Usually, yes — in the basket, weighed down by food, never covering the holes or the drawer floor, and never loose. Your manual decides it: some makers forbid foil outright.
The rule that decides it
Nothing blocks the perforations. The crisper plate’s holes are what put hot air under the food; foil laid flat across them turns the machine into a small, uneven oven, and the bottom of the food steams. See why a single layer matters.
Where foil is fine
- Wrapped around the food — a packet of fish, vegetables or garlic bread.
- Folded into a small tray that leaves the basket’s edges open.
- Tented over food that is browning faster than it cooks.
- Weighed down, with the edges below the basket rim.
Where it is not
Over the whole crisper plate. On the drawer floor under the plate, unless your manual allows it. Loose, where the airflow can lift it into the element — the failure that matters, and why loose foil is riskier in an air fryer than in an oven.
Acidic food
Tomatoes, citrus, vinegar and wine marinades react with aluminum, and the food can take on a metallic taste or the foil can pit. Use parchment, a small oven-safe dish, or nothing — see can I put a ceramic dish in an air fryer.
The reason people reach for it
Cleaning. And the parts are usually designed for that already: most baskets and crisper plates are nonstick and dishwasher-safe. A warm wipe after each use often beats any liner. Foil scraped against a nonstick basket can scratch it, too — see coatings and what kills them.
In an air-fry toaster oven
Foil on the pan is fine; foil on the crumb tray or the oven floor is what many manuals warn against. The BLACK+DECKER 5-in-1 and the Hamilton Beach both have a removable crumb tray, which does that job without foil.
And the authority
Your manual, which may forbid foil outright on your machine. When it says nothing, follow the rules above.
Check your own manual before you follow anything here. Temperatures, fill limits and pressure ratings differ from model to model, and the manufacturer’s figures take precedence over anything written on this site. We report what makers publish — an oven’s range in degrees, a cooker’s maximum fill line, whether a part is declared dishwasher-safe — and we never turn those figures into food-safety guidance. Cooking temperatures and holding times for particular foods are set by manufacturers and by your national food safety authority, and this site points you to them rather than restating them.
What readers want to know
Where can foil go in an air fryer?
In the basket, under or around the food, with the edges below the rim and air still reaching the holes around it. A foil packet for fish or vegetables, a small foil tray, or a tent over something browning too fast all work. It should not cover the whole crisper plate, line the drawer floor, or sit loose where the fan can lift it.
Can foil in an air fryer catch fire?
Foil does not burn, but loose foil can be blown against the heating element, where it can spark, damage the element or trap food that does burn. Never preheat with an empty sheet inside, and always weigh foil down with food.
Is parchment paper better than foil in an air fryer?
For sticky or acidic food, often yes. Acidic foods such as tomatoes, citrus and vinegar marinades react with aluminum and can pick up a metallic taste; perforated parchment does not, and it lets air through its holes. Parchment has a temperature limit of about 420 to 450 °F — see can I line the drawer instead of the basket.
Last reviewed 18 October 2026