Using an air fryer seems fairly simple. You just pull out the basket and put in your food. But then you might notice there are holes or slots in the bottom of the basket. Do you need to use special pans?
Depending on what you are cooking, you may need a special pan for your air fryer. Some foods and recipes, especially those that contain liquids or batters, will need to be cooked in a pan. For other foods, you can line the basket with a layer of aluminum foil or parchment, or just place your food directly into the basket.
Air fryers are amazingly versatile, and you can use them to cook anything from French fries to cupcakes. French fries can go straight into the basket, but obviously, you will not be able to make cupcakes without a special pan.
Can You Use Any Pan In an Air Fryer?
If you’re making an air fryer recipe where a pan is recommended or required, you may be wondering if it’s okay to use a pan you already own, rather than have to buy one designed for an air fryer.
You can use any pan in an air fryer, provided that it’s ovenproof and it fits. While you can buy pans specially made for the air fryer, it’s not required. Suitable pans include those made of metal, glass, or silicone.
Air fryers are essentially small convection ovens, so you can cook almost anything in an air fryer that you can cook in an oven. That means you can also use the same variety of pans that would use in an oven.
Air fryers generally use a temperature of 350° to 400°F. This is equivalent to the average cooking temperature of an oven for most foods. If you have a pan that can withstand the heat of the oven, it will do fine in an air fryer.
What Is the Best Pan To Use In an Air Fryer?
Many air fryer recipes don’t specify what kind of pan you should use. So how do you know what pan is the best choice? The answer depends on what you are cooking.
Choosing the best pan for your recipe will depend on what foods you are cooking, how “wet” they are, and what results you hope to achieve. With some recipes, you won’t use any pan at all. Other dishes will need a grill, pan, baking dish, bowl, or another specialized pan.
Fresh meats, along with packaged frozen foods such as fish sticks or chicken wings, don’t need any pan at all. They can be placed directly into the air fryer basket, if you wish.
Since some fresh meats tend to drip fat as they cook, there is the possibility that the juices will go through the basket vents and onto the bottom of the fryer. This isn’t a danger, but it will add to your clean-up.
“Wetter” foods, such as recipes with sauces, will need a pan with sides to keep everything contained. For example, air fryer shrimp scampi uses a round baking pan similar to the type you would use to bake a cake layer.
If you’re baking something such as cupcakes or bread, you need something that is appropriate for the shape you want your baked goods to take. You may already have silicone baking cups or a loaf pan that will fit into your air fryer.
Custom air fryer pans are available for purchase, either separately or as a set. These are specially sized and shaped to fit within the basket of an air fryer. Most are made of dark, nonstick metal though some are made of silicone.
Some common pans that are available include cake pans, pizza pans, grilling pans, racks, crisper pans, and cupcake or muffin pans. These are fairly inexpensive and may be a good investment, considering that standard oven pans may not easily fit into an air fryer.
What Size Pan Fits In an Air Fryer?
The biggest obstacle to using pans you already own in an air fryer is the size. Pans that easily fit into your oven, such as a baking sheet or lasagna pan, are too large to be put inside an air fryer. Other pans just aren’t shaped right.
Since air fryers come in several sizes, shapes, and designs, there isn’t any one-size-fits-all when it comes to pans. Most air fryer baskets are measured by capacity and range from 1.5 quarts to 8 quarts. That measurement gives little to no information about the size and shape of the basket.
The issue is further complicated by the variety of basket shapes. Some are round, others oblong, and still others square or rectangular.
You might be able to find the dimensions of your air fryer in the user’s manual. As an example, the basket for a Cosori 5.8-quart air fryer is 9 x 9 x 3.75 inches.
The largest of pans specially made for air fryers tend to be about 8-9 inches at the widest dimension (or in diameter, for round pans), though a few are as large as 10 inches.
It might be just as easy to measure it yourself with a tape measure or try to put the pan inside and see if it fits. If you have a small capacity air fryer, even the smallest of special air fryer pans may be too big.
Can You Use Aluminum Pans In the Air Fryer Too?
Aluminum pans and aluminum foil are handy for cooking because they catch drips, and they’re easily disposable or recyclable. However, some people have concerns about using aluminum in an air fryer.
You can use aluminum pans and foil in an air fryer. They are ovenproof and can withstand the high heat without a problem. Just make sure you don’t completely block the vents in the baskets to ensure proper airflow within the cooking chamber.
The air fryer works by circulating heated air on all sides of the food you are cooking. Blocking the vents completely will interfere with the airflow and the cooking process. Therefore, pans should be slightly smaller than the bottom of the air fryer.
Aluminum pans are made in smaller sizes that fit well in the air fryer baskets. The 8 x 8-inch size is the same size as the specially-made air fryer pans. Aluminum loaf pans are 8 x 4 inches in size.
You can also find round aluminum pans that are 9 inches in diameter; depending on the size of your basket, they may fit into the air fryer without blocking all the vents.
Mini-loaf pans can be as small as 3.5 x 2.5 x 1.25 inches. You might be able to fit two of these pans side by side with plenty of room for air circulation.
Many aluminum pans come with plastic lids, but do not use them in the air fryer because they are not ovenproof. The lids are used to cover food after it’s cooked for storage or transportation.
The same concerns about airflow pertain to aluminum foil. Foil can serve as a convenient liner, especially for meat, and you can bend up the sides a bit to imitate pan sides. The foil will catch and contain any juices that may run out of your meat.
But as with aluminum pans, make sure the foil leaves some of the basket vents open. Never use aluminum foil on the bottom surface of the air fryer. It could come into contact with the heating element and start on fire.
You can buy liners specially made for air fryer baskets, but they are usually made of parchment or bamboo, not aluminum foil. These liners are generally perforated with holes, so while they may keep your basket clean, they will not prevent drips to the bottom of your fryer.
Aluminum pans are great for cooking in the air fryer, not only because they contain any juices or sauces, but also because they transfer heat well, which can be an advantage for getting a crisp skin on chicken or a nice finish on a steak.