Why You Should Never Use Cooking Spray in Your Air Fryer

We love the stuff, but it doesn’t play well with this appliance.

By
Mary Jo DiLonardo
Mary Jo DiLonardo
Mary Jo DiLonardo
Mary Jo DiLonardo has worked in print, online, and broadcast journalism for more than 25 years. She’s covered a wide range of topics focused on nature, health, science, animals, and anything that helps make the world a better place.
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Updated on 08/21/23
person cooking waffle fries in air fryer

Getty Images / Grace Cary

Cooking spray is almost magical. Spritz it on your cookie sheet or your grilled cheese skillet and the finished food just slides off without sticking. But the air fryer is a whole different story. Just like sprays can damage non-stick cookware, experts warn that they can also harm the popular appliance.

“Cooking sprays such as Pam, often include soy lecithin, an emulsifier, in the formulation,” says Martin Bucknavage, an expert in food safety in the Penn State Department of Food Science. “This is less stable than high smoke point oils and will deteriorate at temperatures used for air frying. This can gunk up your equipment, specifically the tray or basket and potentially ruin the surface.” So, if your cooking spray includes soy lecithin you should avoid using it in your airfryer.

Smoke Point

The smoke point is the temperature where oils begin to smoke. Smoking means that the oil is beginning to break down and that can cause an unpleasant smell or taste. High smoke point is considered 400 degrees F or higher. Popular high smoke point oils include avocado oil, sunflower oil, and coconut oil.

Cooking sprays can also have an impact on the taste and look of food in the air fryer. “The spray oils can cause discoloration and produce a slightly off flavor,” says Bucknavage. “If you have ever sprayed Pam onto a hot pan, you see how dark the color gets.”

green beans in an air fryer

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How to Prevent Sticking in an Air Fryer

Because air fryers give you a nice, crisp coating without traditional frying, it might seem odd to add oil to the cooking process, so it’s no wonder some people opt for cooking spray. But set down the cooking spray and instead choose a high smoke point oil like avocado, canola, peanut, sesame, or sunflower. A very little goes a long way. 

Just lightly coat the air fryer basket in the oil using either a non-aerosol spray bottle, a silicone brush, or by wiping  the oil on with a paper towel.

“And with an air fryer, the nice thing is that you can use less oil than pan frying,” says Bucknavage, who uses sunflower oil in his air fryer. He also really likes to use ghee (clarified butter) for cooking, including in the air fryer.

4 More Ways to Keep Food From Sticking in the Air Fryer That Don't Involve Cooking Spray

  • Oil your food. Instead of spritzing the basket, you can toss the food itself in a light coating of oil before using the air fryer. Be sure to use a high smoke point oil like canola or sunflower.
  • Use air fryer liners. There are disposable parchment paper liners that look somewhat like coffee filters or choose reusable silicone liners that are dishwasher safe. You don’t need to use oil with these liners.
  • Try racks or trays. These inserts are metal racks that keep your food elevated just a bit, which allows even cooking all around. It also keeps your food from touching the bottom of the basket which prevents sticking.
  • Make a foil packet. Arrange your food inside a piece of aluminum foil then roll up the sides. Make sure that air can circulate all around the packet. When your food is finished, you can toss the used foil and your air fryer should be perfectly clean and ready for the next meal.