Does not have to be dry. The basket has a sieve at the bottom (as with all Airfryers) so that the air can flow. Underneath is the outer basket, which catches what drips through. So if it's not too runny, you can put things directly in there. For example, marinated meat is no problem. If it is very "wet", we recommend buying the "Philips Airfryer Baking Master Kit", with which you can even make soup in the Airfryer. You can also put aluminium foil in the basket or a heatproof dish.