To convert an oven recipe to an air fryer, drop the temperature by about 25°F (15°C) and cut the cooking time by roughly 20 percent, then check the food early. The air fryer converter takes the oven temperature and time and gives you a starting point with a suggested check time.
Why lower and shorter
An air fryer is a small convection oven with a strong fan. That fast-moving hot air transfers heat more efficiently than a still conventional oven, so food cooks and browns quicker at the same dial setting. Left unchanged, an oven recipe would brown too fast on the outside before the inside is done. Lowering the temperature and shortening the time evens this out.
The two adjustments
- Temperature: subtract about 25°F or 15°C from the oven figure. A 400°F roast becomes about 375°F; a 200°C bake becomes about 185°C.
- Time: multiply by about 0.8, which is roughly 20 percent less. A 30-minute oven dish starts at about 24 minutes in the air fryer.
These are starting points. Air fryers vary widely by model and basket size, so the numbers get you close rather than nailing it.
Check early, every time
The single most useful habit is to check the food before the estimated finish. Open the basket, look, and judge doneness by colour and texture rather than the timer. Because the basket is small and the air moves fast, a minute or two makes a real difference. Note what worked so the next batch is easier.
What converts well, and what does not
Air fryers shine at foods that want a crisp surface: chips, roast vegetables, chicken pieces, reheated leftovers. Wet batters and very liquid mixtures do not transfer well, since they can drip through the basket or fail to set the way they would in a tin. For baking, treat the air fryer as a fast small oven and watch closely.
Convert your recipe
Enter the oven temperature and time in the air fryer converter to get the suggested air-fryer settings. For the temperature scales themselves, the oven temperature converter handles Fahrenheit, Celsius and gas mark.