What is air frying Although it's called an "air fryer," an air fryer doesn't fry food at all! Air fryers use a fan and a heating mechanism that makes them work like a convection oven, with hot air rapidly circulated around the cooking basket or tray. If you're using an air fryer, you'll notice that the food you're frying looks a lot like fried food, just without the oil. How an Air Fryer Works...