4
Tried tossing frozen chicken nuggets with olive oil before air frying - game changer for crispiness
I kept getting soggy spots on my frozen nuggets even at high temp. After 3 bad batches I figured why not toss them in a bowl with like 2 tablespoons of olive oil and some salt before they hit the basket. They came out way crispier on the outside and stayed juicy inside plus no weird dry patches. Has anyone else tried pre-coating frozen stuff with oil or am I just late to this party?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
the_hugo1mo ago
Hold up. The actual issue with air frying frozen nuggets isn't about needing more oil. Those soggy spots come from the breading absorbing moisture as the nuggets thaw unevenly in the basket. Olive oil has a low smoke point too, around 375-400F, so it can burn at the high temps you're probably using. You're better off spraying them with a neutral oil like avocado or canola after they've been in for a few minutes, not before. But hey, if it worked for you and you liked the result, more power to you.
4
My first batch of frozen tenders came out with that same sad soggy texture until I tossed them in a bit of avocado oil and paprika. I found that letting them sit for like 5 minutes after tossing helped the coating stick better before the air fryer. Not sure if it's the "right" way but honestly the crunch was way better than any plain batch I've made.
2