Warning: I just realized I've been overcrowding my air fryer basket for a whole year because my Brussels sprouts were always soggy.

I watched a video from a chef in Austin who said to leave space between each piece, so I tried a single layer at 400 degrees for 12 minutes and they finally got crispy.

3 comments

3 Comments

fiona9852mo agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, that's the biggest air fryer rule, you gotta leave room for the hot air to move. It's basically a tiny oven, so if you pile stuff in, it just steams. I did the same thing with fries forever and wondered why they were limp. That single layer makes all the difference.

hannah_perry2mo ago

You did that forever and never looked it up?

morgan_black902mo ago

Seriously, my buddy did the exact same thing with chicken wings. He kept complaining they were rubbery and gross, so I finally went over to his place. His air fryer basket looked like a packed subway car, zero breathing room. I made him cook just six wings in a single layer, and they came out completely different, like actual crispy food. He was so mad he wasted months on bad wings. That hot air needs a path or you're just steaming everything.