What Is The Best Cooking Spray for Air Fryers?
Air fryers have totally earned their spot on the kitchen counter, haven’t they? They make it so easy to whip up crispy, delicious food without drowning everything in oil. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again—I’m a huge fan of mine! But one question I get a lot is: what’s the best oil to use, and is cooking spray a good idea?
Even if your air fryer has a non-stick basket, a light coat of oil can make a big difference. It helps your food crisp up beautifully and keeps it from sticking. But here’s the thing—not all cooking sprays are the same, and using the wrong type of oil can actually damage your air fryer or lead to burnt food. Let’s talk about what works and what doesn’t.
Related: Air Fryers Under $50 Guide + Everything to Know About Air Fryers
Note: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you.
Why Choosing the Right Cooking Spray is Crucial for Air Fryers
Cooking spray is key to achieving crisp, evenly cooked food while preventing it from sticking to the basket. However, not all sprays are created equal. It’s important to choose sprays with high smoke points, like avocado oil, to ensure a successful air frying experience. Some sprays, particularly those with additives like soy lecithin, can damage your air fryer’s non-stick surface, resulting in buildup and poor performance.
Why Avoid Soy Lecithin in Cooking Sprays?
Soy lecithin is a common emulsifier in many cooking sprays. While it helps blend oils and liquids, it can break down at high temperatures, causing residue buildup in your air fryer. This can degrade your appliance's non-stick coating over time, making it harder to clean and less effective. Instead, opt for oils like avocado oil, which has a higher smoke point and fewer additives, ensuring a smoother cooking experience without the risk of damage.
Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Spray: Why It's My Top Pick
There are many cooking sprays out there, but Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Spray quickly became my favorite for air frying. Here's a closer look at why:
High Smoke Point: Air fryers cook at high temperatures, so you need an oil that can handle the heat without burning. Avocado oil has a smoke point of around 520°F (271°C), making it a great option for air frying.
Pure, Healthy Ingredients: Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Spray is simply 100% pure avocado oil. There are no additives, fillers, or propellants, so you can feel good about what you're putting on your food.
Easy Application: Using a cooking spray oil makes it simple to lightly coat your air fryer basket or food with a thin layer of oil. No need for messy pouring or trying to evenly distribute oil with a brush.
Versatile: You can use Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Spray in your air fryer, oven, on the stovetop, or even for grilling. It's a great all-purpose cooking oil spray that can be used for a variety of dishes.
Buy Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Spray here!
The Other Sprays:
While Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Spray stands out for its quality and health benefits, there are other cooking sprays on the market. However, many fall short for air fryer use:
The Leading Brand (Rhymes with "Dam"): These sprays often contain a blend of seed oils, which may have lower smoke points than avocado oil and can't withstand air fryer temperatures. They may also contain additives and unnatural ingredients, like soy lecithin, which can deteriorate at high heat and damage your air fryer’s non-stick surface. See image below.
Olive Oil Spray: While extra virgin olive oil is a healthy choice for lower temperature cooking, it has a smoke point of around 375°F (190°C) and isn't the best option for air frying. It’s great for drizzling on salads or sautéing, but when it comes to the air fryer, you’ll want something with a higher tolerance for heat.
Using Less Oil with High Smoke Point Options
One of the biggest advantages of air frying is that it uses significantly less oil than traditional deep frying. Using a cooking spray with a high smoke point like avocado oil allows you to use just a light coating, which translates to less oil consumption and potentially healthier meals.
Can I Use Regular Olive Oil in My Air Fryer?
You can use olive oil in your air fryer, but it's not the best option. Extra virgin olive oil has a lower smoke point (around 375°F), which can cause it to burn and affect the flavor of your food. Light olive oil, on the other hand, has a higher smoke point (around 465°F), making it better for air frying, though it lacks the robust flavor of extra virgin olive oil. For high-heat cooking, it's better to choose oils with higher smoke points, like avocado or grapeseed oil, for optimal results.
What About Vegetable or Canola Oil Spray?
Canola oil spray is a common option, but it typically has a smoke point around 400°F (204°C) which may not be high enough for all air fryer recipes. In addition, it can be highly inflammatory, which can cause various issues. Vegetable oil spray can also contain a blend of oils, so it's important to check the label carefully.
Important Considerations When Choosing a Cooking Spray for Air Frying
When picking the right cooking spray for your air fryer, a few key factors will make all the difference in your cooking results:
Smoke Point
The smoke point is one of the most important things to keep in mind. A high smoke point typically refers to oils that can withstand temperatures of 400°F (204°C) or higher without breaking down, burning, or releasing harmful compounds. This is the temperature at which the oil begins to break down and smoke, which can ruin the flavor of your food. For air frying, you want an oil with a high smoke point to handle the high heat without burning.
Soy Lecithin
Always double-check the ingredients in cooking sprays to avoid those containing soy lecithin. This emulsifier can degrade at high temperatures, potentially damaging your air fryer and leaving residue. Stick to sprays that use pure oils with high smoke points.
