The Flip, Shake & Spray Air Fryer Method

A big part of air frying is knowing when to flip, shake and spray. Today we will be sharing with you all the info you need so that you don’t flip too much, shake way too much, or not spray enough.

As featured in our new air fryer cooking times guide, the flip, shake and spray method is an essential learning curve for new air fryer users.

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The Complete Air Fryer Cooking Guide

In our brand new cooking guide that teaches you the time and temperature in both metric and imperial and Celsius and Fahrenheit, we also talk about the flip, shake and spray.

Something that is exclusive to our air fryer cooking chart and what you won’t find elsewhere.

The idea is that by having a symbol for quick referencing, you will know as you set the time and temperature to air fry something, exactly which foods require a flip, shake or a spray.

It will really step up your air fryer knowledge and help you understand cooking the most popular foods in the air fryer.

Don’t want to read anymore and love the idea of our cooking guide?

Then order here in the UK or here if in the USA/Canada.

If you would like to read more, let me talk you through flipping, shaking and spraying with your air fryer.

Flipping Food In The Air Fryer

Firstly, you’re probably wondering why you would flip food in the air fryer. Well the idea, is that if you flip food in the air fryer, it will give you a much better overall cook.

This is also aimed at air fryers that are not as good as others. Because the problem with cheaper air fryers is that they don’t have the same level of air technology so food underneath, doesn’t get cooked as well.

By flipping the air fryer food, you can then get a better all round cook on them and think how amazing the food you just cooked is in the air fryer.

A great example of this is the air fryer whole chicken.

An air fryer expert often rolls their eyes when they see air fryer chicken recipes online and the chicken is only cooked breast side up. Just because it’s a million times better half and half and produces the moistest chicken.

You add the chicken upside down (breast side down and bum up) and then halfway through cooking you flip it over and finish the cooking breast side up.

The same with air fryer steak. You would cook the steak halfway one side, flip and same again the other side. Similar to when you fry them in the pan. It gives a lovely flavour and tender steak on both sides and you can use tongs for this. 

Though in our air fryer cooking guide we will show you with symbols what to flip and what not to flip. Plus, it also shows you how to work out air fryer times! We don’t want you getting confused and flipping everything.

Also, that is another interesting point. If you think you have to flip everything you air fry, then think again as there is a lot of air fryer recipes with zero flipping.

Before we go from flipping food in the air fryer to shaking air fryer food, let me answer some of your top questions:

• Are you supposed to flip food in air fryer? The quick answer is sometimes. If the food in the air fryer will be better, or you are worried of a soggy bottom, then it is recommended that you flip the food in the air fryer. Whilst for our air fryer rump steak, we do it for a better flavour, when it comes to our air fryer Spanish omelette we do so to avoid a soggy bottom.

• Do you need to flip burgers in air fryer? There is no need to flip burgers in the air fryer. We find that because they are so quick cooking that it doesn’t achieve anything by doing so.

• Do I flip salmon in air fryer? There is also no need to flip salmon in the air fryer either. Its fast cooking and you can just add salmon fillets to the air fryer and then come back to perfectly air fried salmon.

• Do you need to flip chicken in the air fryer? This depends on which type of chicken that you are cooking in the air fryer. For example, chicken wings for strips don’t need flipping but most other chicken does. Such as air fryer chicken skewers (think those summer kebabs) or a spatchcock chicken.

Shaking Food In Air Fryer

After flipping food in the air fryer comes shaking air fryer food. I always remember an email I received from a fellow food blogger many years ago (I think it was 2016) but it is still up there in my memory.

She had quit air frying, never to return because she believed that to use an air fryer meant you had to shake the food every 2 minutes.

Well, of course, you don’t.

Whilst shaking air fryer food is most common with potatoes, such as air fryer potato wedges or homemade air fryer chips, its not a 2 minute thing.

I tend to shake food in the air fryer on autopilot when I am cooking without really giving it much thought. BUT……

I will probably shake those potato wedges twice during the full 25 minute cooking time and if I get side tracked then this would just be the once.

What I don’t like though, is if I accidentally put my Cosori Air Fryer (I have this one) on the shake button. As then it will stop and remind me to shake the potatoes a lot more than I need to.

• How do you shake food in an air fryer? To shake, it’s just like shaking food in a frying pan and is simply to stop the food from sticking together. Shake your air fryer basket or drawer like you would if you were tossing potatoes in oil in a frying pan. Also watch our You Tube Video here where we show you how to shake your air fryer food.

