A Free Tool · Oven → Air Fryer · The Standard Rule
Convert any oven recipe to an air fryer.
Enter the temperature and time a recipe gives for a conventional oven, and get the
air-fryer setting instantly. The rule is simple and widely used: drop the temperature
by 25°F and cut the cook time by about 20%. Then
start checking early — every air fryer runs a little differently.
Temperature & time·°F and °C·Common-foods reference
Read this first
This converter gives you a starting point, not a guaranteed cook time. An air
fryer is a small convection oven, and models, basket sizes, and how full the basket is all
change how fast food cooks. Use the converted number to know roughly when to start checking
— then judge by color and texture, and for meat, poultry, and fish, confirm a safe
internal temperature with a thermometer. A wrong guess on doneness is worse than checking a
few minutes early.
Enter the oven temperature and time from your recipe, pick your units, and you'll get the air-fryer temperature and a starting time. The temperature drops by 25°F (about 15°C) and the time is cut to about 80% of the oven time.
The temperature your recipe gives for a conventional oven.
The full cook time the recipe calls for.
Air fryer temperature
Air fryer time
Temperature change
Time change
How it works
The 25°-lower, 20%-faster rule
An air fryer is a small convection oven: a fan blows hot air directly over and around
the food, so it transfers heat faster than the still air in a full-size oven at the
same dial setting. Two adjustments account for that. First, lower the
temperature — set the air fryer oven_temp − 25°F
(in Celsius, oven_temp − 15°C) so the outside doesn't scorch
before the inside is done.
Second, cut the time — multiply the oven time by
0.8 for a starting air-fryer time. So a recipe calling for
400°F for 30 minutes becomes about 375°F for 24
minutes, and 350°F for 25 minutes becomes about
325°F for 20 minutes.
Then check doneness early. The rule is a reliable starting point, not
a guarantee. Open the basket a few minutes before the converted time is up and judge by
color, texture, and — for anything that has to be cooked through — a safe
internal temperature on a thermometer. Shaking or turning the food partway also helps it
brown evenly.
Common foods: air-fryer starting points
Typical air-fryer temperatures and times for popular foods, as a starting guide. These
are starting guides — check doneness; times vary by model and basket
load. They are not the output of the converter above (which works from your own
recipe), but a quick reference for foods you cook from scratch or from frozen.
Food
Air fryer tempstarting point
Timecheck early
Frozen fries
400°F
15–18 min
Chicken wings
380°F
22–25 min
Bacon
350°F
8–10 min
Salmon fillet
400°F
9–12 min
Brussels sprouts
375°F
12–15 min
Chicken breast
375°F
18–22 min
Starting guides only — check doneness; times vary by model and basket load. Shake or
turn loose foods partway through, cook in a single layer where you can, and confirm a safe
internal temperature for meat, poultry, and fish with a thermometer. See the
food-safety note below.
Getting it right
The converted number gets you close. Four things turn close into actually done.
Check early, not at the buzzer
The 20%-less-time figure is an average across foods and models. Your air fryer may run hot or cold, and a full basket cooks slower than a half-full one. Start checking several minutes before the converted time is up, especially the first time you make something. It's much easier to add two minutes than to un-burn dinner.
Don't overload the basket
An air fryer crisps because air moves freely around the food. Pile it too high and the pieces in the middle steam instead of browning, and everything takes longer. A single layer with a little space cooks faster and more evenly. For big batches, cook in rounds rather than cramming it all in at once — and remember the converted time assumes a reasonable load.
Shake or flip loose foods
Fries, wings, sprouts, and anything in a pile cook unevenly because the pieces touching the basket get the most direct air. Shake or toss the basket once or twice during cooking so everything browns. For single items like a fillet, a flip halfway through is enough. This matters more in an air fryer than in an oven, where you can often leave a tray alone.
Trust the thermometer over the clock
For meat, poultry, and fish, the time is only a guide to when to start checking. Doneness is about internal temperature, not minutes. Keep an instant-read thermometer by the air fryer and cook to a safe internal temperature. This is the one place where guessing is genuinely risky — see the food-safety note.
Food safety — please read
An air fryer is a small convection oven, not magic
The times on this page — both the converter's output and the common-foods table
— are starting estimates, not a substitute for checking that food is
cooked through. Faster cooking does not change food-safety rules.
For meat, poultry, and fish, always cook to a safe internal temperature and
confirm it with a food thermometer. The converted time tells you roughly when
to start checking; the thermometer tells you when it's actually safe to eat. When in
doubt, cook a little longer and check again — undercooked poultry or pork is a
real risk that a clock alone cannot rule out.
Where to buy
Got your numbers? Here's where to pick up what you need:
The terms behind the converter, in plain English — background, not cooking
instructions. Doneness and food safety always come down to checking the food itself.
Convection
Cooking with moving hot air rather than still air. A fan circulates the heat so it reaches the food from all sides, which cooks and browns faster. An air fryer is essentially a small, high-powered convection oven, which is why oven recipes need adjusting.
Air fryer
A compact countertop oven with a powerful fan and a perforated basket that lets hot air flow around the food. It crisps food using little or no oil. Because it heats a small space and moves air aggressively, it cooks faster and at a lower set temperature than a full-size oven.
