Can You Put Parchment Paper in an Air Fryer?

If you have an air fryer, you already know all about the convenience of using it. This is especially true if you have a family with a house of kids. In many cases, you don’t even need to pre-heat the unit. Just add food and turn it on. But sometimes food gets stuck to the basket and may lose the breaded coating. Using a liner of some sort will fix that problem. In this article, we’ll answer the question: can you put parchment paper in an air fryer? First, let’s talk about what it is. 

What is Parchment Paper?

If you’ve ever done any baking, you should be familiar with this paper. It’s commonly used to keep food from sticking to sheet pans, cake pans, and other bakeware. It’s also called baking paper.

Parchment paper is a non-stick paper that can withstand reasonably high oven temperatures. I’ve used it when cooking food as high as 400°F. 

It’s also very convenient to use with food that has sticky sauces such as chicken wings. It makes cleanup a snap. When it comes to using this paper in your air fryer, you will get the same results–easy cleanup. 

How Safe is Parchment Paper?

Parchment paper is very safe to use as long as you don’t use it in temperatures over 450°F. This would be the maximum temperature. This will also depend on the brand of paper. Different brands will have different temperature thresholds.

Before using this paper in your air fryer, consult your owner’s manual. Also, check the brand for the maximum temperature it can withstand.

What is the Right Parchment Paper? 

Let’s start with THE most important thing you need to know here. Parchment paper and wax paper are NOT the same things. Wax paper is not meant to be used for cooking or baking. 

Wax paper and parchment paper are both non-stick and moisture-resistant but only parchment paper can be used for cooking and baking. Okay, so that’s out of the way. So what is the right parchment paper?

The paper needs to be a food-grade paper that can withstand temperatures up to 450°F. You will find it in white or brown. The color makes no difference. The white paper is bleached and the brown paper isn’t. It simply needs to be food-grade paper.

What About Perforated Parchment Paper?

Some paper is designed specifically to be used in air fryers and has holes in it. The holes allow food drippings to drop down onto the heating element. This type of paper could be useful if you want your food to be crispy but not greasy. The flip side is that you’ll have to clean up the greasy mess left behind.

How to Use Parchment Paper in an Air Fryer

Start by checking your owner’s manual for any cooking limitations your air fryer may have. After all, air fryers are simply mini convection ovens. But, like a standard convection oven, it’s possible that the paper could ignite if not used correctly. These instructions can also be used if you working with a wire rack.

• Start by measuring the inside of your air fryer basket.
• Place the basket or wire rack on the paper on a flat surface.
• Hold the basket in place and trace around the edges using a pencil.
• Cut the outline and place it inside the basket. Don’t cut a piece larger than what you need.

If your air fryer needs to be pre-heated, there’s no need to add the paper during this stage. In fact, it’s recommended that you don’t. The circulating air may cause the paper to fly around inside causing a potential fire hazard. 

Why Would You Use Parchment Paper in the Air Fryer?

One of the best reasons for using this paper is that it can help extend the life of the non-stick coating in your air fryer basket. Parchment paper will collect all the sticky sauces instead of sticking to the basket. You can also use it to steam vegetables and fish.

Using this type of paper will help you avoid replacing the basket if the non-stick coating begins to chip off.

Conclusion

Using parchment paper in your air fryer basket is a great way to extend the life of your air fryer. Not to mention the easy cleanup. Alternatively, you can also use aluminum foil.

You can find parchment paper in grocery stores and stores like Walmart and Target. You can also order it online. 

Have you ever used parchment paper in your air fryer? Let us know by leaving a comment below.