If you enjoy baking cookies, roasting vegetables, or just reheating dinners in your oven, you probably keep a roll of parchment paper on hand. Also known as bakery paper, this nonstick, grease-resistant surface helps keep the bottom of your baked goods burn-free and allows for super-easy cleanup.
But if you’re giving your range and sheet pans a break, and turning to your air fryer for smaller meals, you might wonder if it’s smart to use parchment paper inside these miniature convection ovens.
Larry Ciufo, the CR test engineer who oversees air fryer testing, warns that while you can use parchment paper inside an air fryer, it’s not recommended for regular use there. “It has the potential to block 99 percent of the fryer’s airflow,” Ciufo says.
Meredith Laurence, author of "Air Fry Everything," concurs: “While that may not be a problem for dough-based recipes, it can present a bit of an issue for dishes where grease needs to drain away from the food,” she says.
Find out whether you can put aluminum foil in your air fryer.
More on Air Fryers
That said, she does use parchment for certain recipes. “One of my favorite ways to do so is when cooking fish en papillote,” says Laurence, known by her followers as the Blue Jean Chef. “The parchment paper traps the steam and keeps the fish moist, while the air fryer cooks it quickly. It also means that there is no clean up at the end.” En papillote (“in paper” in French) is a cooking method that involves placing food—typically vegetables, or fillets of fish or meat—inside a folded pouch of parchment paper (or foil).
Brandi Crawford, author of "The Super Easy Air Fryer Cookbook," suggests using parchment paper designed for use with an air fryer when cooking these types of dishes. “The internal heat inside air fryers requires circulation, and air fryer parchment paper has perforated holes in it to help with that circulation,” she says. A 10-pack of air fryer liners can run you less than $10 dollars.
A word of caution if you do go this route: Make sure the food is heavy enough to keep the parchment paper in place. Otherwise, it can blow up toward the heating element, creating a fire risk.
If you’re not using the parchment paper for baked goods or steaming purposes, consider a reusable silicone liner. This dishwasher-safe accessory can stand in place of a perforated parchment paper liner, and cuts down on waste.
Top-Rated Air Fryers From CR's Tests
CR’s test engineers have put dozens of air fryers to the test. Below are the top three from our ratings in alphabetical order. For our complete rundown, see CR’sair fryer ratings.
Tanya A. Christian
Tanya Christian joined Consumer Reports as a multimedia content creator in 2021, bringing with her more than a decade of experience in the home and lifestyle space. As a content manager for small kitchen appliances, home remodeling products, and the sleep category, she’s happy to provide readers with recommendations on great design, helpful cooking tools, and smart ways to achieve better sleep. Follow her on Twitter @tanyaachristian.