• Which air fryer doesn’t require shaking? The air fryer oven can’t be done as it is shelves and not like a classic air fryer basket. Instead, you can use tongs or similar to flip the food.

Spraying Food In Air Fryer

We have shown you flipping food, shaking food and then last but not least, lets talk all about spraying food in the air fryer.

Before we dive into it though, we recommend you read all about fry light and why it is dangerous to use as your spray of choice in the air fryer and why extra virgin olive oil is the best choice.

You can use either a bottle you have filled yourself with olive oil (like mentioned in the article above) or that you use a shop bought one (like this one we have).

Then you spray your air fryer food with a few squirts and what this does is adds extra crisp to your air fryer food.

You may be air frying breaded pork chops and think they would be better if the breading was that little bit extra crispy, and by giving it a quick spray you have beautiful crispy pork chops.

The same rule could apply to some air fryer sweet potato fries. Because they don’t get as crispy, as easily, as white potatoes.

Plus, I am sure you can think of some air fryer food yourself, where you think it could be that little bit better with a quick spray.

• What cooking spray is best for air fryer? The best spray for the air fryer is one that contains olive oil or extra virgin olive oil only. Olive oil produces a much better crisp in the air fryer compared to some cheaper alternatives. Plus, the air fryer food is not as good if you use high smoke point oils such as avocado oil. Though don’t worry about food smoking in the air fryer with olive oil it rarely does. 

• Can you use olive oil spray in air fryer? Yes, you can use olive oil spray in the air fryer. But you must double check that you have chosen one that just contains olive oil, or extra virgin olive oil and is not loaded with extras.

• What oil spray not to use in the air fryer? The absolute no-no is to use aerosol air fryer spray. This is because there are chemicals in them that damage air fryers quickly. If you have spent £100+ on an air fryer you don’t want to replace it soon because you used a bad spray.

• What can I use if I don’t have cooking spray for air fryer? We didn’t get a cooking spray for our air fryer until we had been air frying for more than 5 years. We just drizzled a little olive on the top and then before air frying the food would be mixed with the olive oil for an even coating.

• Do you put oil on chicken in an air fryer? This depends on what you are cooking. For example, instead of butter (butter is a no-no) you would use olive oil for an air fryer whole chicken. It will then coat the chicken in the oil and you will have the best, moist chicken ever.

• Where do you put oil in the air fryer? When you are using the air fryer, the oil goes on the food and not into the air fryer. Please ignore the videos that show adding oil direct into the air fryer like they are oiling a frying pan. Its just going to damage your air fryer and waste oil. Instead add food to a bowl with the oil and seasonings, mix with your hands until the food is coated in the oil. Then transfer to the air fryer. Like we do in our air fryer harvest casserole, air fryer chicken fajitas, or our air fryer sausage and chips.

That is just how simple the whole flip, shake and spray method is, using the air fryer and how you can do the same at home with your air fryer.

Through our air fryer books we teach you which recipes to flip, shake and spray, so that you will become an expert at it.

The Perfect Christmas Gift

Of course, this cooking times guide for the air fryer is the perfect Christmas gift and I am amazed that the retail price for it, is below £5. So, if you are on a tight budget this Christmas and looking for that ideal stocking filler, then this is it.

• UK Order Here
• USA & Canada Order Here
• Australia Order Here

Cooking Times Air Fryer Chapters

The cooking times air fryer chapters include:

• Breakfast
• Fish & Poultry
• Meat
• Vegetarian & Reheating
• Potatoes & Vegetables
• Frozen

How To Order A Copy!

It would mean so much to us if you would order a copy of our air fryer times and temp guide!

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We worked really hard as a team to bring you the BEST EVER COLLECTION of air fryer times and temps based on what people cook the most in the air fryer.

In summary this is what you will get for less than a fiver:

• Temperatures in both Celsius and Fahrenheit
• Metric and imperial weights
• When to flip, shake or spray
• 275+ of the most popular air fryer foods
• Separated into easy chapters
• Less than £5

Order The Complete Air Fryer Cooking Guide

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If you do need any help with your air fryer right now, then please do get in touch and we will do our best to help you.

Our Air Fryer Products

This air fryer cooking time guide is our 3^rd air fryer product that we have made for you all from 12 years of experience of using the air fryer.

Do check out the rest of our air fryer series:

• The Complete Air Fryer Cookbook – Sunday times bestseller 160,000+ copies sold worldwide
• Air Fryer Easy Everyday – Published September 2024

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