The 25° rule
The widely used convection adjustment: set the temperature about 25°F (15°C) lower than a conventional-oven recipe. It compensates for the faster heat transfer of moving air, so food doesn't over-brown on the outside before it's cooked inside.
Time factor (× 0.8)
The companion to the temperature rule: air fryers cook roughly 20% faster, so multiplying the oven time by 0.8 gives a starting air-fryer time. It's an average — the real time depends on the food, the model, and the basket load, so always check doneness early.
Preheat
Bringing the air fryer up to temperature before adding food, usually just 2–3 minutes. A hot basket helps food crisp from the start. The converted time assumes a preheated air fryer, the same way an oven recipe assumes a preheated oven.
Safe internal temperature
The temperature, measured at the center of the food with a thermometer, at which meat, poultry, or fish is safe to eat. It — not the clock — is the real test of doneness for anything that must be fully cooked. Follow current food-safety guidance for the specific food.
Single layer
Arranging food in one layer with space between pieces so air can reach all sides. Overcrowding makes food steam instead of crisp and slows cooking. When a batch won't fit in a single layer, cooking in rounds beats overloading the basket.
Frequently asked
Usually yes, briefly. A short preheat of 2–3 minutes gets the basket hot before food goes in, which helps things crisp and brown the way they would in a preheated oven. Many small baskets heat up fast enough that the preheat is short. Some manufacturers say you can skip it — in that case, add a couple of minutes and check doneness. The converted time on this page assumes the air fryer is already up to temperature.
Because an air fryer is a small convection oven. A fan moves hot air directly over and around the food, so it transfers heat faster than the still air in a conventional oven at the same dial setting. Lowering the temperature by 25°F (about 15°C) compensates for that, so the outside doesn't burn before the inside is cooked. It's the same rule many ovens use for their own convection setting.
Generally yes, with care. A small piece of foil to catch drips or wrap food is usually fine, as long as it's weighed down by food and not blocking the airflow. Don't line the whole basket or cover the holes — the air fryer relies on air moving through and around the food. Keep foil away from heating elements, and skip it with very acidic foods like tomatoes or citrus, which can react with it. Always check your air fryer's manual, since some models advise against foil.
Roughly 20% faster for the cook time itself, which is why this converter multiplies oven time by 0.8. On top of that, an air fryer preheats in a couple of minutes instead of ten or more, so the total time from start to finish is often noticeably shorter. The exact savings depend on the food, the model, and how full the basket is. Treat the converted time as a starting estimate and check doneness early.
Frozen convenience foods like fries, nuggets, and tots usually air-fry very well — often better than in the oven — and you generally don't need to thaw them first. Use the oven instructions on the package as your starting point and apply the same rule: 25°F lower and about 20% less time. Spread the food in a single layer, shake or turn it partway through, and start checking a few minutes early. Because frozen foods vary so much, lean on doneness and color rather than the clock.
For loose foods, yes. Fries, wings, sprouts, vegetables, and anything in a pile cook unevenly because the pieces touching the basket get the most direct air. Shaking or tossing the basket once or twice moves them around so everything browns. For single items like a salmon fillet or a few chicken breasts, you can just flip them once instead. A single layer with a little space between pieces always crisps better than an overloaded basket.
No — it's a starting estimate. The 25°F-lower, 20%-less-time rule is the widely used standard, but every air fryer runs a little differently, and basket size and how full it is both change the result. Use the converted number to know roughly when to start checking, then judge by color, texture, and, for meat and poultry, a safe internal temperature on a thermometer. A wrong guess on doneness is far worse than checking a few minutes early.
Yes — reverse the rule: raise the temperature by about 25°F and add roughly 20% to the time (divide the air-fryer time by 0.8). Because a conventional oven's air is still, food browns more slowly and may not crisp as much, so you might also turn or rearrange it during cooking. As always, the time is a guide. Check doneness, and use a thermometer for meat and poultry.
Common mistakes
Four errors that produce undercooked, burnt, or unevenly cooked food when converting oven recipes to an air fryer.
Not lowering the temperature from the oven setting
The most common mistake is running the air fryer at the same temperature the oven recipe calls for. An air fryer is a small convection oven: its fan blows hot air directly over the food, transferring heat faster than still oven air at the same dial setting. Without the 25°F (15°C) reduction, food browns or burns on the outside before the inside is cooked through. The converted temperature, not the original oven temperature, is your starting point.
Treating the converted time as a hard finish line
The 20%-less-time rule is an average across foods and models, not a guarantee. Air fryers vary by model, basket size, and how full the basket is — all of which change actual cook time. Start checking several minutes before the converted time is up, judge by colour and texture, and for meat, poultry, and fish, confirm a safe internal temperature with a thermometer. The time tells you when to start checking; the thermometer tells you when it’s actually done.
Overloading the basket
An air fryer crisps because hot air moves freely around the food. Pack too much in and the pieces in the middle steam instead of browning, everything takes longer, and the converted time becomes meaningless. A single layer with a little space between pieces cooks faster, more evenly, and actually tastes like air-fried food. For large batches, cook in rounds rather than cramming it all in at once.
Skipping the preheat
Most air fryer recipes (and the converted time on this page) assume the basket is already at temperature before food goes in — the same way oven recipes assume a preheated oven. Putting food into a cold air fryer means the first few minutes produce little browning, which throws off the converted time. A 2–3 minute preheat is usually enough; skip it only if you add a corresponding amount of time back in.