Can you put Maggi bags in air fryer

Air frying any kind of roasting bag is never a good idea unless your air fryer has the capacity to allow space between flammable material and the heating element.

Maggi bags can be used in an air fryer but only if your air fryer is deep enough to allow for what is a roasting bag that will inflate, thus making it bigger when its cooking. Ingredients added will weigh the bag down which will help, but the clear plastic bag cannot touch the heating element, as it will burn a hole.

To be honest, I thought going into air frying a couple of chicken breast fillets along with a variety of vegetables was going to be a piece of pie.

I have air fried a Nando's Bag & Bake recently which was easy enough, although there was a few scary moments. I found this to be far worst with a Maggi bag; with the difference in types of roasting bags used, a little problematic.

While Nando's Bag & Bake used a parchment paper-like roasting bag, Maggi's use a clear plastic bag.

I felt the clear plastic bag will melt when in direct contact with the heating element, much like the Nando's paper bag burnt a little without no contact at all.

What you must do to ensure Maggi's clear plastic bag doesn't melt, is ensure it doesn't come close to the heating element positioned on the underside of your air fryer.

I assure you any direct contact will open a hole in a Maggi bag just as it did with me.

To have the best chance of avoiding a melting bag, distribute the instructions inside the bag to cover as much of the basket as possible. In a way, this will be like weighing down this plastic bag which will inflate as it air fries.

First minute or so is crucial, once you past this time with no burns or holes, you should be safe to air fry the bag for the time it takes to air fry your chicken breast fillets.

If worst come to worst, and the Maggi bag isn't air fryer compatible, simply air fry the chicken breast fillets and additional ingredients with no bag at all.

Following air fryer cooking instructions are demonstrated on a typical Maggi Warm & Tasty Sweet Chilli, 41g.

WARNING: Maggi bags aren't safe for use inside an air fryer because the plastic roasting bag is likely to come into contact with the heating element. Ensure your air fryer is larger enough to accommodate a roasting bag that won't touch the sides or top.

STAGE 1: Prepare Chicken & Vegetables

Chicken breast fillets are all you'll need with additional vegetables added to make a meal for two people, with help of a quick microwave rice the only item not air fried.

• STEP 1: Sit Chicken Breast fillets at room temperature - Chicken breasts fillets must be allowed to reach room temperature to follow these instructions precisely
• STEP 2: Cut 1 Pepper into wedgies - Quickly cut one whole pepper into wedgies, with an option to cut wedgies into smaller bite-size pieces

• STEP 3: Peel & Cut 1 Red Onion into wedgies - Peel a medium size red onion before cutting into wedgies like the pepper
• STEP 4: Add vegetables to small plate - Pile both chopped pepper and red onion onto a small plate, ready to be slid into the small plastic Maggi bag.

NOTE: I've air fried two medium size chicken breast fillets here along with one small red onion and a standard size red pepper. Both were plenty for what is a small size oven roasting bag, with little to no additional space available for extra.

STAGE 2: Prepare MAGGI Bag

Following the instructions for oven cooking a Maggi bag is the same for air frying. Ensure you don't overfill the bag but always allow for additional space above - where the bag will inflate like a balloon when its air frying.

• STEP 1: Remove and unfold BAG from top of the sachet - Rip open 1st tear-off strip to access the clear plastic Maggi bag; taking your time to unfold what will feel like a hard-to-unfold sticky plastic bag
• STEP 2: Pour mix vegetables off plate into Maggi bag - Slide your red onion and pepper directly into the Maggi bag off the small plate
• STEP 3: Add 2 Chicken Breast fillets - Next comes adding two medium size chicken breast fillets into the bag, on top of the mix vegetables

• STEP 4: Add Seasoning from 2nd tear-off strip - Add all seasoning for 4 Chicken Breast fillets; use half of seasoning for just 2 Chicken Breast fillets like I have
• STEP 5: Close bag on the end using a Red Tie - Twist the Maggi bag close before securing it with an easy-to-use plastic red tie
• STEP 6: Mix bag contents together by gently turning bag - Ensure the seasoning is distributed well inside the bag by turning the bag multiple times over

NOTE: Remember to never overfill the Maggi bag because the higher the bag is filled, the more lightly its going to come into contact with the heating element.

