Abstract: A frying basket for supporting food items, such as pies, to be cooked in an immersed position in a cooking medium. The frying basket has a back wall and two end walls defining an accessible front food loading area opposite the back wall. In the basket, on horizontal supports, are two shelves comprising solid bottom trays mounted on an open framework with divider plates between each tray to form separate compartments for each food item. An upper shelf is mounted above a lower shelf and functions to retain food items on the lower shelf and to support food items as well. Mounted above the second shelf is a retaining cover which functions to retain food items on the upper shelf. Both the upper shelf and the retaining cover are each held in that position by a latch at one of the end walls.