thinking your diet is “clean” just because your fries are air-fried instead of deep-fried.
The reality? Health doesn’t come from a kitchen gadget. It comes from what you’re eating most of the time: whole, unprocessed foods, good fats, colorful vegetables, and smart portions.
So yes, grab an air fryer if you want crispy salmon or roasted veggies on a busy weeknight. Just don’t expect it to do the heavy lifting of a healthy lifestyle. That part’s still on you — and your grocery list.
