Can You Put Aluminum Foil In An Air Fryer?

When cooking in a standard oven, aluminum foil is great for reducing cleaning time. It can also be used to create packets to steam-cook more delicate foods like salmon and vegetables.

I also use aluminum pans for storing batch-cooked food. These can be directly placed in the oven to reheat lasagna and other leftovers.

The good news is you can use aluminum foil and pans in an air fryer. In this article, I detail why you might want to use foil, how to use foil safely in your air fryer and suggest alternatives.

Can you put aluminum foil in an air fryer?

Yes, you can use aluminum foil in an air fryer. Aluminum foil or tin foil can be used in several ways within an air fryer. But air fryers are designed to not need foil, as air fryers have a non-stick basket.

Air fryers have a non-stick basket with holes to allow the hot air to circulate and food to cook evenly. Excess fat can also drip through these holes to be collected at the bottom of the basket.

Using a small amount of foil in an air fryer can reduce the time needed to clean the air fryer. You can also use foil to hold wetter foods like eggs. Foil can also be used to create food packets to steam-cook delicate foods.

It is a good thing to double-check your air fryer’s user manual before using foil.

Can you use aluminum pans in an air fryer?

Yes, you can use aluminum pans in an air fryer. Aluminum pans are great for storing and reheating leftover food. You can also use aluminum pans as a container for more delicate foods.

How does an air fryer work?

Air fryers have in recent years become very popular with home cooks. Part of their appeal is their ability to cook food fast. In our household speed is a key factor in using the air fryer lots. As is the fact that the food is always crispier than when using a conventional oven.

An air fryer is a small convection oven, it has heating coils at the top with a fan used to circulate the very hot air. Air fryers are smaller than conventional convection ovens. The cooking space heats up to high temperatures quickly.

The circulation of this hot air by the fan ensures food is evenly cooked and crispy. As an added benefit, air fryers use a fraction of the oil needed in a fryer or frying pan to replicate.

More information on how air fryers work.

Why use aluminum foil or pans in an air fryer?

You do not need to use foil in an air fryer to cook delicious foods, but aluminum foil can be used in your air fryer for several reasons. Please check the user manual for your air fryer model before using foil.

Less clean-up time: Aluminum foil in your air fryer can be used to prevent drippings from sticking to the bottom of the fryer. This can be useful when cooking foods covered in a sauce like BBQ chicken wings.

Once the food has been removed the foil with all the drippings can be taken out easily and thrown away.

Steam cooking: Aluminum foil can be used to create foil packets to cook more delicate foods, salmon or green vegetables for example. By creating foil packets, you are steam-cooking the food. This helps keep food moist and retains flavorsome juices. Foil packets also prevent the air fryer from crisping the food.

Protect the basket: Aluminum can be used to create a barrier between the food and the basket to prevent food from sticking to it. This can help reduce clean-up time and for food to be more easily removed from the basket after cooking.

Wet foods: Aluminum foil can be shaped to contain wet foods like eggs. The foil stops the egg from falling through the air fryer basket into the bottom. The foil keeps the eggs or other wet foods where you want them, so they can be cooked.

Reheating meals: Aluminum pans can be used to store other foods like lasagna or small gratins. These can be placed in the air fryers and the air fryer used to reheat them.

How do you safely use aluminum foil in an air fryer?

When using foil in an air fryer it is important to use it safely and in a way that gets the best results. The below is the best practice for when using foil in an air fryer…

Do not use too much foil

You should only use as little foil as you need. The foil you use should cover the bottom of your air fryer basket with a single layer of foil or create the food packet. You do not want it coming up the sides and up toward the heating element.

Air flow

Air fryers rely on airflow to cook your food. Make sure that the layer of aluminum foil does not block any holes essential for airflow. You may need to poke some holes in the foil to allow air to circulate.

Weigh it down

If you are pre-heating your air fryer, make sure the foil is weighed down. This will avoid the foil from flying around in your air fryer. You do not want the foil to become trapped near the heating unit.

Steam cooking

When creating a food packet to steam-cook vegetables or delicate foods. Leave a small hole for some steam to escape. This will stop the packet from expanding too much.

