Yes, you can put parchment paper in an air fryer, but only if you use it correctly and follow a few safety rules.

Quick Scoop

  • Use regular parchment paper (not wax paper or just any paper).
  • Keep the temperature at or under the parchment’s rated limit (usually 420–450°F / about 215–230°C).
  • Never run the air fryer with only parchment paper inside; it must be weighed down with food.
  • Cut or use liners that fit the basket and don’t block airflow or touch the heating element.
  • Great for easy cleanup and reducing sticking—especially with sticky, saucy, or breaded foods.

Is Parchment Paper Safe in an Air Fryer?

Yes, parchment paper is generally safe for air fryers as long as:

  1. The temperature stays below the maximum rating on the box (commonly 420–450°F).
  2. The paper lies flat and doesn’t fly up into the heating element.
  3. There is enough food on top to hold it down.

Most home air fryers top out around 390–400°F, which is within the safe range of many parchment papers, but some newer or premium models go hotter, so you should always check your appliance’s maximum temp and your parchment packaging. Important: Wax paper is not the same as parchment paper and should not be used in an air fryer, because the wax coating can melt and smoke.

Benefits of Using Parchment Paper in an Air Fryer

Parchment paper isn’t just about laziness in doing dishes (although it helps there too); it actually gives you a few practical advantages:

  • Helps prevent food from sticking to the basket or tray.
  • Makes cleanup much easier, especially with cheese, sugary marinades, or breadcrumbs.
  • Can reduce burnt sticky residue on your basket over time.
  • Can help delicate foods (like fish or bakery-style cookies/biscuits) release more cleanly.

A simple example: cooking marinated chicken wings or honey-garlic drumsticks directly on the basket can leave a sticky, caramelized mess; placing them on parchment keeps your basket cleaner and the skin still crisp.

Safety Rules: How to Use It Properly

Think of parchment in an air fryer as a helper, not a full replacement for the basket surface or airflow.

1. Don’t Preheat with Empty Parchment

  • Never preheat the air fryer with just parchment inside.
  • Only place the parchment when you’re ready to add the food, and put them in together.
  • If parchment is in there alone, the fan can blow it around and it may get sucked up toward the heating element, which can scorch or even catch fire.

2. Weigh It Down With Food

  • Make sure the parchment is covered by the food at several points, not just one small piece in the middle.
  • Avoid using a single tiny nugget or half a cookie on a big sheet of parchment; cut the sheet to match the size of the food area.
  • If you’re air-frying something very light (like thin chips or dehydrated fruit), use smaller, well-weighted sections of parchment or consider skipping it.

3. Respect Temperature Limits

  • Check the box: most parchment is rated to 420°F or 450°F.
  • Keep your air fryer temp at or below that rating.
  • If your air fryer can go to 450–500°F and you actually use those top settings, avoid parchment at those temps.

4. Don’t Block Airflow Completely

Air fryers rely on hot air circulating around the food. If the bottom surface is entirely blocked by a solid sheet, you may lose crispiness.

  • Use perforated parchment liners (with holes) when possible.
  • If cutting your own, poke or punch holes through the paper to let air flow.
  • Don’t run parchment up the side of the basket so high that it blocks side vents or touches the top element.

When You Should Use Parchment Paper

Parchment makes the most sense when any of these are true:

  • You’re cooking sticky foods: glazed wings, teriyaki meatballs, BBQ chicken, honey-roasted veggies.
  • Battered or breadcrumb-coated foods that tend to weld themselves onto the basket.
  • Delicate bakes: cookies, biscuits, small pastries, or fish fillets that break easily.
  • You want quick cleanup after multiple batches.

Typical good use cases:

  • Frozen breaded fish or shrimp that you don’t want tearing.
  • Saucy tofu cubes or sticky soy-glazed cauliflower.
  • Cookies or small pastries you don’t want darkened too much on the undersides.

When You Shouldn’t Use It

There are times parchment is not a good idea:

  • Very high temperatures near or above the parchment’s limit.
  • Foods that rely on maximum airflow from below for crisping—e.g., fries, dry chicken wings, or anything where you want deep, even browning.
  • Very light foods in a nearly empty basket, where the paper can easily blow around.
  • If your air fryer instructions explicitly say not to use any kind of paper or liners.

In these cases, consider:

  • Spraying or brushing a thin layer of high-heat oil directly onto the basket.
  • Using a metal or silicone rack/tray insert designed for air fryers.

Regular Parchment vs. Pre-cut Air Fryer Liners

You’ll see lots of products advertised as “air fryer parchment liners” lately. They’re basically parchment pre-cut into circles or rectangles with holes. Pre-cut liners:

  • Convenience: No cutting, already shaped for round or square baskets.
  • Usually perforated to maintain airflow.
  • May be marketed for specific sizes (e.g., 6-quart, 8-quart).

Regular roll parchment:

  • More flexible and cheaper per use.
  • You can cut custom shapes for different baskets, trays, or racks.
  • You must remember to poke holes if you want better airflow.

Either option can work as long as you follow the same rules: right temperature, weighed down, and not blocking airflow.

Air Fryer Performance: Will Food Still Get Crispy?

This is the big practical question: does parchment ruin the air fryer’s magic?

  • For heavier foods that sit flat (like chicken thighs, filets, or solid breaded items), you can still get very good crisping on top and decent browning on the bottom.
  • The bottom may be slightly less crisp than when placed directly on the basket, but most people find the tradeoff worth it for easier cleanup and less sticking.
  • For very crisp-dependent foods like french fries or tater tots, your best results usually come from cooking them directly in the bare basket, optionally with a light oil spray rather than parchment.

A handy approach: cook fries directly on the basket, but use parchment only for the really sticky or saucy recipes.

Small Story-Style Example

Imagine it’s a weeknight and you toss some honey-garlic wings into your air fryer without parchment. They come out delicious, but the basket has a caramelized layer that takes soaking, scrubbing, and some gentle cursing to remove. Next time, you cut a piece of parchment just big enough to cover the bottom, poke a few holes, place it in the basket, and lay your wings on top. They cook at 380–390°F, the skin crisps up, and when you’re done you basically just lift out the parchment and wipe the basket. Same wings, way less mess—and no stuck skin or torn pieces left behind. That difference is where parchment really earns its place.

Quick Do and Don’t Checklist

Do:

  • Use real parchment paper, not wax paper.
  • Check the temperature rating on the package.
  • Cut or use liners that fit your basket and don’t curl up the sides too much.
  • Place parchment and food in the basket at the same time.
  • Use parchment for sticky, saucy, or delicate foods.

Don’t:

  • Don’t preheat the air fryer with empty parchment inside.
  • Don’t let parchment touch the heating element.
  • Don’t exceed the parchment’s temperature rating.
  • Don’t completely smother airflow, especially for foods that need max crispiness.
  • Don’t leave a large sheet under one tiny piece of food; trim it down.

SEO-style Meta Description (for your post)

Can you put parchment paper in an air fryer? Yes—if you keep it under its temperature limit, weigh it down with food, and avoid blocking airflow. Learn the latest tips, safety rules, and forum-style insights on this trending question.

Bottom Note

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.