Can you Melt Butter in an air fryer

Expect no burning, spitting or bubbling up when air frying butter to melt, which should a achieved in under a minute, keeping an eye on it frequently.

Melt butter in an air fryer by setting the temperature to a high of 400°F/205°C, with no preheating required. Butter should melt within under a minute so its vitally important you keep an eye on proceedings, to be sure the butter doesn't burn. Spoon butter into a small dish or ramekin to melt in an air fryer.

Melting butter in an air fryer is one of the simplest things you can do, all its takes is to add a bowl of butter, and see how it melts in under a minute.

No preheat required, just add 4-5 tablespoons of butter to a ramekin or small air fryer-safe dish - set the temperature to 400°F/205°C; time to one minute - and then watch as the butter rapidly melts into a crystal clear yellow liquid.

Melted butter done in an air fryer will add no unwanted tastes or textures, it will appear as if the butter was melted  in a pan, like it normally is.

Don't allow the melted butter to air fry by itself without checking on it every 10-15 seconds, because it will melt quicker than expected.

While this applies to melting butter to make butter for dipping shellfish, basting corn, or brushing on bread; of course butter which melts in a chicken kiev or other butter-filled food items - will cause no issues with the melted butter centre. Similarly, your air fryer will melt cheese in the same way, with no unexpected tastes or vile textures.

Butter will slowly melt by itself within this minute, with no need to stir with a spoon or whisk. If the butter is bubbling or frothing, then you've allowed the butter to air fry for too long - which can burn the butter and therefore, change the taste and texture.

How to melt butter in air fryer

If you wish to melt butter - or what can be margarine - by itself rather then being melted into what could be a jacket potato or brushed onto corn, then you will need a small dish.

Glass and ceramic ramekins are normally the ideal size to hold up to 5 tablespoons of butter, of which the butter will melt in under 60 seconds.

I have found just two tablespoons of butter melt within 30-40 seconds, which does need you to open/close the air fryer frequently. Never allow butter to air fry for so long, the butter will burn onto the sides of your ramekin.

Ceramic or glass ramekins will do, with the option to use what can be a made in ceramic cereal bowl, even if it isn't marked as oven proof.

How to melt butter in an air fryer begins by adding a any number of tablespoons worth of butter into a small dish or larger bowl - at a temperature of 400°F/205°C; time set to a minute only - where its impossible avoid burning the butter.

Butter may still have a lump of melted butter, which will probably melt in the time you need to brush or pour over the butter on your awaiting food item.

Gently melt butter in dish

Melt butter like you would in a saucepan on the stove - with really no stirring involved when air frying - but do keep an eye on it at all times.

When butter is melting in a ramekin or dish, you don't need to touch the butter or ramekin one little bit.

Allow the heat of the air fryer to gently melt the butter, in what should be under a minute.

Whilst the temperature should be set to a high of 400°F/205°C, this is still a low enough temperature to melt butter in a reasonable time.

As butter is melting in the air fryer throughout the minute or so, there should be no signs of bubbling, simmering - and of course no golden burnt spots directly in the butter or on the rim of the ramekin.

Brush on air fried food items

What you plan to use for your air fried melted butter can be freshly melted butter to baste on corn on the cob; what can be in an effort to make a fried slice of toast - or perhaps you want to make drawn butter for a crab or lobster dip.

I recommend you have a silicone bristle brush to mop up your melted butter out of your ramekin, which will do well to melt onto any food item you like.

When the air fried butter is melted enough it will basically be a bowl of liquid butter, the butter itself should remain liquefied. Don't expect melted butter to harden again -  which is perfect for setting the melted butter to one side - to use later when its needed.

Last time I melted butter I did it at least 30 minutes in advanced, to brush on corn on the cob, as it air fried during this time.

I applied the butter by brushing it on the cobs every time I rotated them every 5 minutes, which helped to reheat the butter in the air fryer.

Air fry butter to melt and serve immediately if you need it hot/warm, whilst heating cold melted butter again when its brushed or poured on to any air fried food item.

Summarise

You can absolutely melt any kind of soft or hard butter, including margarines, which should all melt in under 1 minute.

Add as many tablespoons of butter to a small air fryer safe ramekin - plus any regular cereal bowl if you don't have a ramekin - set the temperature to 400°F/205°C and the TIME TO A MINUTE only.

Butter is likely to melt under the minute so its important you open the basket in regular intervals, to make sure the butter isn't burning.

It will be fine if you remove the bowl/ramekin full of partially melted butter early, with any unmelted butter sure to melt by itself in the next 30 seconds.

Air fried butter will have no burnt or additional flavouring because it was air fried, nor will it have any unusual texture.

Air fried butter should melt to a very clear golden colour, with no bubbles occurring during the air frying stage.

In addition, you must gently open and close the air fryer frequently to keep an eye on the butter has it melts, but there's no need to stir the butter, as it will melt fine by itself.

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