We all enjoy fried food, right? If you choose to prepare fried food, how many of you enjoy that fried food smell that’s left in your kitchen? *crickets* Exactly, that’s definitely not my favorite part. Oh, there’s also that whole thing about fried foods not being the healthiest…but honestly that hasn’t been my main concern! lol Whatever the reason, I think it’s good to have some cooking alternatives that can rival frying.
I received an air fryer for Christmas, so I’ve enjoyed trying it out and seeing what all really cooks well in the machine. Here’s what I’ve tried so far:
- Frozen, breaded okra –> Eh, wouldn’t recommend it.
- Frozen hash brown patties –> Pretty good results.
- Fresh Brussels sprouts –> Good results, but I need to work on my method.
400 degrees for 15 minutes 
So yeah, that was my attempt at Crispy Brussels Sprouts…I think it needs sauce.
I wanted to “fry” some chicken wings in the air fryer, but I realized the fryer’s basket was too small. The amount of time and batches it would take just didn’t make sense for a quick meal. Therefore, I went with old faithful…oven frying!
Oven cooking in general is my jam…but oven frying is definitely a handy cooking method when I don’t want to deep fry. Here’s how I prepared my chicken wings.
First I preheated the oven to 450 degrees, and lined a baking sheet with foil. I used a baking rack (coated in cooking spray) so that any liquids could drip away from the chicken during the cooking process.
I used fresh chicken wings and cut them into pieces. I wanted to keep the seasoning pretty simple this time, so I only used Sazon Perfecta, pepper and olive oil. Looking back, some extra salt wouldn’t have hurt! lol
Think about this for a second. How much do you usually pay for 20 chicken wings? I’m talking about “buffalo” wings, not whole wings. I think a 20-piece is $12.99 or more at most of the restaurants I frequent. Now look up there at that price…$7.84 for over 4lbs of wings! Preparing wings at home is definitely worth it!
I let the wings bake for 30 minutes at 450 degrees. About half-way through the cooking time, I flipped the wings to make sure there was even cooking.
In the end, the wings were firm and juicy just like they would be if I fried them “naked.” Since I sprayed the baking rack and lined the pan with foil, cleanup was pretty easy too!
Semi-Reluctant Homemaker 