7 Simple Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What can you use the Instant Pot air fryer lid for? ›

Pressure Cooker must be unplugged and only the Air Fryer Lid should be plugged in. Select a Smart Program: Air Fry, Broil, Bake, Roast, Reheat or Dehydrate. Use the + / − keys to adjust the Time and Temperature.

To operate the air fryer lid, it just needs to be placed on top of the Instant Pot and plugged in. The air fryer plug has a shield affixed to it that makes it impossible to plug it into an outlet next to another plug.

Air fryers help crisp up food that you may otherwise cook in a deep fryer, while Instant Pots cook meals that need a liquid element like stews, soups and rice.

You can cook food from fresh or frozen. You can also use the air fryer lid to broil food directly in the inner pot i.e. without using a basket, which is akin to broiling the food in the oven.

While the need for oil in air frying is not as great as when using an oven or frying something on a pan, a small amount of oil can go a long way in keeping your food moist and providing that golden brown color.

Dehydrating. In addition to air frying, the lid can also dehydrate. One of the lid's more interesting features, this specialty mode means you can make jerky, banana chips or any other dried snack you like. The dehydrating tray sits halfway down the air fry basket.

Another tip, taken from an Instant Pot Facebook group, is to open the valve all the way on your Instant Pot lid when slow cooking. This allows some moisture and steam to release and keeps the Instant Pot from overcooking your slow cooker recipes.

Here are a couple of questions I frequently get asked about my Duo Crisp, its air fryer settings, and what is and isn't possible with this ingenious small kitchen appliance. Do I need to preheat the Instant Pot air fryer before using it? No, but you can if you want to.

In our tests, the air fryer function of the Instant Pot Duo Crisp worked fine, but the exposed heating element on the lid felt dangerous. If you're just looking to use an air fryer occasionally, it might be worth it.

Which is a better air fryer Ninja or Instant Pot? ›

For those short on space, the Ninja Max XL offers better performance, but is again more expensive. And, if you're interested in a multicooker, the Instant Pot Duo is better at air frying, smaller, and cheaper. You won't go wrong with any of these models though.

If you are interested primarily in slow cooking, you should buy a dedicated slow cooker. They're more reliable with a range of slow-cooker recipes than an Instant Pot. We found Instant Pot multicookers specifically could not successfully slow-cook dense, high-volume recipes such as beef stew or pot roast.

We put the Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid to the test against the Instant Vortex 6-Quart 4-in-1 Air Fryer (which is Food Network Kitchen's favorite air fryer). We did a side-by-side comparison of frozen steak fries in the Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid and the Instant Vortex and found similar results and cooking times.

Although there are a few exceptions, you generally cannot stack chicken in an air fryer. Why? It all goes back to the mechanics of air fryers. Air fryers function a bit like powerful convection ovens.

The Instant Pot® tempered glass lid seals in heat, steam, and flavor, and lets you keep an eye on your dish when steaming, slow cooking, and warming. With modern stainless-steel accents, this lid is also perfect for serving.

Always unplug the unit and let all parts cool to room temperature before cleaning. Before use or storing, make sure all surfaces are dry. The air fryer lid, multi cooker base and power lead should be wipe cleaned only. For the steam rack, pressure cooking lid and lid parts, place on the top rack of the dishwasher only.

Zavor's Air Fryer Lid turns any Zavor 6 qt and 8 qt pressure cooker or multicooker into an air fryer! It works as a traditional air fryer, toaster oven, roaster, convection oven, and more, letting you make traditionally fried foods with a fraction of the fat and calories.