Avoid Using Cooking Spray in Your Air Fryer

One of the best things about using an air fryer is that it can create a crispy texture without the need for much oil. However, this doesn’t stop people from adding a little oil to their food. After all, fat adds flavor, and many are concerned about food sticking to the basket.

Adding a bit of fat to the basket is generally fine. For example, I’ve used bacon grease to cook air-fried fried eggs. But there are some guidelines. You should avoid using too much oil, as it can cause splattering, which can hit the heating element and create smoke. Also, never, under any circumstances, spray the basket with nonstick cooking spray. This can damage the coating, making it difficult to reduce oil usage in future cooking sessions.

So why is adding oil acceptable but cooking spray isn’t? The key difference lies in the composition of cooking spray. As we’ve discussed previously, most cooking sprays contain more than just oil:

Cooking sprays like PAM and others are detrimental to nonstick cookware due to the presence of an emulsifier known as “lecithin.” As stated by

Real Simple

, lecithin can, “cook onto the surface of your pan, build up, and become nearly impossible to remove.”

Anolon

also warns against using these sprays, as they burn “at lower temperatures and will damage the non-stick coating of your product.” This buildup can transform your nonstick pan into a sticky mess; in some cases, using cooking spray can even

void the warranty

of certain brands.

In most situations, you don’t need to add oil to prevent sticking because the surfaces are typically coated with a nonstick layer. If you’re concerned about food sticking to the air fryer basket, you can lightly mist it with pure oil (simply use a mister bottle and fill it yourself), or toss your food in a separate bowl with a small amount of fat to coat it. By greasing the food itself instead of the basket, you’ll avoid excess pooling or splattering while preventing the frustrating issue of food sticking to the basket.