Can You Put Foil In An Air Fryer?

Air fryers make delicious food with little or no oil, and can also be used for oven-cooking recipes that require a crispy finish.

There are many air fryer recipes available, and many are simple and quick to make.

You might be wondering if you can put aluminium foil in an air fryer, and the short answer is yes, but you need to keep some things in mind.

This blog post will discuss the pros and cons of using foil in an air fryer and give you some tips on how to do it safely.

How Does An Air Fryer Work?

An air fryer works by circulating hot air around the food. This causes the food to heat up and cook evenly.

The advantage of using an air fryer is that it cooks food quickly and without adding any extra fat.

Why Would You Use Foil In An Air Fryer?

Using foil in an air fryer is a great way to help food cook evenly and prevent it from sticking to the basket.

When placing food directly on the air fryer basket, there is the potential for hot spots because of the way the hot air circulates. The foil helps to distribute the heat more evenly, so your food cooks more evenly.

In addition, foil can help to prevent sticking and dripping down into the tray below. When cooking sticky or gooey foods, like cheese or sauces, foil can help to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the basket or the bottom of the fryer.

As a result, using foil when air frying can help to improve the quality of your air fryer meals.

Tips For Using Foil In An Air Fryer

However, it is important to use caution when using foil in an air fryer and follow some simple guidelines.

Weigh The Foil Down

When you’re using foil in an air fryer, one of the things you’ll need to be careful about is making sure the foil doesn’t flap about and get caught on the heating element.

That’s why it’s important to weigh down your foil with enough heavy food to keep it in place. Don’t place foil over the top of any food without securing it.

Only Use A Small Amount Of Foil

Only use a little bit of foil in an air fryer.

As discussed earlier on, an air fryer works by circulating hot air.

An air fryer basket has small holes in it, this allows the hot air to circulate and evenly cook the food. If you block all the holes up in the basket you will block the air flow and the food will struggle to cook and possibly take longer.

Should You Use Foil With Acidic Foods?

Another thing to be aware of is that acidic foods can react with the aluminium in the foil and leach small traces into your food.

However, according to Healthline and the studies it lists, the amounts are very small and deemed safe by researchers.

But, if you would rather not risk it, it’s best not to use foil in an air fryer if you’re cooking anything with a high acid content, like tomatoes or lemons.

Is It Better To Use Parchment Paper?

If you don’t want to use foil in the bottom of the air fryer, parchment paper is a good alternative.

It’s non-stick, meaning that your food won’t stick to it.

Just like with foil, make sure you don’t use too much parchment paper – otherwise, the hot air won’t be able to circulate properly.

Reusable Air Fryer Liners

If you use your air fryer regularly and find yourself needing to use foil in it often, it might be worth buying some reusable air fryer liners. There are a number of non-stick, often silicone, air fryer liners on the market. They are usually dishwasher safe and easy to clean.

Better for the environment and better for your pocket!

Final Thoughts

Can you put foil in an air fryer? The answer is yes, but there are some things you need to keep in mind – use only a little and make sure it is weighed down and can’t fly about in the air fryer.