Does this sound familiar? You eagerly pull the basket out of the air fryer, and half your food is stuck. Breaded chicken pieces fall apart when you try to remove them, fish fillets leave their skin on the rack, and only fragments of your fries remain. Frustrating — but solvable.

In most cases, the problem isn't with the air fryer itself but with a few avoidable mistakes during preparation. Here are the five most common causes — and what you can do about them.

Cause 1: Too little or no oil

This is the most common reason of all. Many people buy an air fryer with the promise of "frying without fat" and consistently omit oil. The result: dry, bland food that sticks to the basket.

Why does this happen?

Your air fryer's non-stick coating is good, but not perfect. It prevents food from permanently sticking, but it doesn't replace an oil film. Proteins (meat, fish, cheese) and starchy foods (potatoes, dough) form a chemical bond with the surface at high temperatures. A thin film of oil creates a separating layer that prevents this.

The solution

A light film of oil on the food is completely sufficient. You don't need much — one to two sprays with an oil sprayer or half a teaspoon is enough for one serving. The key is even distribution: not a dollop in one spot, but a thin layer over the entire surface.

Oil is especially important for:

• Fish and seafood (stick the most)
• Breaded or floured dishes
• Fresh potato products (homemade fries, wedges)
• Vegetables that should caramelize (broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini)

The easiest way to achieve an even oil layer is with a fine oil sprayer. It disperses the oil as a fine mist and prevents you from accidentally using too much. Make sure to use a spray without additives — lecithin and other emulsifiers in cheap supermarket sprays can damage your air fryer's non-stick coating in the long run.

Cause 2: Wrong amount or type of oil

Yes, too little oil is a problem — but so is too much. And using the wrong oil is even worse.

Why does this happen?

If you use too much oil, it collects at the bottom of the basket and creates steam. Your food will then be steamed instead of baked — and soggy food sticks more than crispy food. In addition, too much oil can accumulate on the edges and form a sticky layer that becomes increasingly difficult to clean.

With the wrong oil, the smoke point is the problem. An oil that smokes at cooking temperature (for example, flaxseed oil or butter at 200°C) decomposes and forms a sticky, tar-like layer on the basket and your food.

The solution

• The right amount: For a standard portion, 1 to 3 ml of oil is sufficient. If you pour from a bottle, it's hard to measure. An oil sprayer with controlled dosing makes it easier — good sprays deliver a defined amount per spray (e.g., 1.6 ml), so you know exactly how much you're using.
• The right oil: Use oils with a high smoke point. Refined olive oil (approx. 240°C), avocado oil (approx. 270°C), or rapeseed oil (approx. 230°C) are good options. Stay away from butter, virgin flaxseed oil, and toasted sesame oil.

Cause 3: The basket is overcrowded

We understand the impulse: you want to cook everything in one go and pack the basket as full as possible. Unfortunately, this is one of the surest ways to get sticky, unevenly cooked food.

Why does this happen?

The air fryer works with hot circulating air. If the air cannot circulate freely because everything is packed tightly together, two things happen:

1. Steam formation: Food releases moisture. In an overcrowded basket, this steam cannot escape — it condenses and makes everything damp. Damp food sticks.
2. Uneven heat: The pieces in the middle don't get hot enough, while those on the edges burn. The undercooked pieces remain soft and stick to the basket.

The solution

• Maximum one layer: Ideally, the pieces should lie next to each other with some space. For fries, a slight overlap is okay, but no second layer on top.
• Prefer two batches: Two batches with perfect results are better than one batch of mush. The second round will be quicker anyway because the air fryer is already hot.
• Shake or turn: If you do put a bit more in, shake the basket vigorously halfway through cooking so that all pieces come into contact with the hot air.

Cause 4: The air fryer was not preheated

Many people throw their food into a cold air fryer and press start. This is convenient, but it costs you crispiness.

Why does this happen?

