Don't Make This Messy Mistake When Air-Frying Chicken

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Incredibly fast and super-convenient to use, the air fryer is the go-to kitchen appliance for anyone who's after a tasty meal without the extra effort. But perhaps the best part of this useful countertop tool is that it usually doesn't lead to heaps of dirty dishes after cooking, which is why cooking chicken in the air fryer can be a bit frustrating. 

This widely beloved protein can be both the best and the worst type of meat to cook in the air fryer. And the latter is mostly because of the messy fat drippings that collect at the bottom of the basket. While these can make a great base for sauces and gravies, if you let them sit while you enjoy your hot meal, you could find yourself soaking the air fryer basket for hours or using various cleaners in hopes of dissolving the grease without ruining the nonstick surface.

Fortunately, there's a simple trick that can spare you the chaos, and skipping it is one of the biggest mistakes everyone makes cooking chicken in the air fryer. Just use parchment paper or a silicone air fryer liner to catch the drippings. They're perfectly safe, and they might be the one thing that saves you from a long, messy cleanup.

Make sure the liner is the right size for the basket so they don't bunch up. They need to lie flat to ensure even cooking and provide a reliable barrier between the chicken and the basket if they're going to properly manage grease splatter. The basket-shaped liners may also be superior at containing the splatter, as the grease will just spill off the flat ones.

Additionally, liners can block the airflow air fryers rely on for crisping, which can leave the chicken soggy and unevenly cooked. A liner with holes can solve that problem, though they may be unnecessary for parchment liners and just lead to extra cleanup. Silicone liners are a lot thicker, though, and holes may be necessary, though some brands have holes on the sides instead of the bottom. Whether that works may depend on your air fryer.

Choosing silicone or parchment is largely a matter of preference. Silicone liners, such as Party Port's silicone liners or HomelyLife's air fryer and Instant Pot liners, must be washed after use. You can just toss parchment liners, but they can burn if the circulating air lifts unweighted liners into a heating element, you overcrowded the basket, or set the temperature higher than 420 degrees Fahrenheit. But used correctly, either is likely to become one of the parchment paper cooking hacks you'll use forever since it helps the chicken cook beautifully in its own juices and cuts down on the mess.