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How to de-salt Spam - cook in a pan over medium heat, add some water to cover the Spam, and cook for about five minutes. You can reduce the saltiness of the meat by doing this.

How to cook spam in air fryer (step by step guide)

5 from 2 votes
Pin Recipe
Whether you’re a Spam fan or just trying it for the first time, give this method a try!
Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes

Equipments:

  • Air Fryer

Ingredients:

  • 12 oz spam

Instructions:

How to de-salt Spam in boiling water:

  • The first thing you’ll want to do is drain the can of Spam. Then, rinse the meat with cold water to remove those gooey preservatives.
  • After rinsing, cut the Spam into thin slices, about ¼-inch thick. Try not to cut them too thin or too thick. The thinner the slice, the more it will dry out. The thicker the slice, the less it will cook through. A Spam slicer is handy for perfectly even pieces, but a knife works just as well.
  • Place the sliced Spam into the boiling water and allow to cook for about 5 minutes. Try to separate the slices so the water can leach out as much salt as possible from each piece.
  • After 5 minutes, remove the pot from the heat and use a slotted spoon to transfer the Spam slices to a colander. Rinse them under cold water and let them drain off excess water. Pat dry with a paper towel if necessary. Cook according to your recipe.

How to cook Spam in air fryer:

  • How does reheating work? Preheat the air fryer for at least 3 to 5 minutes at 360°F. That will increase the cooking time and eliminate unevenly cooked Spam. Since a hot air flow surrounds the food in an air fryer, preheating it will ensure that your Spam is fully cooked.
  • Coat the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Any cooking spray will do; however, I prefer avocado oil because it has a higher smoke point.
  • Arrange the de-salted Spam slices in the basket, ensuring they are not touching each other. They will stick together and won’t cook evenly if they are touching. Keep them apart to ensure even cooking.
  • Cook the Spam for about 10 minutes or until slightly golden brown and a bit crispy on the edges. For even browning, flip them halfway through cooking after 5 minutes.
  • Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. I dip mine in sweet and sour sauce, honey mustard, or BBQ sauce.

Notes:

Cooking tips when air frying spam

1. Preheating the air fryer

Preheating the air fryer is a crucial step in this recipe. It helps to cook the Spam faster and more evenly. But why is that necessary? Cooking time is reduced by letting hot air circulate around the food.

2. Use a cooking oil spray.

When cooking Spam in the air fryer, spray the basket with cooking oil. The Spam will not stick to the basket, and the exterior will be crisper.
You can also crisp up the exterior of the Spam by spraying a bit of cooking oil on it. You may want to skip this step if you’re watching your fat intake. Plus, I do not think adding more oil is necessary with Spam already containing such high-fat levels.

3. Cut the spam into thin slices

For this recipe, it’s best to cut the Spam into thin slices (about ¼-inch thick). This will help to ensure that the Spam is cooked through evenly. If you have a spam slicer, that would be perfect. Otherwise, a sharp knife will do the trick.
Slices of Spam have a larger surface area when they are cut thinly. The heat will be absorbed faster, so ensure the air fryer is preheated prior to cooking Spam.

4. Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket

Overcrowding the air fryer basket is a common mistake that people make. When you overcrowd the basket, the hot air can’t circulate around the food properly, resulting in uneven cooking.
To avoid this, make sure the pieces of Spam do not touch one another in the basket. They will stick together and won’t cook evenly if they are touching. Cooking in batches may be necessary, depending on the size of your air fryer.

5. Adjust the cooking time as necessary

The cooking time for this recipe will depend on how thick or thin your Spam slices are. If they are on the thicker side, you may need to cook them for a minute or two longer.
Thin slices of Spam will only need to be cooked for about 10 minutes or until they are slightly golden brown and crispy on the edges.
Personally, I like to cook Spam with a bit of a char on the outside. If you prefer, you can cook it for less time so that it’s not as crispy.
Keep an eye on the Spam and adjust the cooking time as necessary.

Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.

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Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keywords: air fryer spam, how to cook spam in air fryer, spam in air fryer