Best Air Fryer Accessories: The Add-Ons That Actually Improve Your Cooking

Your air fryer came with a basket and maybe a basic rack. That’s it. But with the right accessories, you can transform your air fryer from a simple reheating device into a versatile cooking powerhouse that handles everything from delicate fish to perfect bacon, multi-course meals to easy cleanup.

The air fryer accessory market is flooded with gadgets that promise the world but deliver disappointment. We’ve tested dozens of accessories with popular models like the Cosori 9-in-1 TurboBlaze Air Fryer to separate the game-changers from the gimmicks.

Here’s what actually makes a difference—and what you can skip.

Essential Accessories That Transform Your Cooking

Silicone Air Fryer Liners: Easy Cleanup Revolution

What They Are: Heat-resistant silicone mats that fit in your air fryer basket, featuring perforations that allow air circulation while catching drips and preventing sticking.

Why They’re Game-Changers: Traditional parchment paper can blow around in the air circulation, potentially touching heating elements and creating fire hazards. Silicone liners stay put, handle temperatures up to 450°F, and turn cleanup from a scrubbing session into a simple rinse.

Best Use Cases:

• Marinated meats (no more stuck-on sauces)
• Breaded items that shed crumbs
• Anything with cheese that might melt through basket holes
• Foods with high fat content that splatter

What to Look For:

• Proper sizing for your specific air fryer model
• Adequate perforations for air flow
• Dishwasher-safe silicone that won’t retain odors
• Raised edges to contain liquids

Multi-Level Cooking Racks: Double Your Capacity

What They Are: Additional wire racks or mesh shelves that create cooking levels within your air fryer basket.

The Real Benefit: It’s not just about cooking more food—it’s about cooking different foods simultaneously. You can cook chicken on the bottom rack while vegetables steam above, or prepare multiple portions of the same food without overcrowding.

Cooking Strategy: Place items requiring longer cooking times on the bottom rack (closer to the heating element) and quicker-cooking items above. The drippings from the top rack can flavor the bottom items—bacon fat dripping onto potatoes, for example.

Size Compatibility: Most racks work with 5.8-quart and larger air fryers. Smaller units (under 4 quarts) don’t have enough vertical space to make additional racks worthwhile.

Silicone Food Flippers: Heat-Safe Handling

What They Are: Silicone-tipped tongs or spatulas designed for high-heat environments.

Why Plastic Won’t Work: Standard plastic utensils melt in air fryers, leaving toxic residue on your food and ruining your tools. Metal utensils can scratch non-stick coatings and conduct dangerous heat.

Essential Features:

• Heat resistance to at least 400°F
• Non-stick safe tips that won’t scratch coatings
• Long handles to keep hands away from heat
• Locking mechanism for easy storage

Problem-Solving Accessories

Grease Splatter Guards: Tame the Mess

The Problem: Air fryers work by rapidly circulating hot air, which can spray grease around the interior. This creates cleanup headaches and can affect cooking performance over time.

The Solution: Mesh or perforated covers that sit over food during cooking, allowing air circulation while containing splatters.

Best Applications:

• Bacon (notorious for aggressive splattering)
• Sausages and fatty cuts of meat
• Foods with marinades or glazes
• Anything that tends to “pop” while cooking

Baking Dishes and Pans: Beyond Basic Frying

Cake Pans: Small round or square pans (usually 6-7 inches) that fit inside air fryer baskets enable baking cakes, brownies, and casseroles.

Loaf Pans: Perfect for meatloaf, banana bread, or small batch baking. The air circulation creates evenly browned crusts all around.

Muffin Cups: Silicone muffin cups are ideal for individual portions—egg bites, muffins, or personal-sized casseroles.

Sizing Rule: Leave at least 1 inch clearance on all sides for proper air circulation. Cramming oversized pans into your air fryer defeats the purpose.

What We Recommend

Essential Starter Pack: For most home cooks, these four accessories provide the biggest improvement in functionality:

1. Silicone Basket Liner: Transforms cleanup and prevents sticking
2. Multi-Level Rack: Doubles cooking capacity and enables combination cooking
3. Heat-Resistant Tongs: Safe food handling and flipping
4. Small Baking Pan: Opens up baking and casserole possibilities

Advanced Add-Ons: Once you’re comfortable with the basics, consider:

• Splatter guards for messy foods
• Specialized racks for specific foods (chicken drumstick rack, corn holders)
• Additional baking dishes in different sizes

Accessories to Avoid (Save Your Money)

Fancy Gadget Racks

The Promise: Elaborate multi-piece racks that claim to hold specific foods in perfect positions.

The Reality: Most are overengineered solutions to non-problems. A simple wire rack works better than most specialty designs and takes up less storage space.

