Did you receive an Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid, but don’t know how to use it?! One of the disadvantages to using an Instant Pot was that you could not crisp up your food, but that’s no longer the case. With the air fryer lid, you can easily get deliciously juicy meat on the inside, and a perfect crisp on the outside.
Before you get started using your air fryer lid, it’s important to understand how it works and if your Instant Pot is even compatible with the lid. So, we’ve broken it down for you in this guide!
Jump to:
- What Is an Air Fryer?
- What Is an Air Fryer Lid?
- What Instant Pot Models Work With the Air Fryer Lid?
- How to Use the Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid
- Step by Step Directions for Using the Air Fryer Lid
- So Do I Need a Separate Air Fryer?
- Air Fryer Cook Time Suggestions
- How to Clean the Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid
- Difference Between the Air Fryer Lid and the Instant Pot Duo Crisp Air Fryer
- Best Air Fryer Lid Recipes
- The Air Fryer Lid Is Very Versatile
What Is an Air Fryer?
Although it is called an air fryer, it does not actually fry the food. An air fryer crisps your food with little to no oil.
It’s a popular option because you don’t have to worry about getting popped with hot oil while you’re cooking your food.
An air fryer works by using a powerful fan that blows hot air all around the food. It’s kind of like a convection oven. Because food is in a small enclosed space with concentrated heat, the food cooks quickly while coming out juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside.
Air fryer recipes mean no more deep frying and that almost always makes your food healthier! After all, you don't want meals dripping with saturated fat and oil.
What Is an Air Fryer Lid?
The Instant Pot air fryer lid is a standalone lid that you can use in addition to the Instant Pot pressure cooking lid. It allows you to air fry, broil, or dehydrate food.
The air fryer lid is great for browning up your food after it is done pressure cooking, and offers the convenience of having an air fryer without having to buy another cumbersome appliance.
In addition to getting the air fryer lid itself, you will also get two-level air fryer baskets, a broiling tray, and a gray protective pad that can be used as a storage cover.
What Instant Pot Models Work With the Air Fryer Lid?
The innovative air fryer lid only works with 6-quart Instant Pots, so if you have a bigger or a smaller size, you cannot get a lid. I
n addition, you cannot use it with certain models including: Duo Evo Plus, Smart WiFi, Duo SV, or the Instant Pot Max…Sorry!
The models that are compatible with the air fryer lid are:
Related: Which Instant Pot Should I Buy
How to Use the Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid
One thing about the air fryer lid that can be a pain is that it doesn’t come with any clear cut instructions, and the manual is a little difficult to understand.
So, let’s break down how it works:
Air Fryer Lid Settings
The air fryer lid comes with 6 pre-programmed settings. So, first you’ll need to decide how you want to use the air fryer.
Air Fry
This is used to crisp up pressure-cooked dishes and frozen foods.
Roast
The roast setting allows you to finish meats with a nice crust or crispy skin.
Broil
This setting is great for melting cheeses on top of pasta dishes.
Bake
The bake setting works just like an oven and can be used for brownies, cakes, and anything you would like to bake.
Reheat
This setting allows you to warm up leftovers without drying them out.
Dehydrate
Using this setting, you can make things like apple chips, kale chips or even banana chips.
Step by Step Directions for Using the Air Fryer Lid
Once you’ve decided which setting you would like to use, you can begin using your air fryer lid. Follow the steps below:
1. Unplug the Instant Pot
First, make sure your Instant Pot is NOT plugged in. If you just pressure cooked something, be sure to release the pressure and remove your pressure cooker lid.
2. Plug in the Air Fryer Lid
Next, place the air fryer lid on your Instant pot. It should fit nicely inside the black housing. Plug the air fryer in.
3. Select Your Program
Select the cooking program you will be using. The most popular settings are air fry and broil. Then, use the temperature and time (+ and - buttons) to customize it. Press start!
4. Turn the Food
About half-way through, you will see a “turn food” message on the lid. You can ignore the message and it will resume cooking in 10-seconds. Or, if you want to turn the food, lift the lid, flip it, and then replace the lid.
5. Remove the Air Fryer Lid
Once the cook time ends, the lid will display an “end cool” message. At this point, you can lift the lid and enjoy your food.
So Do I Need a Separate Air Fryer?
The Instant pot air fryer lid is great if you want to make some simple items like french fries, chicken nuggets or fish fingers. If you have the air fryer lid or Instant pot duo crisp then you'll not need a separate air fryer and air fryer basket as the pot can do the job just fine.
The detachable air fryer lid can be stored close to your Instant pot and you can interchange with the regular instant pot lid as required.
Air Fryer Cook Time Suggestions
For foods that have NOT been pressure cooked, you can use the following cook time suggestions to air fry your food:
- French fries (frozen)- 400℉ for 22-minutes
- Quartered chicken- 400℉ for 38-minutes
- Chicken wings- 400℉ for 19-minutes
- Carrots- 400℉ for 8-minutes
- Asparagus- 400℉ for 4-minutes
How to Clean the Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid
Do NOT immerse your air fryer lid in water or use an abrasive cleaner.
To clean your air fryer lid, Instant Pot recommends just using a damp cloth to wipe and clean it.
Because the air fryer lid has electrical components it is not dishwasher safe like the inner pot or regular instant pot lid.
Difference Between the Air Fryer Lid and the Instant Pot Duo Crisp Air Fryer
Both the air fryer lid and the Instant Pot Duo Crisp Air Fryer work in similar ways. The main difference is in the size.
Size of the Air Fryer Lid
The air fryer lid is only compatible with 6-quart Instant Pots, whereas the Duo Crisp Air Fryer is only available in the 8-quart size.
In addition to the size difference, there is a difference with the buttons.
The buttons for the 6-quart air fryer lid are on the lid itself whereas the buttons for the Duo Crisp are on the actual Instant Pot.
Also, there is a sensor on the Duo Crisp air fryer lid, so you won’t plug the lid in on the Dup crisp, only when using the Instant pot.
Best Air Fryer Lid Recipes
Here are some tasty air fryer recipes that you can cook using the air fryer lid:
Air Fried Chicken wings are delicious and crispy. You can order them at a restaurant but they don’t come close to the crispiness of air fried wings.
This recipe for BBQ baked chicken wings is made with simple ingredients and is easy to prepare.
If you have been craving delicious, crispy chicken wings then you will love this quick and easy recipe!
You can pressure cook fresh carrots but air fried carrots taste even better!
Whether you use a stand alone air fryer or use the air fryer lid, you'll love making carrot fries and the kids will love them too!
Low carb recipes can be made in a powerful air fryer. You can make cauliflower pizza crusts and add your favorite pizza toppings and they don't take too long to cook.
The air fryer lid makes these mini pizzas in no time!
Air frying salmon patties are simple and make a delicious high protein meal.
With no preheating time, you can enjoy air fryer recipes such as this one and have a meal on the table super fast.
- Kale Chips
Kale chips are healthy and easy to cook. Air frying Kale is simple and you can dip your kale chips into your favorite dipping sauces.
The Air Fryer Lid Is Very Versatile
You really can make delicious meals using your air fryer lid, from chicken tenders to crispy crunch fries, there are plenty of options for you to try and even better, the cooking times are very short.
For example, it takes just four minutes to cook asparagus using the air fryer lid!
Now that’s what we call an efficient kitchen appliance!
Happy Instant Potting and happy air frying!
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Thank you for all the information! I was just given a "used" air fryer lid for my instapot. It did not come with a fryer basket or any other accessories. Can I use the metal pot that cam with my instapot or do I need a specific fryer basket?
Kind thank