What Not to Cook in an Air Fryer (And What to Do Instead)

Very Wet Batter or Liquid Directly in the Basket

An air fryer basket is not a saucepan or baking dish.

If your air fryer has a perforated crisper plate or basket, pouring a loose batter or a large amount of liquid directly onto it is unlikely to end well.

That does not mean cakes, baked dishes or foods made with batter are automatically off the menu.

The better question is whether the food needs an appropriate heat safe container.

For example, manufacturer guidance for some air fryers recommends placing foods with batter or filling in an oven safe container before cooking.

Always make sure any dish or accessory you use is suitable for the temperature you are cooking at, fits safely inside your air fryer and does not interfere with the appliance's airflow.

Your own air fryer manual and the cookware manufacturer's instructions should take priority.

Loose Lightweight Ingredients Need Extra Care

Air fryers move hot air quickly around the cooking chamber. That is what helps food cook and brown, but it also means very light ingredients can move around.

Small pieces of food may need to be arranged or prepared in a way that keeps them under control while still allowing the hot air to circulate.

The same principle is particularly important with parchment paper and lightweight liners.

Never run loose lightweight parchment in an air fryer without food securely holding it in place. It may lift towards the heating element.

Liners also should not obstruct the vents, heating element or the airflow path of the appliance.

I have much more to say about air fryer liners, including when I use them and when I prefer not to, so that topic deserves its own guide.

Do Not Overcrowd the Basket

It can be tempting to fit as much food as possible into the air fryer, especially when cooking for more than one person.

But an air fryer needs room for hot air to circulate around the food.

Packing food too tightly or piling ingredients on top of one another can affect how evenly they cook and brown.

That does not mean every piece of food needs an enormous amount of empty space around it. The amount of food your air fryer can handle depends on the appliance, the food and the cooking method.

When in doubt, follow the capacity and cooking guidance for your model and cook in batches if necessary.

Be Careful With Foods That Release a Lot of Fat

Fatty foods are not automatically unsuitable for an air fryer.

However, foods that release a significant amount of fat during cooking can leave grease underneath the crisper plate.

If that grease becomes excessively hot, it can contribute to smoke.

Check underneath the crisper plate after cooking foods that release a lot of fat and remove accumulated grease once the appliance has cooled enough to handle safely, following the cleaning instructions for your model.

This is also one reason regular cleaning matters. Read How to Clean an Air Fryer for the full cleaning process, or Do You Need to Clean Your Air Fryer After Every Use? for everyday cleaning guidance.

Very Wet Marinades Can Create More Mess

Marinated foods can work beautifully in an air fryer, but a large amount of liquid dripping from the food can splatter and may contribute to smoke.

The answer is not necessarily to avoid marinades.

Instead, remove excessive dripping liquid before the food goes into the basket when appropriate for the recipe and your appliance.

Manufacturer guidance for some air fryers recommends patting liquid marinated foods to remove excess moisture before air frying.

The exact approach will depend on what you are cooking, so follow the recipe and the instructions for your appliance rather than applying one rule to every marinated food.

Do Not Block the Airflow

Airflow is one of the most important things to understand about an air fryer.

Look at the crisper plate and you can see why. The openings are there to allow hot air to move around the food.

Covering too much of the airflow path with an oversized liner, foil or unsuitable accessory can interfere with the way the appliance is designed to cook.

Accessories should fit properly and should never obstruct the heating element, vents or other areas that the manufacturer says must remain clear.

This is another reason I do not treat air fryer liners as a simple yes or no question. The type of liner, its size, how it is positioned and what is being cooked all matter.

Some Foods Just Need a Different Approach

This is why I prefer asking what needs adapting rather than making a dramatic list of foods that should never go near an air fryer.

A wet mixture may need a suitable container.

Small or lightweight ingredients may need a little more thought.

A large quantity of food may need to be cooked in batches.

A fatty food may mean checking for grease underneath the crisper plate afterwards.

And something that works perfectly in one air fryer may need a different approach in another.

The air fryer is versatile, but it still has limits. Understanding how your particular appliance moves air, handles grease and accommodates cookware is much more useful than memorising a list of supposedly forbidden foods.

Check Your Air Fryer Manual

Air fryers come in different shapes, sizes and designs.

A method or accessory that is appropriate for one model may not be suitable for another.

Before using an unfamiliar container, liner or cooking method, check the instructions supplied with your appliance.

Manufacturer guidance should always take priority over general advice.

And if you are wondering about those air fryer liners, we are definitely coming back to them.