Air Fryer Cooking Times: The Only Chart You Need
Every air fryer recipe is the same recipe: 25 degrees cooler than the oven, 20 percent less time, shake halfway. Here is the chart so you can skip the recipes.
The short version
- The conversion rule: 25F cooler than the oven, about 20 percent less time, shake halfway.
- An air fryer is a small convection oven. There is no frying involved.
- Overcrowding the basket is the reason things come out steamed instead of crispy.
- Frozen food needs no thawing. It is the single best use of the machine.
The air fryer is not a fryer. It is a small convection oven with an aggressive fan, and once you internalize that, every recipe on the internet collapses into one rule: take the oven temperature down 25 degrees, take the time down about 20 percent, and shake the basket halfway through. That is the entire genre.
The chart below covers the things people actually make, with the doneness cue for each, because minutes are a suggestion and the cue is the truth. Machines vary more than recipes admit: the same fries in a 4 quart basket and a 6 quart oven-style unit come out two minutes apart.
The one mistake that ruins more air fryer dinners than any wrong temperature: piling the basket. Hot air has to touch the surface to crisp it. Anything sitting on top of anything else is being steamed.
The Air Fryer Chart
Times and temps for the things people actually make. Shake the basket halfway through everything.
The conversion rule for any oven recipe
- 25F
- Drop the oven temp by
- 20%
- Cut the time by
- Halfway
- Shake at
- 165F
- Chicken is done at
- 1 layer
- Basket max
| Food | Temp | Time | Done when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast | 370F | 10-14 min | 165F inside |
| Chicken thighs, bone-in | 380F | 18-22 min | 175F, skin crisp |
| Frozen french fries | 400F | 12-16 min | Golden, rattles dry |
| Fresh-cut fries | 380F | 15-20 min | Browned at the edges |
| Broccoli / cauliflower | 375F | 8-10 min | Charred tips |
| Brussels sprouts, halved | 375F | 12-15 min | Dark outer leaves |
| Salmon fillet | 390F | 7-9 min | Flakes at 125-130F |
| Bacon | 350F | 8-10 min | Rendered, not curled |
Every machine runs a little different. The first time you make anything, check two minutes early and write your number on this chart.
The Air Fryer Time and Temperature Chart
Times and temperatures for the things people actually cook, plus the one rule for converting any oven recipe to the air fryer.
Questions people ask
How do I convert an oven recipe to the air fryer?
Drop the temperature 25 degrees and start checking at 80 percent of the time. A 400F for 20 minutes oven recipe becomes 375F for about 16 minutes in the basket. The fan is closer and the chamber is smaller, so heat hits the food harder than the same number in an oven.
Why is my air fryer food soggy instead of crispy?
The basket is overcrowded. Crisping needs hot air touching the surface, and food stacked on food is steaming in its own moisture instead. One layer with a little space between pieces, and cook in two batches when it does not fit. The second batch goes faster because the machine is fully heated.
Do I need to preheat an air fryer?
For anything you want crispy, yes, about 3 minutes. The chamber is small so it heats fast, but food dropped into a cold basket spends its first minutes warming the metal instead of browning. For frozen food it matters less, because the surface needs the time anyway.
Can I put frozen food straight in the air fryer?
Yes, and it is the best thing the machine does. No thawing, no oil, and frozen fries or nuggets come out better than an oven gets them in about half the time. Add 2 to 3 minutes over the package's oven time reduction and shake once in the middle.
Do I need oil in an air fryer?
Frozen pre-fried food, no, it already carries its oil. Fresh vegetables and raw proteins want about a teaspoon tossed on the surface, which is what carries the heat into browning. A light coat from a spray bottle is plenty. More than that just pools in the drawer.