Air Fryer “Rotisserie” Attachments

The Problem: Most air fryers don’t have the internal space or motor power to properly rotate food. These accessories often don’t fit well and create more frustration than convenience.

Better Alternative: Use your air fryer’s regular functions and flip food manually for even cooking.

Disposable Paper Liners

Environmental Impact: While convenient, disposable parchment liners create unnecessary waste when reusable silicone options work better.

Performance Issues: Parchment can block air holes in some basket designs, reducing cooking efficiency.

Cooking Techniques Enhanced by Accessories

Batch Cooking with Multi-Level Racks

The Strategy: Prepare multiple components of a meal simultaneously using different rack levels.

Example Meal: Place seasoned chicken thighs on the bottom rack and Brussels sprouts on the top rack. Cook at 380°F for 25 minutes. The chicken fat renders and flavors the vegetables while both items cook to perfection.

Timing Considerations: Start longer-cooking items first, then add quick-cooking items to the upper rack partway through the cycle.

Easy Cleanup Strategies

Silicone Liner Benefits:

• No stuck-on cheese or marinades
• Dishwasher safe for thorough cleaning
• Reduces wear on non-stick basket coatings
• Eliminates need for cooking sprays

Maintenance tip: Wash silicone liners promptly after use. While they don’t retain flavors like some materials, prompt cleaning prevents any buildup that might affect air circulation.

Sizing and Compatibility

Universal vs. Brand-Specific: Most accessories work across different air fryer brands, but double-check dimensions. The key measurements are:

• Basket diameter (for round accessories)
• Basket depth (for racks and tall pans)
• Overall clearance (accessories shouldn’t touch heating elements)

Common Air Fryer Sizes:

• 3-4 quart: Limited accessory compatibility due to size constraints
• 5.8 quart: Sweet spot for accessory use—most aftermarket accessories are designed for this size
• 8+ quart: More room for creativity, but may require larger specialty accessories

Food-Specific Accessory Recommendations

For Perfect Bacon: Combine a multi-level rack with splatter guards. Cook bacon on the lower rack with vegetables above to catch the rendered fat.

For Baking: A 6-inch cake pan or loaf pan opens up dessert possibilities. Silicone molds work particularly well since they’re naturally non-stick and heat-safe.

For Meal Prep: Multiple racks allow you to prepare several portions simultaneously. Cook proteins on one level and sides on another for complete meal prep efficiency.

Beyond Accessories: Complementary Kitchen Tools

Quality Baking Sheets While not air fryer accessories per se, baking sheets are perfect for staging ingredients and transferring foods to and from your air fryer.

Food Storage for Batch Cooking Air fryers excel at reheating pre-cooked foods, making food storage containers essential for meal prep workflows.

Kitchen Scale for Precision Air fryer cooking times are often based on food weight. A kitchen scale helps achieve consistent results, especially when cooking proteins.

The Investment Philosophy

Start Simple: Don’t buy every accessory at once. Start with one or two basics (silicone liner and multi-rack) and see how they change your cooking routine.

Quality Over Quantity: A few well-made accessories that you use regularly beat a drawer full of specialty gadgets that sit unused. Focus on accessories that solve actual problems you encounter.

Storage Consideration: Air fryer accessories can quickly overwhelm kitchen storage. Choose accessories that nest together or store compactly.

Advanced Cooking Techniques

Dehydrating: With proper racks and reduced temperature, air fryers can dehydrate fruits and vegetables. This requires good air circulation, making quality racks essential.

Reheating Strategy: Silicone liners prevent reheated foods from sticking while maintaining crispness better than microwave reheating.

Multi-Stage Cooking: Use different accessory combinations for complex cooking processes—start with direct basket cooking for browning, then move to covered dishes for braising effects.

Maintenance and Longevity

Silicone Care:

• Wash promptly to prevent oil buildup
• Use baking soda paste for stubborn odors
• Check for cuts or tears that might affect performance
• Replace when perforations become enlarged or torn

Metal Rack Maintenance:

• Hand wash to preserve coatings
• Dry thoroughly to prevent rust
• Store carefully to avoid scratching other accessories

The Bottom Line

The right accessories can genuinely transform your air fryer from a single-purpose appliance into a versatile cooking tool. But “right” is key—focus on accessories that solve real problems in your cooking routine rather than accumulating gadgets.

Start with the basics: a good silicone liner and multi-level rack will improve 90% of your air fryer cooking. Add specialized accessories as your cooking style and needs become clear.

The goal isn’t to own every accessory—it’s to enhance your actual cooking with tools that make the process easier, more efficient, and more enjoyable.

Ready to upgrade your air fryer game? Start with our guide to air fryers to make sure you have the right base unit, then explore our recommendations for kitchen scales and food storage containers to complete your air frying setup.