When you place food on a cold surface, the proteins and starch react slowly with the warming coating. The immediate "sealing effect" that occurs on a hot surface is missing. Think of it like a pancake in a cold pan — it spreads out and sticks. In a hot pan, a crust forms immediately.

The same principle applies to your air fryer. A preheated surface ensures that the outside of your food starts cooking immediately and forms a layer that acts as a natural separator.

The solution

• Preheat for 3 to 5 minutes: Let the air fryer run empty at the desired temperature before putting in the food. Most modern devices have a preheating function — use it.
• Apply oil after preheating: Spray oil onto the food, not into the empty, heating basket. Oil in an empty hot basket burns and forms a sticky crust.
• Especially important for frozen goods: Frozen fries, nuggets, etc., benefit enormously from preheating. The frozen surface hits a hot basket = immediate crust formation.

Cause 5: Damaged or worn coating

Sometimes it's not about the preparation, but the appliance itself. The non-stick coating of your air fryer basket has a limited lifespan — and if it's damaged, everything sticks.

Why does this happen?

The non-stick coating can be damaged by various factors:

• Metallic utensils: If you scratch the basket with forks, knives, or metal tongs, microscopic scratches appear where food sticks.
• Aggressive cleaning: Steel wool, abrasive powders, and harsh cleaning agents attack the coating.
• Chemical deposits: Oil sprays with lecithin and other additives can form a layer that burns in and cancels out the non-stick effect. This is one of the most common — and least known — reasons for sticking problems.
• Normal wear and tear: After one to two years of intensive use, the coating on most devices degrades. This is normal.

The solution

• Use only silicone or wooden utensils: No metal forks, no metal tongs in the basket.
• Clean gently: Warm water, mild dish soap, a soft sponge — that's all it takes. Soak burnt-on food overnight in soapy water.
• Use oil spray without additives: Pure oil sprays (without lecithin, emulsifiers, propellants) leave no chemical deposits on the coating. This significantly extends the lifespan of your basket.
• Baking paper inserts as a makeshift solution: If the coating is already damaged, perforated baking paper inserts help as a temporary solution. In the long term, you should replace the basket or accessories.

Bonus: The ultimate anti-stick routine

If you summarize all five points, you get a simple routine that practically eliminates sticking problems:

1. Preheat: 3 to 5 minutes at desired temperature.
2. Do not overcrowd: One layer, with space between the pieces.
3. Spray oil: One to two sprays with a high-quality oil spray (without additives) directly onto the food. Distribute evenly.
4. Halfway point: Turn or shake halfway through cooking time. Respray if necessary.
5. Remove gently: Use silicone tongs or a spatula, do not fish with a fork.

This takes no more than 30 extra seconds and makes an enormous difference in the result.

The right tools help

Many sticking problems can be solved with a single change: the right oil application. If you use a fine oil spray instead of pouring from a bottle, you automatically get the right amount evenly distributed.

Our AÉRfryPRO oil spray was developed precisely for this purpose. It contains only pure oil — no additives that attack your coating. The fine spray mist ensures an even layer with just one spray (1.6 ml per spray), and since it works without propellant gas, nothing that shouldn't be there ends up on your food.

You have the choice between our olive oil spray (heat-stable up to 230°C, perfect for daily use) and the avocado oil spray (heat-stable up to 270°C, ideal for maximum temperatures).

And if you're looking for new air fryer recipes where nothing is guaranteed to stick: Our free Smart Cooking App provides AI-powered recipe ideas with step-by-step instructions specifically for the air fryer.

Conclusion: Sticking doesn't have to be

If your food sticks in the air fryer, it's almost always due to one of these five points: too little oil, the wrong oil or too much of it, an overcrowded basket, lack of preheating, or a damaged coating. The good news: All five are easy to fix.

Start with the simplest changes — preheating and the correct amount of oil — and you'll notice a difference immediately. Your air fryer can deliver crispy, perfectly browned results that easily release from the basket. You just need to give it the right conditions.