Kitchen · Paper & Liners
Can I Use Parchment Paper in a Microwave?
Something else…
What else can go in a microwave?
Something else…
Other answers for Parchment Paper
- Air FryerYES, WITH LIMITS
- OvenYES, WITH LIMITS
- MicrowaveYES, WITH LIMITS
YES, WITH LIMITS
Safe only under specific conditions. The conditions are the answer.
Yes, plain food-grade parchment paper can go in a microwave during microwave-only cooking. Use it beneath food or as a loose cover on a microwave-safe dish. Check the appliance manual before using it with convection, grill, air-fry, or speed-cook settings.
Compatibility summary
- Can I use them together?Only under conditions
- Main riskScorching or fire
- What gets damagedFood and microwave
- InsteadMicrowave-safe vented lid
The conditions
Fine to do
- Use plain, food-grade parchment whose package allows microwave use.
- Place a small sheet beneath food or lay it loosely over a microwave-safe dish to catch splatters.
- Use microwave-only mode unless both the appliance manual and parchment maker approve another mode.
Never do
- Never use parchment with foil backing, metallic decoration, staples, clips, or wire ties.
- Never run the microwave with parchment alone; food or water must be present to absorb microwave energy.
- Never let the sheet touch a browning element, grill, or other exposed heater.
- Never apply microwave-only guidance to air-fry, grill, broil, toast, convection, or speed-cook mode.
Why those conditions exist
Energy Passes Through
Microwave energy largely passes through parchment and is absorbed by water, fat, and sugar in the food. The sheet can serve as a liner or splatter cover without blocking normal heating.
Metal Can Cause Arcing
Plain parchment has no metal to reflect microwave energy. Foil-backed paper and metal fasteners change that and can spark.
Heated Modes Work Differently
Combination and air-fry functions can bring paper near hot elements or moving air. A loose sheet may block airflow or reach a heater, so some mode-specific manuals prohibit it.
Microwave vs. Hot Air
People often treat “microwave-safe,” “oven-safe,” and “air-fryer-safe” as the same rating. Combination appliances make that especially easy because one cavity can use entirely different heat sources from one setting to the next.
Microwave-only mode lets energy pass through parchment to the food. GE prohibits parchment as a cover during Advantium Speedcook, while Philips warns that loose baking paper in specified air-fryer models can disrupt airflow or reach the heating element. Use the rule for the selected mode and exact appliance.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service — Cooking with Microwave Ovens
- Reynolds Brands — Parchment Paper With Stay Flat Dispensing
- GE Appliances — Advantium - Cookware Use by Cooking Mode
- Philips — Can I use baking paper/tin foil in my Philips Airfryer?
Reviewed 1 September 2026 · Reviewed microwave-only compatibility and heated-mode limits using USDA guidance and current Reynolds, GE Appliances, and Philips instructions.