Avoid acidic food

If you are cooking acidic foods, you should avoid using aluminum foil. Cooking acidic foods on aluminum foil creates a chemical reaction. This may cause the aluminum to leach into your food and change the taste of your food.

Are there health risks from using aluminum foil in an air fryer?

A Google search to understand the health risks of cooking with aluminum foil brings up a range of pages. These pages run through the risks associated with using aluminum foil in cooking.

This is because when cooking with acidic food, the cooking process causes a chemical reaction between the food and the aluminum. This chemical reaction is not specific to air fryers. It will also occur in a traditional oven when acidic food is cooked on or within aluminum foil.

The chemical reaction can lead to aluminum leaching into your food. This impacts the flavor of your food as your food will end up containing some aluminum.

What are the alternatives to aluminum foil?

If you are planning to cook acidic food or are concerned about the potential health risks. The good news is there are plenty of alternatives to aluminum foil.

The kind of food you are cooking and why you were looking to use foil will influence which alternative you should use. All the below are best used when placed in the bottom of your air fryer basket.

Parchment paper

Parchment paper is perfect for use in an air fryer, though you need to make sure that you do not use too much. If you use too much, the parchment paper can disrupt the hot airflow and result in uneven cooking.

To avoid uneven cooking only put parchment paper at the bottom of the air fryer. Place some small holes in the paper. The holes will also allow any excess oil to drain into the bottom of the air fryer’s basket. This can be cleaned with soapy water after cooking.

As parchment paper is light, the fan in the air fryer could cause the parchment paper to move or lift from the basket. It is important to weigh the paper down before pre-heating or cooking in your air fryer. You do not want a piece of paper coming into contact with the heating coil.

Air fryer liners

Due to the popularity of air fryers, you can buy air fryer liners. Air fryer liners save you time as they are pre-cut to fit in the air fryer basket. They have holes already cut into them, ensuring the airflow is not blocked and food is evenly cooked.

Remember to weigh the liner down to avoid it touching the heating element.

As air fryers come in different sizes you will need to pick the right liner for your air fryer.

I written more information on how to make your own parchment paper liners and use parchment paper safely in this article.

Heat-resistant containers – good condition

You can use a range of containers in an air fryer. Silicone molds, glass bowls, or other types of ovenproof dishes. They will though disrupt the hot air flow. This will impact how the food is cooked. They are best used when making recipes that need the food to be contained. For example, reheating lasagna or baking a cake.

Containers can be made from a range of substances tempered glass (Pyrex), ceramic, and metal. All these are safe to use in an air fryer. The important thing is that they are in a good condition with no cracks or chips. If they are not in a good condition or indeed not ovenproof, they will likely break. You do not want this to happen as it will likely make your food inedible and result in a big mess for you to clean up.

Always check your containers before using them to make sure they are in a good condition and can be used in an oven.

Oil

If you do not have access to any of the above, but want to avoid food becoming stuck to your air fryer basket you could use some oil. Oil can be used to create a barrier between your food and the air fryer basket to stop food from sticking. You will still be using a lot less oil than if deep frying.

When using oil in an air fryer, picking one with a high smoke point is the key. As the higher the smoke points the less likely the oil will burn. If the oil burns, it will cause the food to stick to the air fryer removable basket.

A high smoke point will also avoid your home from being filled with an unpleasant smell. As well as avoiding the flavors of the food being altered.

What oil to use in an air fryer?

If you want to avoid your oil burning and smoking use avocado oil as it has one of the highest smoke points at 520F/270c. But if all you have is some sunflower oil this will be fine for most cooking as this has a smoke point of 441F/227c.

I have reviewed, tested, and summarised my views on the best oils to use in an air fryer in another article. This article has more information on the effectiveness, cost, and health benefits of several popular oils.

Final word

You do not need to use foil in air fryers for most of the foods you may want to cook. Aluminum foil and containers are safe to use in an air fryer. Foil and pans can help you clean up and allow you to cook a wider range of your favorite foods.

There are alternatives though. These you might want to consider if you are looking to cook acidic food.

Related articles

What Can And Can’t Go In An Air Fryer – A roundup article summarizing what you can and can’t use in an air fryer. With links to more detail on how to use certain materials and items safely.