Why Does An Air Fryer Smoke?

Have you ever noticed a little smoke coming from your air fryer? It may seem like it’s broken, but the problem is quite common.

The reason your air fryer is smoking is that there is too much oil in the pan, which overflows and drips onto the heating element.

This will cause smoke during cooking because of the high temperature at which they operate.

In addition, if you overfill your air fryer with food then when you cook it, hot oils may drip onto the heating element below and create more smoke.

Smoke from your appliance is a safety concern.

However, air fryers work by circulating hot air and cooking food at a high temperature, which can produce smoke over time due to the buildup of oils on heating elements.

The reason that an air fryer smokes is that the food particles and fat in the air hit the hot metal when they are being cooked.

Manufacturers have improved their products to reduce smokiness but if you still find that your air fryer produces too much smoke, try using a mesh or plastic cover.

It’s important to make sure you clean your fryer regularly so it doesn’t happen!

Reasons Why your Air Fryer is Smoking

Some of the causes of smoke from an air fryer may include:

1. The Air Fryer Is Oily or Greasy Before Cooking

If the oil drips onto the hot heating element and starts to smoke, then your food will have a burnt taste.

This can be avoided by wiping down the inside of your air fryer with a paper towel before use to remove excess grease from previous foods that may still reside in the air fryer.

2. The Food Is Not Dry Before Cooking

We don’t want to “steam fry,” which could cause the same issue of smoke coming from your air fryer due to excess water in the foods and more grease dripping onto hot heating elements as it cooks.

To avoid this problem, make sure that the food is dry by patting it with a paper towel before placing it into the air fryer.

3. The Heating Element Has Not Been Thoroughly Cleaned

The buildup of grease on the heat source can cause smoke and an unpleasant taste when cooking foods in your Air Fryer.

To clean, first wipe down the inside of your air fryer to remove any excess grease from the previous foods, and then submerge all of your heating elements in hot soapy water with detergent.

Read: How Much Does An Air Fryer Cost?

4. The Air Fryer Is Too Full

If you are cooking a large quantity of food at once, try cutting it into smaller pieces.

This is to make sure that there isn’t too much space around each piece or place a piece of aluminum foil around each item.

5. The Air Fryer Is Too Hot or Cold

The cooking temperature should be 400 degrees Fahrenheit for best results. It may fluctuate while in use due to the heat being transferred from a heating element,

If you notice your food starting to smoke then turn down the dial on your air fryer and wait a minute or two for the temperature to stabilize.

6. The Air Fryer Is Not Clean Enough

If you notice food sticking to the bottom of your air fryer due to oil residue, thorough cleaning is necessary.

We would recommend using soap and water with a toothbrush that has been dipped in boiling water before scrubbing away any caked-on food and oil.

How Do I Stop My Air Fryer from Smoking?

There are a lot of reasons why you would need to know how to stop an air fryer from smoking.

Some people have had their fryers smoke for hours and have not been able to find the cause.

Here are tips to stop an air fryer from smoking so that you can enjoy tasty fried foods!

1. Empty the contents of your air fryer before you put in a new batch.

Make sure to get out any old oil or food that is on the side of the tray. Also, clean off the sides if necessary.

2. Make sure that there isn’t too much room between what you are cooking and where hot air comes from. This ensures that air can circulate around the food.

3. If you have an air fryer with a timer, make sure that it is set to its required time.

4. Make sure not to use too much oil or fat in your air fryer. If you use too much, it will start to smoke and create a greasy mess.

This mess can be difficult to clean up as the excess oil sits on the tray for hours.

5. A similar problem may happen if you have an air fryer with no timer at all.

You might have excess food that has been sitting in the fryer for hours and is now burning up.

6. Cook your foods properly so they turn out crispy on the outside, but not burnt or too dry.

This can help with stopping smoking when you air fry because it will create a nice flavor profile.

7. If your food is too dry, put in a small amount of water to help with the cooking process.

Also, make sure that you have some type of sauce on top so everything doesn’t taste bland.

8. Make sure that you are not overcrowding the air fryer with too much food at once.

This could lead to them being undercooked since there is no way for hot air to circulate.

9. If you are cooking items that do not need to be crisp and airy at the same time. Try to separate them.

For example, French fries don’t need to be as crispy on the outside as chicken wings would.

They can have some space between each other while still being cooked well inside.

10. Try adding a little bit of oil or fat on top of the food to give them more flavor.

11. Use a small amount of salt if you are adding it before cooking as this will also season your food.