We love air fryers, and you should add this to the list of foods you’re not cooking in your air fryer but should be: salty, crunchy-on-the-outside but tender-on-the-inside breaded oysters. Whether you buy them fresh or canned, these are a surprising crowd-pleaser, but they do require a bit of prep. You’ll want to give them a good rinse, but after that comes the most important step — ensuring they are thoroughly dried off.
You can do that by depositing them from your colander into a few folded paper towels, but then be sure to take another paper towel and blot them dry. This is essential for two reasons. First, it will help the breading stick to the oysters — you don’t want any of it blowing off in the hot air as it circulates (and potentially getting stuck in the heating element and burning to an unrecognizable char). Second, it will help the breading get nice and crisp — which you definitely want for the contrast between the exterior and interior. Plus, it will help the oysters cook faster, too.
How to cook your air fried oysters for max crispiness
Of course, prepping the oysters is just half the battle. You’ll also want to make sure you’re cooking them properly so that they get the most desirable texture. No matter what size or type of air fryer you have, you will want to place them in the basket in a single layer to cook — no overlaps, because when a piece of oyster is covered, that part isn’t going to get nice and crispy. If you have a lot of oysters to air fry, you might have to cook them in batches, but trust us, it’s worth the time and effort.
One of the nice things about air fryers is that they use a fraction of the oil that deep frying does, but in many cases, you do still need a bit of fat to get the texture you seek. That is the case with these air-fried oysters. You don’t need a lot of oil, but a quick spritz of cooking spray can help the oysters’ exteriors get nice and crunchy. In fact, you’ll want to spray them twice; once before you start the cook, and then again at the halfway point, when you will also want to flip them (just like you do fish sticks) so they heat evenly. Be sure to give your air fryer a good cleaning afterward to get rid of any crumbs that fell off the oysters, too. Enjoy!
