Moving an oven recipe to an air fryer is easy once you know the basic rule: lower the temperature by 25°F (about 15°C) and cut the cooking time by roughly 20%. A recipe that says 400°F for 30 minutes becomes 375°F for about 24 minutes.
That rule is a reliable starting point, but real recipes are rarely that tidy. Fan ovens, gas marks, frozen foods, vegetables and baked goods all behave a little differently. This guide puts every chart you need in one place: temperature in °F and °C, gas mark and fan oven equivalents, a minute-by-minute time chart, and ready-made settings for more than 20 popular foods.
If you only have one recipe to convert, you can also type your numbers into our oven to air fryer calculator and get the answer instantly.
Quick Oven to Air Fryer Conversion Rule
- Temperature: reduce by 25°F (15°C).
- Time: reduce by 20%.
- Fan or convection oven recipes: keep the same temperature (or drop 10°F / 5°C if the food browns quickly) and reduce the time by about 10%.
- Small, thin or frozen foods such as fries, nuggets, wings and chopped vegetables: reduce the time by 35–40%.
- Always check the food a few minutes before the shortest converted time.
This rule is the basis of our own conversions. You can read more on our how we calculate our conversions page.
Oven to Air Fryer Temperature Conversion Chart (°F)
Find your oven temperature in the left column and read across for the air fryer setting. Round to the nearest temperature your model allows. Most air fryers adjust in 5°F or 10°F steps.
Many air fryers top out at around 400°F (200°C). If your converted temperature is higher than your model’s maximum, set the maximum and add a few minutes at the end if the food needs it.
Oven to Air Fryer Temperature Chart (°C, Gas Mark and Fan Oven)
If you cook with Celsius or gas marks, use this chart. Fan ovens are normally set about 20°C lower than conventional ovens for the same result, so a recipe that also gives a fan temperature will land close to the air fryer temperature shown. In practice, the fan oven figure and the air fryer figure are usually within 5°C of each other.
Oven to Air Fryer Cooking Time Conversion Chart
Use the first column of results when the recipe was written for a conventional oven (the usual case). Use the second column only when the recipe was written specifically for a fan or convection oven and gives a shorter time for that reason. If your recipe gives a time range, convert both ends of the range.
Some air fryers have timers that stop at 60 minutes, so longer cooks will need a reset part-way through.
Common Oven Settings Converted to Air Fryer Settings
These are the oven temperature and time combinations that come up most often, already converted so you do not need to do any maths.
How to Convert an Oven Recipe to an Air Fryer, Step by Step
- Note the oven temperature and time in your recipe, and whether it is for a conventional or a fan/convection oven.
- Lower the temperature by 25°F (15°C), then round to the nearest setting your air fryer offers.
- Multiply the time by 0.8 to cut it by 20%. A 30-minute recipe becomes 24 minutes.
- Adjust for the food. Small, thin, frozen and chopped foods cook much faster than the basic rule suggests (see the next section).
- Check early. Look at the food when about 75% of the converted time has passed, then add a minute or two at a time.
- Confirm doneness with a food thermometer for meat, poultry, fish and egg dishes.
Worked examples
- Chicken breasts: oven 400°F for 25 minutes. Air fryer: 375°F for 20 minutes (25 × 0.8). Cook until the thickest part reaches 165°F.
- Roast potatoes (chopped into 1-inch pieces): oven 425°F for 35 minutes. Because the pieces are small, cut the time by about 40%. Air fryer: 400°F for roughly 21 minutes (35 × 0.6).
- UK recipe: oven 200°C (gas mark 6) for 25 minutes. Air fryer: 185°C for 20 minutes. The 180°C fan figure on the same recipe lands within 5°C of this.
Adjusting for Food Type and Oven Type
The 25°F and 20% rule works best for typical oven recipes such as chicken pieces, fish fillets and chops. Other foods need a different time adjustment because of their size, shape or density.
Why small foods change the most. Chopped vegetables, wings and frozen snacks have a lot of surface area compared with their volume. The fast, concentrated airflow in an air fryer reaches every side at once, so they cook and brown far sooner than they do on a baking sheet in the oven.
