Use an air fryer long enough and you’ll feel like there’s nothing you can’t cook in it. THE best air fryers allow you to crisp up fried chicken and salmon fillets in much less time than the large oven. However, some foods don’t stand up as well to the incessant, swirling heat of the air fryer and are better cooked using an alternative method.
I’ve been experimenting with air fryer cooking for five years. Among the many successes there are some big hiccups. The air fryer, despite its versatility, can dry foods quickly, which is why lean, boneless chicken breasts and pork chops may be best cooked in a cast iron pan on the grill or using a sous vide cooker.
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Foods with a higher fat content, such as chicken wings and thighs, bacon or fatty salmon and tuna, thrive in the air fryer. Foods without bones or fat, which can dry out, maybe cooked in the air fryer at a lower temperature or if protected with breading or a deep marinade.
Below, you’ll find 10 delicate foods that an air fryer can annihilate.
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1. Boneless Pork Chops
Boneless pork chops can dry out in the air fryer.
A perfectly cooked pork chop is a thing of beauty, but leaner cuts of other white meats can dry out quickly. Bacon, bone-in pork chops, and fattier cuts of pork can handle the air fryer, but lean, boneless pork chops and tenderloin tend to dry out when subjected to high heat. If you’re using the fryer to cook pork chops, do so at a lower temperature and use a little fat to prevent them from drying out.
2. Spinach and leafy greens
Crispy spinach and kale won’t work well in an air fryer.
Leafy greens are a big “no” when frying. The hot convection air will make most leafy green vegetables such as spinach, kale and chard much crispier than anything you would eat. Solid vegetables, including Brussels sprouts, squash, and zucchini, do well in the air fryer, but leafy greens are best when sautéed, simmered, or steamed.
3. Steak and most cuts of beef
Steak cooked in an air fryer can become tough and rubbery.
Steak reheats well in the fryer but it’s not an ideal place to cook it for the first time. The air fryer baskets get hot but not hot enough to allow the outside of your steak to sear properly. I’ve tried cooking steaks in the air fryer before. Even fatty, indulgent steaks come out less well than when cooked on a hot griddle, cast iron pan Or grill.
The exception to the beef rule is hamburgers. Ground beef won’t get stringy, and the intense heat of the air fryer allows for a crispy sear without overcooking the middle. Here’s how Make a bacon cheeseburger in the air fryer.
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4. Boneless Chicken Breasts
Unbreaded chicken breasts are not the best candidates.
Chicken wings, thighs, and any bone-in cuts are perfect candidates for the air fryer. Boneless chicken breasts don’t contain a lot of fat and dry out easily. Protect them with a little egg batter and breadcrumbs, and you’ll be fine, but naked chicken breasts cooked in the air fryer often come out dry or rubbery.
5. Large pieces of meat
Pot roast generally requires low and slow cooking methods.
Large cuts of beef, pork and lamb are generally best when cooked in a low and slow method, such as braising or smoking. When cooking larger cuts of meat, avoid the blast of hot convection air from the air fryer and opt for the Dutch ovenslow cooker or pellet smoker.
6. Naked broccoli
The air fryer will flambé the broccoli unless you cover it with foil.
If you wrap your broccoli in foil, you can use the air fryer to roast it (quickly). If you leave it uncovered and exposed to hot convection air, you’ll end up with sizzling broccoli spears that are anything but delicious.
7. Shells
Clams and mussels are better for a casserole dish rather than an air fryer.
Shellfish, like clams and mussels, need liquid to cook without drying out. They’re also easily overcooked, which can result in a chewy, chewy piece that you wouldn’t want anywhere near your plate. Avoid using the air fryer when cooking most types of shellfish.
8. Most baked goods
Cake and cookie recipes generally don’t translate well from the oven to an air fryer.
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You can certainly cook in the air fryer, but be careful because the super convection of the air fryer behaves differently than the convection heat of a normal oven.
Cooking a cake or batch of cookies in the air fryer using the time and temperature called for in a recipe will often result in an overcooked, dry, or burnt result. When cooking in an air fryer, use recipes specifically designed for an air fryer and avoid assuming an oven recipe will translate.
9. Deep Pans and Layered Pastas
Lasagna and deep casserole style dishes may not be hot until the top starts to burn.
Since the air fryer cooks quickly and the heat comes from above, deep pans and layered lasagnas may not cook completely before burning on top. If you plan to use the air fryer, set it to cooking or a lower temperature than you would typically use to cook chicken wings or hot dogs.
If you are looking for a great air fryer, here is CNET’s Top-Rated Models for 2025. To find out more, here are the best air fry toaster ovens for 2025.
10. Popcorn
Loose popcorn in the air fryer is a recipe for disaster.
Popcorn seems like a good candidate for the air fryer, but the quick results aren’t worth the potential danger. When popcorn pops, it shoots very high and these kernels can get stuck in the heating element of your air fryer, causing a fire at worst or burnt popcorn at best. If you plan to make popcorn in the air fryer, a foil bag or other heat-resistant container is essential.