STAGE 3: How to cook MAGGI bags in air fryer

Straightforward at this stage of using a Maggi bag in an air fryer, with the cooking instructions basically that of your chicken breast fillet packaging. Both chicken and mix vegetables should air fry to a delicate texture.

• STEP 1: Preheat: 5 mins; temp: 320°F/160°C - Maggi bag instructions emphasis NOT TO exceed this temperature, as bag will burn
• STEP 2: Line air fryer basket in parchment paper - Play it safe by lining the air fryer basket with parchment paper - foil optional - because what is a essentially a plastic roasting bag won't feel right sat directly on an hot basket, which I feel can melt it
• STEP 3: Place Maggi bag on side in air fryer while spreading ingredients flat - Its vitally important to sit the bag on its side as instructed to, while making the bag as flat as you can - distributing the ingredients across - as its quite possible the bag will come into contact with any air fryer heating element situated above

• STEP 4: Air fry at 320°F/160°C for 30 Mins. - Set time and temperature according to what you are instructed for oven cooking your chicken breast fillets
• STEP 5: Remove bag by sliding out with basket on its side - When time is up, slide Maggi bag out of air fryer with the basket tipped over to one side
• STEP 6: Leave to stand for 2-3 Mins. - Allow Maggi bag to sit on a plate for a few minutes to allow the steam to ease

NOTE: Your only concern while air frying a Maggi bag is ensuring the flammable plastic bag doesn't come into contact with the heating element, which I found out the hard way.

Maggi bag safety issues

Unfortunately, air frying a Maggi bag isn't quite straightforward when using any kind of roasting bag in an oven, because your air fryer is likely to be limited in capacity.

Which means when the bag begins to air fry, for just a few moments, it can come into contact with the heating element positioned above [as pictured]. And that will cause the bag to melt enough to spoil this bag and bake - which is suppose to lock in the steam and juices to produce tender chicken and vegetables.

I found this out by not pressing the bag down enough which would of been enough to keep the plastic far out of reach of the super hot coil.

To remedy this issue, I tossed the bag over on the opposite side so the burnt hole which was caused only a few seconds into air frying - is now trapped on the underside.

Luckily, it all worked out well for me as the steam and juices didn't spill out of the hole during air frying.

I promise you, its unlikely you will avoid burning a hole in your Maggi bag, and when it does you need a back up plan.

You can continue to air fry both chicken breast fillets and vegetables in an open air fryer basket, or why not wrap them all in a foil wrap as a safer solution.

I wouldn't expect the Maggi bag to catch fire inside your air fryer, as its likely to just melt to oblivion; although continue to be mindful of what is essentially a plastic bag which can catch on fire.

Maggi oven cooking instructions mention to not allow the bag to touch the sides of the oven. Well, this is likely inside an air fryer basket but it didn't cause any issues. I would line the air fryer basket in parchment paper just to be sure.

Instead of parchment paper or a foil lining, all ingredients which were supposed to go in a Maggi bag, could go into a silicone basket with the ingredients wrapped in foil.

Summary

Don't go into air frying a Maggi bag and expecting everything to turn out rosy. Maggi bags and air fryers don't mix for the most part, and it will only turn out well if there is plenty of space inside your air fryer basket.

Deep air fryer basket will do yet a shallow but large air fryer basket may not work out.

With the Maggi bag unfolded be sure to add it to your air fryer basket to ensure it at least appears to fit. Once the chicken and additional ingredients are added; once again add the cold filled Maggi bag to your air fryer basket to ensure capability.

Remember, additional space is needed above the basket in partially, as the Maggi bag will inflate like a balloon as it air fries.

Once you get through the first scary minute of air frying a Maggi bag you should be safe to continue to air fry until the chicken is cooked, according to the instructions on the back of the chicken breast fillet packaging.

If Maggi bag comes close to touching the air fryer heating element - and not necessary fully touching the coil - the bag is likely to melt, and thus producing a burnt hole.

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