Can You Use an Air Fryer Without the Basket?

The basket's perforated or mesh bottom is not decorative — it is structural to the cooking method. Hot air needs to reach all surfaces of the food, including the bottom. When food rests directly on the solid drawer, the underside steams rather than crisps, and dripped grease sits against the food rather than draining away from it. The result is food that is soggy on the bottom and browned only on top.

Without the basket: (1) Grease accumulates under the food and can smoke or splatter onto the heating element. (2) The bottom of the food steams instead of browning. (3) With no air gap, the drawer surface can overheat. (4) Food is harder to remove cleanly. In short, the food will not turn out well and the risk of a grease fire is higher.

If you must cook without the original basket: place a small stainless steel cooling rack or oven-safe metal trivet in the drawer to elevate the food. Use perforated parchment on top of the rack to catch drips from delicate foods. Many brands sell replacement baskets directly — it is worth ordering a replacement rather than cooking without one regularly.

Air fryer ovens (the toaster-oven-style models) have wire racks rather than a basket. These racks slide in and out freely, and you can adjust their height or remove them to accommodate different pan sizes. For these models, cooking without a rack simply means placing a baking pan directly on a different rack position — that is fine and by design.

Is it safe to use an air fryer without the basket?

Removing the basket entirely from a basket-style air fryer is not recommended. The basket holds food up off the drawer bottom so hot air can circulate beneath it — without the basket, food sits in pooled grease and does not crisp. It can also cause grease to burn on the heating element. Some air fryer ovens have removable racks rather than a basket; for those, the racks are designed to be used and removed freely. Always use the accessories your model came with.

What can you use instead of an air fryer basket?

If your basket is damaged or unavailable, you can use oven-safe alternatives: a small metal cooling rack placed inside the drawer, a perforated parchment liner on a metal trivet, or silicone air fryer liners with holes. The key requirement is that air must circulate under and around the food. Solid pans placed in a basket-style air fryer (like a baking pan) work for brownies or cakes but will not crisp the food in the same way as the elevated basket.

Can you use an oven-safe rack directly in the air fryer drawer without the basket?

Many air fryer owners successfully use small oven-safe wire cooling racks or the accessory racks sold for their specific model directly inside the outer drawer. This works well for items that benefit from air flow underneath without needing the basket's extra depth. Make sure the rack is rated for oven temperatures and fits without touching the sides or back of the drawer, and clean the drawer carefully afterward since grease will drip directly onto it.