Can You Put Parchment Paper In An Air Fryer? (2024)

If you're wondering whether or not you can use parchment paper in your air fryer, the short answer is yes! Parchment paper can help prevent food from sticking to the air fryer basket and can make clean up a whole lot easier. I'll go over my rules for the best way to use parchment paper in the air fryer along with a few safety tips.

My air fryer has become one of my most used kitchen appliances. It's so convenient and makes it really easy to get delicious meals on the table fast. With an air fryer, you get juicy, delicious, crispy food every time- it's a real game changer!

I make everything from chicken wings to baked oatmeal to Beyond Burgers in my air fryer. I even use it to reheat leftover pizza and ripen bananas quickly for banana bread. Check out my air fryer recipes collection.

Air frying is also a healthy way of cooking. It gives you thetaste and texture of deep-fried food but with little to no oil.

So, can you use parchment paper in an air fryer? This is a common question that comes up a lot. What about wax paper? These two types of paper are actually very different.

I use parchment paper when I'm cooking certain dishes in the air fryer. In this post, I'll go over when I recommend using parchment paper and how to use it safely. I'll also discuss where to buy it and how you can make your own perforated parchment paper at home.

Learn how to adapt any recipe to cook in your air fryer! Read my Easy Oven to Air Fryer Conversion Guide and get my helpful conversion chart!

What is Parchment Paper?

Parchment paper is a food-safe paper that is often treated with silicone. The silicone makes parchment paper nonstick. It also keeps it heat resistant, making it safe for cooking in the air fryer or oven.

Parchment paper is commonly used by chefs and bakers to line sheet pans when roasting vegetables, or cake pans when baking desserts. When I was in culinary school, we always lined our sheet pans with parchment paper before cooking anything in the oven.

Parchment paper can also be used as a package for cooking fish or vegetables. Fish en papillote is a classic French dish of cooking fish in a lovely parchment parcel that puffs up high in the oven.

Parchment paper sometimes comes brown-colored and sometimes white-colored. They both function the same. The main difference is that the white paper is bleached, while brown is unbleached parchment paper and has not been treated with any chemicals.

Parchment paper can come in a roll that has to be cut. You can also buy pre-cut parchment paper sheets that are made to fit a sheet pan.

Can You Put Parchment Paper In An Air Fryer?

Yes, you can absolutely use parchment paper in the air fryer. Parchment paper is heat resistant, making it safe for cooking at high temperatures in the air fryer or oven. However, there are a few important rules, so keep reading!

Most parchment paper can be used for temperatures up to around 420-450°F. Most air fryers have a maximum temperature of 400F (although some models do go higher), making it safe to use in most models.

Parchment paper used above this temperature won't burn or release noxious chemicals, but it can darken and turn brittle. The best idea is to use a good quality parchment paper and check the product packaging to see what the maximum safe temperature is.

Why Use Parchment Paper In The Air Fryer

• Keeps food from sticking or tearing- parchment air fryer liners help prevent delicate foods from sticking to the air fryer basket/rack or tearing. I use parchment when I'm cooking wet foods like cookies or delicate food like fish with skin.
• Makes clean up easier- I use a parchment liner when I'm heating up messy food like meatballs, food with sticky sauces or cheese that will melt.
• Minimizes wear and tear on your air fryer basket/rack- with liners, you'll have to scrub your basket or racks less often, prolonging their life.

The best type of parchment paper to use in the air fryer is perforated parchment. Perforated parchment paper has small holes cut out of it. The holes help the hot air of the air fryer circulate around your food more efficiently. This improved air circulation helps the food cook evenly and crisp up nicely.

You can buy perforated parchment liners for the air fryer at grocery stores or online. The come in different sizes and shapes (square or round), to fit the dimensions of your air fryer basket.

Parchment Air Fryer Liners

These perforated parchment sheets come in different shapes, sizes, and colors- white or brown (unbleached).

Rules For Using Parchment Paper in an Air Fryer:

1. Read your air fryer manual. Every air fryer is different and there are many different models on the market. It's a good idea to read the instructions specific to your air fryer, learn the ins and outs of your machine, and see what products are recommend.
2. Never preheat the air fryer with parchment paper inside by itself. Air fryers have a heating element at the top and a powerful fan that helps circulate the hot air around your food more efficiently. Parchment paper is lightweight so if you put it in the air fryer while it's preheating, it will get caught up in the air flow and fly around the air fryer. It could get caught in the heating coil and cause a fire. So never put parchment paper in the air fryer by itself while it's preheating.
3. Always weigh down a piece of parchment paper with food. When you put a piece of parchment paper in the basket of your air fryer, always place the food on top of the parchment paper to weigh it down and prevent it from flying around.
4. Use perforated parchment paper. Perforated parchment paper has small holes cut out of it. This helps the hot air of the air fryer circulate around your food more efficiently, crisping it up nicely. You can buy perforated parchment sheets at grocery stores or online or even make them at home.

How To Make Perforated Parchment Sheets For The Air Fryer

What Can You Use If You Don't Have Parchment Paper?

If you don't have parchment paper, you can use aluminum foil to line your air fryer basket. Or you can leave out the parchment paper completely and just spray your air fryer basket with a little oil to prevent food from sticking.

You can also use a silicone liner in your air fryer. They come in different shapes and sizes and have the benefit of being reusable as opposed to parchment liners, which are disposable.

Can You Put Baking Paper In An Air Fryer?

Yes, you can put baking paper in the air fryer. Baking paper and parchment paper are actually the same thing, the terms are used interchangeably. It may sometimes also be called bakery paper.

Can You Use Wax Paper In An Air Fryer?

No, you can not use wax paper in an air fryer. Wax paper is a food-safe paper that is coated with paraffin wax, making it nonstick. It can be used in a variety of culinary applications but it is not heat resistant so you should not use it in an air fryer or oven.

Wax paper is typically used for things like rolling out pie dough or cookie dough. It's useful for separating layers of cookies or other foods before storing. It can also be used for pounding out chicken breasts.

Although wax paper and parchment paper look similar, they are very different. Wax paper is nonstick, but unlike parchment paper, it is NOT heat-resistant. At high heat, the wax will melt and the paper can catch fire. So never use wax paper in the air fryer or oven- it's a fire hazard.

Not sure what types of oils to use in your air fryer? Read my post on The Best Oils and Oil Sprays for the Air Fryer.

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About the author

Dr. Sonali Ruder

Meet Dr. Sonali Ruder aka The Foodie Physician- ER doctor, chef, culinary creator & mom.

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