Here's a quick breakdown of high smoke point vs low smoke point oils:
High Smoke Point Oils (Great for Air Frying):
Avocado Oil (around 520°F)
Avocado oil is one of the best options for air frying, thanks to its very high smoke point and neutral flavor.Clarified Butter (Ghee) (around 485°F)
Ghee, or clarified butter, has a high smoke point and imparts a rich, buttery flavor, making it a great option for air frying.Light Olive Oil (around 465-470°F)
Refined olive oil (sometimes labeled light olive oil) has a higher smoke point than extra virgin olive oil, making it suitable for air frying.Sunflower Oil (around 450°F)
A light, neutral-flavored oil, sunflower oil is perfect for high-temperature cooking like air frying.Peanut Oil (around 450°F)
Known for its nutty flavor, peanut oil is commonly used for frying and holds up well in the air fryer.Grapeseed Oil (around 421°F)
Grapeseed oil has a clean taste and a high smoke point, making it a versatile choice for air frying.Coconut Oil (Refined) (around 400°F)
Refined coconut oil is okay for air frying but should be used within its smoke point range.Low Smoke Point Oils (Not Ideal for Air Frying):
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) (around 320-374°F)
While great for drizzling or dressings, EVOO has a low smoke point, so it’s not recommended for high-heat cooking like air frying.Coconut Oil (Unrefined) (around 350°F)
Unrefined coconut oil has a low smoke point and should be avoided for air frying. It can break down and smoke at high temperatures, affecting the flavor and texture of your food.Butter (around 300°F)
Butter has a very low smoke point, and while it adds great flavor, it's not suitable for air frying at higher temperatures.Flaxseed Oil (around 225°F)
This oil has a very low smoke point, so it should only be used for low-temperature cooking or in recipes where you’re not applying direct heat.
Quality Ingredients
Look for cooking sprays with simple, high-quality ingredients. For example, pure avocado oil without any additives, fillers, or propellants ensures you're getting a clean, neutral flavor. Avoid sprays that include unnecessary chemicals or preservatives.
Pre-Filled Spray Bottle vs. Mister vs. Refillable Oil Sprayer
There are a few different ways to get oil onto your food for air-frying:
Pre-filled spray bottle: This is a convenient option, especially if you opt for a pre-filled spray bottle like Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Spray. They typically come with a mister nozzle that dispenses a fine mist of oil, allowing for even coating with minimal oil use.
Mister: An oil mister is a refillable pump sprayer that allows you to use your favorite oil. They are a good eco-friendly option, as you can avoid constantly buying new spray bottles.
Refillable Oil Sprayer: This can be a budget-friendly option; be sure the spray bottle is designed for refilling and thoroughly clean it with soapy water before adding new oil.
Safety Tips for Using Cooking Spray in Your Air Fryer
Short Bursts: When using a spray bottle, apply the oil in short bursts to ensure even coating and avoid overdoing it.
Non-Stick Basket: If your air fryer basket is non-stick, you’ll need even less oil. This makes for crispier food and easier cleanup!
Cleanliness: Always ensure your air fryer basket is clean and free of food debris before using cooking spray. It helps maintain the quality of your food and keeps your air fryer in top shape.
Heat Resistance: Double-check that the spray bottle you're using is heat-resistant if refilling.
Easy Air Fryer Recipes to Try with Avocado Oil Spray
Now that you've got the oil covered, here are a few delicious air fryer recipes to put your Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Spray to good use:
For even more recipes using Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Spray fryer, check out this link HERE!
FAQs
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Since air fryers cook with hot air, you don’t need a ton of oil for crispy results. However, a light coating of oil, especially a high smoke point oil like avocado oil is a good option that can help your food crisp up evenly and prevent it from sticking to the air fryer basket. I recommend steering clear of non-stick spray oils or canola oil sprays, as they may not handle the high heat as well.
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Refillable sprayers can be a good eco-friendly choice, but ensure yours is designed for oils and not water-based solutions like soy sauce or salad dressings. Refilling can be messy and some refillable sprayers don't produce the finest mist, potentially leading to using more oil than intended.
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You can, but regular cooking sprays may not be the best oils to choose. Many of them contain additives or oils with lower smoke points, which can affect the taste of your food and cause issues at high temperatures. Stick with sprays made from oils like avocado, grapeseed, or peanut oil for better results.
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Yes, but make sure to pay close attention to the ingredients! A lot of cooking sprays often contain soy lecithin or other additives that can damage the non-stick surface of your air fryer. It’s best to use sprays made with high-smoke point oils, such as avocado oil, to avoid residue buildup.
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Oils with low smoke points, like olive oil (375°F), coconut oil (350°F), and butter (300°F), should be avoided as they can break down and produce harmful substances at the high temperatures used in air fryers.
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While olive oil is great for low-heat cooking, its smoke point is around 375°F, which is lower than ideal for air frying. Opt for higher smoke point oils like avocado oil or sunflower oil for best results.
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Oils with high smoke points are ideal for air frying. Consider using:
Avocado oil (520°F)
Sunflower oil (450°F)
Peanut oil (450°F)
Grapeseed oil (420°F)
Safflower oil (470°F)
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Soy lecithin can break down at high air fryer temperatures, potentially causing residue buildup and damaging the non-stick surface. Always check the ingredients in cooking sprays and choose those with high smoke point oils like avocado oil.
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You can use a non-aerosol spray bottle, silicone brush, or paper towel to lightly coat the basket with oil. For even cooking, you can also coat the food directly with oil before air frying.
When choosing a non-stick spray for your air fryer, opt for a high smoke point oil like avocado or sunflower oil to make easy cooking a breeze. These oils allow you to use little oil, avoiding excess residue and ensuring your food crisps up perfectly. On the other hand, using too much oil can lead to buildup and damage the nonstick surface. Avoid nonstick sprays containing soy lecithin, as they can break down at high temperatures and leave harmful residue.
