The Simple Step To Prevent Your Air Fryer From Smoking

It's perfectly normal for thin wisps of smoke to waft from an air fryer as it cooks your food. But when it starts emitting dense fumes that you'd expect more from a charcoal smoker or a hibachi grill — that's when you know something is wrong. Chances are, you're cooking a high-fat meat like bacon that releases a lot of grease, or perhaps something like breaded chicken that is coated in tiny crumbs. The smoke is likely the result of the grease and food particles dripping onto the bottom of the air fryer and burning on the hot surface.

One simple way to prevent this from happening is to line an air fryer with parchment paper. The heat-resistant material will catch all the residue, preventing it from falling to the bottom of the appliance and burning up as smoke. As a bonus, the paper liner can also prevent things like salmon from sticking to the air fryer.

For oven-style air fryers, place the paper on a baking sheet, and then pop it on a rack below the tray that you put the food on — it's as easy as that. If you have a basket-style air fryer, line the parchment paper on the bottom of the basket and place the food on top of it. Then, curl the edges of the paper upwards to create a wall of sorts. This will help it to hold in all the grease and prevent it from dripping below.

If parchment paper is not an option, you can also use a slice or two of bread instead: Place the slices at the bottom of the basket and they will absorb the fat drippings in the same way. Adding a couple of tablespoons of water inside the basket can also stop grease from burning and smoking up your kitchen. You only need a few drops though — if you add too much, you'll end up steaming the food instead of frying it. Also very important, make sure that the water isn't coming in direct contact with any of the appliance's electrical components.

But, greasy drippings and stray crumbs may not be the only things setting off your fire alarm. An air fryer can smoke for several reasons, and the culprit could also be an overcrowded basket. Putting too much food inside the appliance in one go can prevent air from circulating properly. This means that your food won't cook evenly, and some of it may burn and cause the air fryer to smoke up in the process.

It could also be that the temperature of your air fryer is too high; but if you lower it and increase the cook time instead, you'll forgo this issue. Even the type of oil that you use can be to blame. For instance, some nut oils with low smoke points burn and smoke up more easily than something like avocado oil that has a higher smoke point.

Air fryers are much more susceptible to smoking if they aren't cleaned regularly. This is because the hot air circulating inside splatters grease and food particles all over the appliance, including the heating coil at the top. Without a thorough cleansing, this grime builds with each use, eventually causing the air fryer to smoke. A buildup of food can also slow down the appliance, meaning your food will take much longer to cook than it should.

How often you clean an air fryer will depend on how much you use it, but you'll usually want to give it a deeper clean every week or so. This means cleaning the inside of the appliance as well. Remove the basket, grates, pan, and drip tray, and wash them with soap, water, and a non-abrasive sponge. Soak them in hot water with soap for a few minutes if they look particularly dirty. Or, smear a paste of baking soda and vinegar over the greasy area and wash off once it dries.

Then turn the air fryer upside down to get to the heating coil, and use a damp cloth to wipe it carefully. Just make sure that the air fryer has cooled down before you start cleaning it.