You found a recipe you love, but it was written for a 400 degree oven and you want to use the air fryer. Do you keep the same temperature? Do you cook it for the same time? Most people guess, and the fries come out either pale or scorched.
An air fryer is a small, powerful convection oven. This air fryer calculator applies the standard adjustment to your recipe, so you start close to right, and it works in the other direction too.
How to use the Air Fryer Calculator#
- Pick the direction. Choose oven to air fryer, or air fryer to oven.
- Choose your scale. Pick Fahrenheit or Celsius.
- Enter the recipe. Type the temperature and the time from the recipe you are converting.
- Decide on rounding. Leave rounding on to get a temperature that fits a 5 degree dial.
- Read the result. You get the new temperature and time, the change from the original, and a time to start checking.
How an air fryer differs from an oven#
An air fryer is a countertop convection oven with a small cooking space and a strong fan. A heating element sits above the basket and the fan drives hot air around the food at speed. Two things follow from that design. The air touching the food is always moving, which strips away the cool layer of moisture around it and browns the surface faster. And the cavity is small, so the heat has less distance to travel and the whole space comes up to temperature quickly.
That is why a recipe written for a conventional oven tends to overcook in an air fryer if you copy the numbers. The food is not hotter, it is simply receiving heat more efficiently. The fix is to give it a little less of both temperature and time.
The rule behind the calculator#
The widely used rule of thumb is to reduce the temperature by about 25 degrees Fahrenheit, which is roughly 15 degrees Celsius, and to cut the cooking time by about 20 percent. So a recipe that calls for 400 degrees for 20 minutes becomes 375 degrees for 16 minutes. Going the other way, you add 25 degrees (15 Celsius) and increase the time by a quarter, because 1 divided by 0.8 is 1.25.
It is a starting point and not a law. Models differ in wattage, basket size and airflow, and the same recipe can need a few minutes either way. That is why the calculator also gives you a time to start checking, at three quarters of the converted time. Open the drawer then, look at the colour and take a temperature if the food is meat.
Oven recipes converted#
These examples use the calculator rule with rounding to 5 degrees. They are starting points, so check before the timer ends.
| Food | Oven | Air fryer |
|---|---|---|
| Frozen fries | 425 °F for 25 min | 400 °F for 20 min |
| Chicken wings | 425 °F for 45 min | 400 °F for 36 min |
| Salmon fillet | 400 °F for 12 min | 375 °F for 9 min 36 s |
| Roast vegetables | 425 °F for 25 min | 400 °F for 20 min |
| Frozen nuggets | 400 °F for 18 min | 375 °F for 14 min 24 s |
Cooking safely, whatever the appliance#
Time and temperature settings control how the food cooks, but safety depends on how hot the food gets inside. The US government publishes minimum internal temperatures: 165 °F (74 °C) for poultry and for leftovers, 160 °F (71 °C) for ground beef, pork and lamb, and 145 °F (63 °C) for whole cuts of beef, pork and lamb and for fish, with a three minute rest for the meat cuts. Use a probe thermometer and push it into the thickest part, away from bone.
An air fryer can brown the outside of a thick piece of chicken before the centre is done. If the surface is dark and the thermometer is still low, lower the temperature by 25 degrees and give it more time.
Tips for better results#
Do not crowd the basket. Food needs space for the air to move, and a packed basket steams instead of crisping. Shake or turn the food halfway through. Pat wet food dry and brush it with a little oil, since a light coat helps browning more than a heavy one. Wet batters drip through the basket, so use a breadcrumb or flour coating instead. Skip the converter for anything that depends on a long, slow, moist cook, like a braise or a deep cake, as those suit the oven better.
Frequently asked questions#
Many recipes do not require it, and the small cavity heats quickly. A short preheat of three to five minutes helps with foods you want crisp, such as fries and wings. If you skip it, add a minute or two to the time.
By about 25 degrees Fahrenheit, or around 15 degrees Celsius. A recipe at 400 degrees Fahrenheit becomes 375.
About 20 percent shorter. A 20 minute oven recipe usually takes around 16 minutes. Start checking at about three quarters of the time.
Yes. Switch the direction in the calculator. It adds 25 degrees Fahrenheit (15 Celsius) and lengthens the time by a quarter.
The temperature is probably too high for the thickness of the food. Lower it by 25 degrees, cook longer, and check the inside with a thermometer.
Frozen food does not need thawing. Use the package oven instructions as the starting recipe, convert them, and expect to shake the basket once or twice.
Sources and further reading#
- Omni Calculator: Air Fryer Calculator. Cross-check of the 25 degree and 20 percent rule of thumb.
- USDA FSIS and FoodSafety.gov: Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures. The internal temperatures used above.
- NIST Special Publication 811: Guide for the Use of the International System of Units. Exact definitions of the inch, pound, ounce and the units derived from them.