Basket-style vs oven-style air fryers. Basket models concentrate heat in a small space and are the ones the charts above are built around. Oven-style (toaster-oven type) air fryers behave more like a convection oven, so start with the fan/convection row in the table and check early.
Air Fryer Settings for Common Oven Foods
Here are converted starting points for more than 20 popular foods, based on typical oven instructions. Package directions vary between brands, so treat these as a guide and check 3–5 minutes before the shortest time listed.
Check Doneness with a Thermometer
Converted times are a starting point. Air fryers vary by brand, wattage and basket size, and the only reliable way to know that meat, poultry, fish or egg dishes are safe is to measure the internal temperature. The USDA publishes the minimum safe temperatures, summarized below. See the full USDA safe minimum internal temperature chart and its guide to using a food thermometer.
Tips for Better Results When Converting to an Air Fryer
- Preheat if your manual says to. Most models need only a few minutes. If you skip it, add 2–3 minutes to the cooking time.
- Do not overcrowd the basket. Food should sit in a single layer with space around it so the air can circulate. Cook in batches if needed. A second batch often needs slightly less time because the unit is already hot.
- Shake or flip halfway for even browning, especially with fries, wings and chopped vegetables.
- Pat food dry and use a light coat of oil. Use a pump mister or brush. Many manufacturers advise against aerosol cooking sprays because they can damage non-stick coatings.
- Use perforated parchment liners only if your manual allows them, and weigh them down with food. Never preheat the air fryer with a loose liner inside, because it can lift into the heating element.
- Start with the shorter time, then add a minute or two. It is easy to cook food longer, but impossible to undo overcooking.
- Check your manual. Maximum temperature, basket size and airflow differ between models.
What Does Not Convert Well to an Air Fryer
- Wet batters (tempura, beer batter) drip through the basket before they set. Use dry coatings such as breadcrumbs, or pre-battered frozen foods.
- Light, loose foods such as leafy greens or loose grated cheese can be blown around by the fan.
- Large roasts, whole turkeys and big casseroles will not fit or cook evenly without room for air to move.
- Soups, sauces and recipes that rely on deep liquid.
- Recipes that need a steamy oven, such as crusty artisan bread.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it always 25°F lower and 20% less time?
That is the standard starting point for conventional oven recipes. Small, frozen and chopped foods usually need a bigger time reduction, and fan or convection oven recipes need less adjustment. Use the food-type table above and check early.
Do I need to preheat my air fryer?
Most manufacturers recommend a short preheat of a few minutes, and it helps foods like fries, wings and cookies brown properly. If you skip it, add 2–3 minutes to the cooking time.
How do I convert a fan oven or convection oven recipe to an air fryer?
Keep the same temperature, or lower it by 10°F (5°C) if the food browns fast, and reduce the time by about 10%. Fan oven recipes are already written for circulating air, so they need less adjustment than conventional oven recipes.
How do I convert an air fryer recipe back to an oven?
Reverse the rule: raise the temperature by 25°F (15°C) and increase the time by 25% (divide the air fryer time by 0.8). For example, 375°F for 20 minutes in an air fryer becomes 400°F for 25 minutes in a conventional oven.
Why is my food brown on the outside but raw in the middle?
The temperature is probably too high for the thickness of the food. Lower it another 10–25°F, add a few minutes, and flip or shake halfway. Thick cuts of meat should always be checked with a thermometer.
Can I cook a full oven batch in one go?
Usually not. Overfilling blocks airflow and leads to uneven results. Split the food into batches and keep the first batch warm while the second cooks.
Can I bake cakes, muffins and cookies in an air fryer?
Yes, in small batches. Baked goods brown quickly on top, so use the baking row in the food-type table, a small pan or silicone cups, and check early.
Final Thoughts
Converting an oven recipe to an air fryer comes down to two adjustments: lower the temperature by 25°F (15°C) and shorten the time by about 20%, then fine-tune for the type of food you are cooking. Bookmark this page for the charts, use our oven to air fryer calculator for custom recipes, and always check the internal temperature of meat, poultry and fish.
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