Did you know your oven may have an Air Fry function that can make meal prep much easier? In this post I share a video tutorial and how I use this to make meal prep quick and easy.
Watch this video:
Learn more about the Bosch 100 Series Range I used, available at Lowe’s >
If you have a regular oven with an Air Fry setting, you don’t necessarily need to use a countertop air fryer every time you want crispy vegetables, toasted seeds, tofu, or other foods. Your oven’s Air Fry function can be a convenient way to prepare larger quantities of food at once.
In this post, I’ll show you how I use the Air Fry function on my oven for meal prep and explain what makes this setting different from regular Bake.
What Does the Air Fry Function on an Oven Do?
The Air Fry function on my oven uses convection heat along with heat from above to help cook and crisp food.
The convection fan circulates hot air around the food, while heat from above helps with browning and crisping the surface.
So rather than thinking of Air Fry as only being for French fries or frozen foods, I think of it as another useful cooking setting for everyday meal prep.
I especially like using it when I want food to cook relatively quickly while getting some browning or crisping.
Your particular oven may use a slightly different Air Fry system, so always check your owner’s manual for the recommended temperature, rack position, cookware, and accessories.
Why I Use Air Fry for Meal Prep
One of my favorite things about having Air Fry built into my oven is that I can prepare a larger quantity of food at once.
A countertop air fryer has a relatively small cooking area, which means you may have to cook several batches when you’re preparing food for the week.
With a full-size oven, I can use large baking sheets and prepare much more food at one time.
For example, I recently used the Air Fry function to prepare a full sheet pan of cauliflower and another full sheet pan of kale in about 15 minutes.
That makes a big difference when I’m trying to get several components of a meal prepared at once.
Air Frying a Full Sheet Pan of Cauliflower
Cauliflower is one of the vegetables I like to prepare using the Air Fry setting.
Instead of putting a small amount into a countertop air fryer and cooking multiple batches, I can spread a much larger amount across a sheet pan.
The circulating hot air helps cook the cauliflower, while the heat from above helps with browning.
The key is to spread the food out rather than piling it into a thick layer.
You want the hot air to be able to circulate around the pieces.
For meal prep, this means I can prepare a large amount of cauliflower at once and have it ready to use throughout the week.
Temp: 400F for 15 minutes
Recipe: 15-minute air fryer roasted cauliflower
Air Frying Kale
I also used the Air Fry setting to prepare a full sheet pan of kale.
Kale cooks very quickly, which makes it another convenient vegetable for meal prep.
Again, spreading the kale across the pan allows the circulating hot air to reach more of the food.
Because leafy greens can cook quickly, keep an eye on them and adjust the cooking time based on your oven and the amount of food you’re preparing.
Temp: 400F for 8 minutes, turning halfway through. Watch carefully so it doesn’t burn!
Recipe: Dr Greger Vegan Cheesy Kale Crisps | How Not to Die Cook Book
Making Homemade Granola in the Air Fry Setting
Earlier in the day, I also used the Air Fry setting to make homemade granola.
The circulating hot air is useful for foods like granola because you want the ingredients to toast and brown evenly.
Granola can go from lightly toasted to over-browned fairly quickly, so it’s important to watch it toward the end of the cooking time.
The Air Fry setting is another option to consider when you’re looking for a way to toast and crisp ingredients in the oven.
Temp: 320F for 14 minutes
Toasting Pumpkin Seeds
I also used my oven’s Air Fry setting to toast pumpkin seeds.
This is a great example of how I think about the Air Fry function differently from a countertop air fryer.
You don’t have to reserve it for traditional “air fryer foods.”
It’s simply another cooking option that can be useful when you want to toast, brown, or crisp something.
Pumpkin seeds cook quickly, so keep an eye on them and follow the recommendations for your particular oven.
Temp: 425F for 8 minutes, tossing halfway through so they don’t burn. Watch carefully!
Air Frying Tofu
Another food I like to prepare using the Air Fry setting is tofu.
Air circulation and heat from above can help give the outside of tofu a browned, crisp texture while the inside stays tender.
Tofu is also particularly useful for meal prep because you can make a larger batch and use it in different meals throughout the week.
Depending on how you prepare your tofu, you may want to press it first, cut it into evenly sized pieces, and spread the pieces out so they aren’t touching too much.
The goal is to give the hot air plenty of room to circulate.
Directions: Toss 1 block pressed extra firm tofu with 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt and spray with oil. Air Fry on a parchment lined baking sheet at 400F for 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and toss with desired sauce, then place back onto baking sheet and air fry for 5 more minutes.
Air Fry vs. Bake
So what’s the difference between using Air Fry and regular Bake?
Regular Bake is designed to heat the oven to the temperature you’ve selected and cook the food using the oven’s normal heating system.
Air Fry adds the use of convection airflow and, on my oven, heat from above specifically for crisping.
That makes Air Fry particularly useful when I want:
- More browning
- A crispier exterior
- Strong air circulation around the food
- Faster meal-prep cooking for certain foods
- To prepare larger quantities than I could fit in a small countertop air fryer
That doesn’t mean Air Fry is always faster than Bake. Cooking time depends on the food, the amount you’re cooking, the temperature, and your particular oven.
Instead, I think of Air Fry as another tool I can choose when I want a combination of circulating hot air and browning.
Tips for Using Your Oven’s Air Fry Function
Don’t overcrowd the pan
Air Fry works by circulating hot air around the food.
If you pile everything into a thick layer, you’re making it harder for that air to reach the food.
Spread food out as much as possible.
Use the cookware recommended for your oven
Air Fry functions vary between oven manufacturers and models.
Some ovens require or recommend a particular Air Fry tray or accessory, while others may have different instructions.
Check your owner’s manual before using a new tray, rack, or other accessory.
Watch foods that cook quickly
Small foods and thin foods can brown quickly when using Air Fry.
This is especially true for things like seeds, leafy greens, and small pieces of food.
Don’t assume the cooking time will be the same as a regular Bake recipe.
Don’t automatically use the same temperature as Bake
Air Fry cooking instructions can vary by oven.
Follow the temperature recommendations for your oven and the recipe you’re using rather than assuming that one temperature works for everything.
Leave room for airflow
The more you can spread the food out, the better the hot air can circulate around it.
This is especially important if you’re trying to get food crispy.
Is Oven Air Fry Worth Using?
For me, yes.
The biggest advantage isn’t that I can make French fries in my oven.
It’s that I can use the Air Fry function as a meal-prep tool.
I can prepare a large sheet pan of vegetables, make homemade granola, toast pumpkin seeds, and prepare tofu without having to cook everything in multiple small batches.
That’s what makes this feature particularly useful in a full-size oven.
If your oven already has an Air Fry function, it’s worth learning how it works before buying another appliance.
You may already have a very useful air-frying tool built right into your oven.
Final Thoughts
I used to think of an oven’s Air Fry function as something specifically designed for foods like French fries and chicken wings.
Now I think of it as another everyday cooking setting.
For meal prep, I can use it to cook large quantities of vegetables, crisp tofu, toast seeds, and make things like homemade granola.
And because I’m using the full-size oven, I can work with much larger quantities than I can in a small countertop air fryer.
If you’ve never used the Air Fry function on your oven, take a look at your oven’s manual and see what it can do.
You may find that one of the most useful features on your oven is one you’ve never tried.
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