Air fryer converter

Turning oven recipes into air fryer recipes

The air fryer has earned its spot on my counter, and once it did, I wanted to make my regular oven recipes in it without burning dinner. The trouble is that air fryers cook differently, so you can't just punch in the oven's temperature and time and walk away. This converter does the adjusting for you: enter the oven temperature and time from your recipe, and it gives you a sensible air fryer starting point. Here's the reasoning behind it so you can adjust by feel too.

The basic rule: lower the temp, cut the time

For most recipes, two adjustments get you most of the way there:

• Lower the temperature by about 25°F, or roughly 15°C. So a 400°F oven recipe becomes around 375°F in the air fryer.
• Cut the cooking time by about 20%. A dish that bakes for 20 minutes in the oven often needs roughly 16 minutes in the air fryer.

These are starting points, not strict rules. Air fryers vary a lot by model and basket size, so I always treat the first time I convert a recipe as a test run and take notes for next time.

Why air fryers cook faster

An air fryer is basically a small, powerful convection oven. A fan circulates hot air rapidly all around the food, in a compact space, so heat reaches the surface faster and more evenly than in a big conventional oven. That circulating air is what gives you that crisp exterior, and it's exactly why you drop the temperature and shorten the time. The same airflow that crisps things beautifully will also overcook them if you use full oven settings.

Check early, shake, and flip

Because air fryers move quickly, the most useful habit is simply to check on your food early — open it up a few minutes before you think it's done. You can always cook longer; you can't un-burn. A few more pointers I rely on:

• Shake the basket halfway through for small items like fries, vegetables, or wings, so everything crisps evenly.
• Flip larger pieces like chicken thighs or fish fillets once partway through.
• Don't overcrowd. Air needs room to move. A single layer with a little space cooks far better than a packed basket.
• Use a thermometer for meat. As general food-safety guidance (not medical advice), cook poultry to 165°F internal, ground meats to 160°F, and let whole cuts rest. The air fryer can brown the outside before the inside is done, so checking the temperature is the reliable way to know.

What foods work best in an air fryer?

Anything you'd want crisp tends to shine. Roasted vegetables, frozen foods, wings, breaded cutlets, potatoes, tofu, and reheated leftovers all come out wonderfully. The circulating air gives that crisp edge with little or no oil. Foods that struggle are wet batters (they blow around and don't set), large amounts of loose cheese, and very delicate leafy things that can fly into the heating element. For those, the regular oven is still the better tool.

A few habits that make conversions easier

• Preheat if your model recommends it. A few minutes of preheat helps food crisp from the start.
• Write down what worked. Once you've nailed the time and temp for a dish, note it so you skip the guesswork next time.
• Trust your eyes and nose. The numbers get you close; how the food looks and smells tells you it's truly done.

If you want dishes to try this on, I share what I cook for my family over on my recipes page. And if you find these handy, take a look at my other free tools for the kitchen.