Add This One Unexpected Ingredient For Perfectly Browned Meat In Your Air Fryer

When you're grilling up a cut of meat, the cherry on top is the tasty crust that forms while it sears. Unfortunately, it's not easy to get that perfect browning when cooking meat in your air fryer, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. One pantry ingredient you likely already have can easily give you the browning of your dreams, even in an air fryer.

Sugar is the key to browning your air fryer meat dishes. This is thanks to the Maillard reaction, a complex interplay of nutrients, heat, and other factors. Essentially, the Maillard reaction occurs when proteins and sugars are heated together and creates new compounds that are responsible for the brown coloring and accompanying flavors. Since meats don't naturally contain a lot of sugar, adding extra can contribute to the Maillard reaction and therefore your tasty browning. This trick is best for fresh meats like steak and hamburger, not preserved ones like hot dogs cooking in the air fryer, which have a casing that comes between the meat and sugar.

As for what type to use, the kitchen staples of brown or white sugar can help in this process. If you've got an especially well-stocked pantry, consider using different sugar varieties to see which one works best for you and unlocks the flavors you're looking for. You might even consider sugar-rich ingredients like honey or preserves, which can more easily coat meat before it hits the air fryer.

Of course, the question remains as to how exactly to add sugar to your meat. Naturally, different methods will yield different results; for example, using sugar as part of a dry rub will give you a more even brown coating, while adding it to a marinade lets it penetrate the meat deeper and make the meat more tender and moist. If you're cooking hamburgers in your air fryer, you can even mix a touch of extra sugar into the meat to let it enhance the flavor throughout.

That's not to say that you should be completely coating your steak with sugar. Like every other ingredient, using sugar is a balancing act, and too much can overwhelm the other flavors of the dish. Exact amounts will vary based on recipes and your tastes, but if you haven't cooked meat with sugar before, use a light hand and make a note to adjust the amount next time if necessary. You may also want to use an air fryer liner just in case the sugar makes a drippy mess.

In order for the sugar to best do its job, remember to pat your meat dry before cooking. Excessive moisture can get in the way of the Maillard reaction by preventing the meat from reaching the right temperature. In other words, if you don't dry the meat, it won't cook evenly, and then no amount of sugar or browning will save it.