Quick answer: No, you shouldn’t put a paper towel in an air fryer while it’s cooking. The fan can lift a light sheet of paper into the heating element, where it scorches and can catch fire. Use perforated parchment (baking) paper instead, and only with food sitting on top of it to weigh it down. Never preheat with any paper in the basket.
Paper towels are fine for jobs outside the air fryer: patting food dry before it goes in, blotting grease after it comes out, or wiping a cooled basket. The problem is only inside a hot, fan-driven cooking chamber. Below is exactly which papers and liners are safe, which aren’t, and why. The rules are the same for every brand: Ninja, Cosori, Philips, Instant Vortex, Tower or Insignia.
What Paper Can Go in an Air Fryer? Safe vs Unsafe
| Item | Safe in the air fryer? | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Paper towel / kitchen roll | No | Use it to pat food dry or blot after cooking, not during |
| Parchment (baking) paper | Yes, with care | Food on top, never preheat with it, trim to fit the base |
| Perforated parchment liners | Yes | The best paper option: holes keep air moving so food still crisps |
| Wax paper | No | The wax melts and smokes; it is not made for oven heat |
| Paper plates and bowls | No | Light, often coated, and they block airflow |
| Paper cupcake cases | Only when filled | Empty cases blow around; put them in a metal or silicone tray |
| Brown paper bags, newspaper, cardboard | No | Not food-safe at high heat and catch fire easily |
| Aluminium foil | Yes, with care | Weigh it down and keep it off the element. See our foil safety rules |
| Silicone liners and baskets | Yes | Reusable and stay put; check the heat rating covers your top temperature |
Why a Paper Towel Is Risky in an Air Fryer
An air fryer is a small, very powerful fan oven. The heating element sits a few centimetres above the basket, and the fan pushes hot air down and around the food at high speed. That’s what makes food crisp, and it’s also what makes loose paper dangerous. (We explain the airflow in more detail in how rapid air technology works.)
- It gets blown upward. A paper towel weighs almost nothing. Once a corner lifts, the fan can pull the whole sheet against the element.
- Air fryers run hot. Most cook at 180–200°C (350–400°F), and many go up to 230°C (450°F). The element itself runs much hotter than the air, so paper touching it chars within seconds.
- It soaks up fat. A grease-soaked paper towel burns more readily than dry paper and smokes heavily first.
- It blocks the airflow. Even when it stays put, a paper towel under food traps steam, so the underside goes soggy instead of crisp. If that’s happening already, see air fryer not crispy? here’s why.
Most manufacturer manuals say not to put paper in the basket during preheating or without food on top. Check yours, but the safe habit is the same for every model.
Where Paper Towels Do Help
- Before cooking: pat chicken, fish, chips and vegetables completely dry. Surface moisture is the main reason food steams instead of crisping. This step matters most for crispy chicken wings and salmon.
- After cooking: rest fatty foods like pigs in blankets or sausages on kitchen paper on a plate to blot excess grease.
- Cleaning: once the air fryer is unplugged and cool, wipe out loose grease with kitchen paper before washing. Our monthly deep-clean routine covers the rest.
How to Use Parchment Paper in an Air Fryer Safely
- Use perforated parchment if you can. Pre-cut air fryer liners with holes let hot air reach the underside of the food.
- Cut it smaller than the basket base. It should never come up the sides or cover the whole floor; leave a gap all round for air to flow.
- Preheat first, then add paper and food together. Never preheat with an empty liner in the basket. That’s when it is most likely to fly up.
- Put the food on top straight away. The weight of the food is what holds the paper down. Thin or light foods may not be heavy enough on their own.
- Remove it when you flip. If you lift the food off to turn it, the liner is suddenly loose. Turn food in place, or take the liner out for the second half.
- Keep below 200°C where possible. Most baking paper is rated to about 220–230°C. Check the box for your brand.
Paper Towel vs Parchment vs Foil vs Silicone
| Option | Stays put? | Food still crisps? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper towel | No | No | Drying and blotting outside the air fryer only |
| Perforated parchment | With food on top | Yes | Fish, battered or breaded food, sticky glazes |
| Aluminium foil | With food on top | Partly (blocks air) | Wrapping, catching drips, reheating |
| Silicone liner | Yes | Mostly | Saucy food, cheese, everyday cleanup |
Reheating leftovers? Parchment or a silicone liner works well for pizza and pastry. See the full times in our air fryer leftover reheat guide.
What to Do if Paper Catches Fire in an Air Fryer
- Switch it off at the wall and unplug it if you can do that safely.
- Keep the drawer closed. Pulling it open feeds the flames oxygen.
- Never use water on an electrical fire. A small fire inside the closed unit usually goes out quickly once power is cut.
- If flames spread outside the unit, leave and call 999 (UK) or 911 (Canada and US).
- Don’t use it again until it has been checked. Smoke damage to the element can cause smoking later; see why is my air fryer smoking?
If your air fryer overheats or smokes with nothing unusual inside it, check that your model hasn’t been recalled. Search your model number on Health Canada’s recalls site or the UK Product Safety Alerts page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you put a paper towel in an air fryer?
Not while it’s cooking. The fan can blow the paper towel into the heating element, where it can scorch or catch fire, and it also stops food crisping. Use perforated parchment paper weighed down by food instead.
Can I put a paper towel under bacon in the air fryer?
No. Bacon fat soaks the paper, which then smokes and can ignite near the element. Cook bacon directly on the rack, or on perforated parchment, and blot it on kitchen paper afterwards.
Can you put parchment paper in an air fryer?
Yes, as long as food sits on top of it, it’s trimmed smaller than the basket base, and you don’t preheat with it inside. Perforated parchment works best because air can still reach the underside of the food.
Can you put a paper plate in an air fryer?
No. Paper plates are light enough to blow around, often have plastic or wax coatings, and block the airflow that crisps your food. Use an oven-safe dish, metal tin or silicone liner instead.
Can you put wax paper in an air fryer?
No. Wax paper isn’t heat-resistant; the wax melts, smokes and can ignite. Only use parchment (baking) paper.
What can I use instead of a paper towel in my air fryer?
Perforated parchment liners, a reusable silicone liner, or a small piece of aluminium foil weighed down with food. Or cook directly in the basket: it’s non-stick for a reason.
Is it safe to put a paper towel in an air fryer to soak up grease?
No. Grease-soaked paper burns more easily than dry paper. Empty the fat from the drawer between batches instead, and blot food on kitchen paper once it’s out.
More air fryer safety: can you put foil in an air fryer? · why is my air fryer smoking? · all air fryer guides · free air fryer tools
