Here Are 3 Common Air Fryer Tin Foil Mistakes, And 1 Can Spark Flames

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a person in possession of a stressful post-work dinner routine must be in want of an air fryer.

At least, that’s if my friends and family are to be believed. Everyone I know who owns them extolls their virtues endlessly. 

For my part, I’m still stuck in the “oven dinner” school of thought when I’m a bit tired. Bit of tin foil, I tell myself, and that traybake won’t even lead to much washing-up. 

But can our two philosophies co-exist ― which is to say, in the most OTT way possible, is it alright to use tinfoil in an air fryer?

Yes, with caveats

Appliance and houseware manufacturer Swan UK, who makes air fryers, shared a TikTok which revealed that you can use tinfoil in the machines. 

But they stressed that you shouldn’t just press it into the basket with its sides clinging to the walls of the basket. 

Instead, they advised us to “wrap the foil around the bottom tray” so that air (crucial to the air frying process) can circulate around the food. 

This allows it to crisp up. 

Jenny Tschiesche, chef, nutritionist and author of the Air Fryer Cookbook told Woman & Home: “You must never put foil or in your air fryer without food or a suitably sized dish on top to weigh it down.”

That’s because flapping foil might come into contact with the machine’s heating element, which “may prevent thorough cooking, and could spark a flame”. 

Chef and sommelier Dana Beninati and food writer Alice K. Thompson added that using tinfoil in your oven for acidic food is a no-go. 

That’s because, as they told Food Network, “citrus fruits, tomatoes, bell peppers or anything marinated in vinegar or citrus juice react poorly to foil”. 

They may cause the tinfoil to leach into your food, the experts say, and while it’s likely not a dangerous amount it may still affect your dinner’s taste.

What if I find picking my food up with the foil really handy?

What we gain in crunch when we abandon the tinfoil air fryer basket is lost in convenience. 

It can be temptingly easy to use the tinfoil in your air fryer as a kind of hammock to lift your food from ― but experts say that’s not ideal.

Instead, Dana Beninati and Alice K. Thompson say that you can fashion a kind of “sling” to airlift your food from the basket. 

“To make one, fold two strips of tinfoil in half to make them sturdier. Make a cross with the strips in the basket and place the food in the centre,” they advise. 

You can lift delicate food, like salmon, out by grabbing their edges ― but ensure you keep those tucked in during cooking so they don’t risk catching the heating element.