Can You Put Parchment Paper In The Air Fryer?

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Most air fryers are made with nonstick interiors to make cleaning easier, but it is not foolproof. Certain kinds of foods can get stuck to the coating or drip through the grill pan and pool at the bottom of the air fryer, which can be a pain even if you know how to clean an air fryer to remove tough grime. For avid bakers, the simple solution of using parchment paper may spring to mind. 

Parchment paper is a disposable, oven-friendly material that you can use to line baking sheets so that baked goods do not stick. It is made to withstand temperatures of up to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, and since many air fryers only reach a maximum temperature of 400 degrees Fahrenheit, parchment paper can seem like the perfect solution. Before you cut off a piece to line your air fryer, though, you should be warned that it could be a fire hazard.

While parchment paper is designed to withstand the heat of an oven, it is not safe to put it too close to heating elements. The coils that produce heat in your oven or air fryer are hot enough to ignite parchment paper if it comes in contact. While your oven rack usually has a good amount of space between the rack and the heating element or the rack can be moved away, the more compact interior of an air fryer makes accidental contact more likely. Despite this danger, parchment paper can be safely used in air fryers, as evidenced by parchment paper liners sold specifically for this purpose, but it's important to weigh them down.

If you want to use parchment paper in your air fryer, it is important to do it correctly. Never put the liner in the air fryer by itself. There should always be food on top of the liner to weigh it down and prevent it from blowing around and touching the heating element. Also, make sure that the size is right, whether you buy liners or cut your own. A liner that is too big may reach up the sides too much or even curl closer to the heat source. Also, when using parchment paper, avoid placing your air fryer under your kitchen cabinets to reduce potential damage to the cabinets from the heat. 

If you follow the essential tips to help prevent your air fryer from unexpectedly catching fire and check on your paper to make sure it stays in place, cooking in an air fryer with parchment paper can be a safe way to make clean-up easier. Still, you may want to think twice before you do so. Parchment paper can block the very airflow that cooks your food, leaving you with a dinner that is soggy or unevenly cooked. To combat this, though it may leave you with a mess if you DIY it, you can cut ventilation holes in the parchment paper. Even though air can pass through, putting it in the air fryer without food weighing it down is still dangerous. If you want pre-ventilated liners, the BY KITCHEN Parchment Paper Air Fryer Liner is highly rated and comes in four sizes.