Air fryers come in all shapes and sizes. Some air fryer baskets are flat with holes in the bottom, some are more like wire racks. Sometimes you want to put something under your food in the air fryer to prevent the food from sticking when you air fry. So can you use parchment paper in the air fryer?
Yes, you can definitely use parchment paper in the air fryer, and for some recipes it is even better to do so. Parchment paper helps baked goods such as cookies or biscuits keep their shape, it also makes cleaning the air fryer basket a lot easier.
It is very important to use proper parchment paper and not wax paper. Wax paper is a different type of paper than parchment paper. Wax paper cannot be used in an air fryer, as it is not heat safe and is only meant to be used at room temperature.
You can either use specially made air fryer parchment paper liners or make your own out of regular parchment paper. Air fryer parchment paper is already precut perforated liner and therefore ready for quick and convenient use. They make some especially for square air fryer baskets, which is very handy! Most use unbleached parchment paper, which is better for you.
BENEFITS OF USING PARCHMENT PAPER IN THE AIR FRYER
✔️ It prevents food from sticking to the basket. No more scraping your food off the bottom.
✔️ Your food will be prevented from falling through air fryer trays that have large holes.
✔️ It makes clean up easy! There will be less food and grease stuck to your basket that you'll have to scrub off. Easy cleanup means more time to do things you'd rather be doing!
✔️ Parchment is a healthy alternative to using more oils to prevent sticking.
CAN YOU MAKE YOUR OWN AIR FRYER PARCHMENT PAPER?
To make your own perforated parchment paper, make sure you cut the piece of parchment paper slightly smaller than your air fryer basket like store bought air fryer liners. This will allow for air circulation. Then use a small hole punch and punch a bunch of holes into the paper. Alternatively you can use a toothpick and punch a couple of holes into the cut paper that way. The free edges of the air fryer basket and the holes in the paper allow the hot air in your air fryer to circulate properly.
DOES PARCHMENT PAPER LAY FLAT IN AN AIR FRYER?
When you are ready to bake, make sure you DO NOT add your parchment paper while preheating your air fryer. There is no food weighing down the paper, so it might fly up, touch the heating elements and burn. Put parchment paper into the air fryer right before you add your food.
Space your food out so it holds the parchment paper down. The high velocity fans will blow up the edges of the parchment paper liner if there's nothing weighing it down.
WHAT OTHER OPTIONS DO WE HAVE FOR PREVENTING FOOD FROM STICKING IN THE AIR FRYER?
There are a few options for preventing food from sticking to the air fryer basket/tray. Some foods naturally don't stick but there are some foods you definitely want to prevent from sticking.
Non-Stick Cooking Spray: These sprays, like PAM, or other non-stick cooking sprayers are great for helping prevent sticking. If you're cooking gluten free, make sure you choose a spray that is gluten free.
Aluminum Foil: Foil is an option, sometimes. Read when we recommend using it.
Silicone Liners: These air fryer silicone liners prevent food from sticking to the air fryer. You still need to wash them but you're causing less trash. Check out this silicone liner on Amazon.
Do not put parchment paper into an air fryer without food on top of it or may blow up into the heating elements and burn.
You can buy air fryer specific silicone liners for your air fryer. These will allow proper air flow. Silicone liners not intended for air fryers will not allow food to cook properly in the air fryer.
You can cook almost anything in an air fryer. Think of it like a mini convection oven. Food cooks in the basket or tray by blowing hot air around inside. We love to cook chicken thighs, chicken wings, fried fish, salmon, cookies, vegetables, eggs, and potatoes in our air fryer.
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