When Should You Use The Roast Button On An Air Fryer?

According to just about anyone with an air fryer, it's the best thing since sliced bread (though, you actually shouldn't use one to make toast). It's like a stovetop oven built for speed, convenience, and the ability to maximize crispiness. The features are seemingly endless, at least if you're looking at all the buttons adorning your air fryer, like the roast button. What does it actually do?

The truth is it doesn't do anything you can't do by setting a manual temperature. The "roast" setting typically cooks at a moderate to high heat with the fan consistently moving air. It is roughly equivalent to your average roasting temperature of 375 to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. It's not quite as hot or intense as a standard "air fry" setting but is stronger than a "bake" setting. The best things to cook on the "roast" setting are foods you would normally roast, like meat or vegetables.

As it turns out, most of your air fryer's buttons are just vague shortcuts. Anything you need to do with an air fryer, you can do by manually selecting the temperature and time, so if you're not sure what fancy button to press, ignore them (especially if you're using a recipe that has a designated temperature). Plus, some air fryers, like Consumer Reports' highest rated model, Dash Tasti-Crisp, don't actually have a roast button or programmed preset buttons, so you have to rely on setting the temperature anyway.

Roast button or not, you can use an air fryer to roast all kinds of meats. Chicken breasts and pork chops are some of the best options. It's really all about cook time, and if you don't have the roast button, the exact cook temperature. Pro tip: Keep a meat thermometer on hand and test the meat to ensure it's finished, regardless of cook setting. 

For simple chicken breasts, timing should be about 12 minutes per side at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. The internal temperature should hit 165 degrees. Pork chops, like these honey mustard pork chops, should be cooked at 375 to 400 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes or until your meat thermometer reads 145 degrees. Of course, if you have a roast button, use that instead of setting a specific temperature. 

Using the air fryer to roast vegetables is a similar process, sans checking for internal temperature. If you're cooking a medley of chopped veggies, pop them in at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 15 minutes. You can also try out dishes like corn ribs or cauliflower steak; if there's a vegetable you want to roast in the air fryer, there's very likely a recipe out there for you.