Oven to air fryer conversion is pretty straight forward for most recipes, but there are a few things you need to know. This post has tips for converting recipes, and an oven to air fryer conversion calculator to help you convert recipes from oven to air fryer (°F and °C included).
Air fryer conversion (convert oven to air fryer)
Air frying is the perfect way to cook many foods, but oven-baked goods are particularly good cooked in the air fryer. You always get crispy results and the food cooks much more quickly than in a conventional oven.
It is usually very easy to convert packet instructions and recipes from oven to air fryer. However, both the time and the temperature need to be adjusted:
- Reduce the temperature by around 35°F/ 20°C
- Reduce the cooking time by around 20%
You can use the air fryer calculator below to convert traditional oven recipes for the air fryer. This oven to air fryer conversion calculator includes options for Fahrenheit (°F) and Celsius (°C).
Remember, all air fryers are different and the exact time and temperature settings will depend on the make and model of air fryer, and the size of the ingredients, among other factors.
Calculator
You can use this oven to air fryer converter as a guide for converting recipes. Remember to check on your food often during cooking, and use an instant read thermometer to confirm it’s cooked to the recommended safe temperature when cooking time is finished.
See more tips on converting from oven to air fryer below the calculator.
Remember, all air fryers are different and the exact time and temperature settings will depend on the make and model of air fryer, and the size of the ingredients, among other factors. If your air fryer has different modes, use the Air Fry setting.
For an easy printable air fryer cooking chart, check out our Air Fryer Cheat Sheet, free when you sign up for our email newsletter.
Tips for converting recipes for the air fryer
Preheating your air fryer
To preheat your air fryer, it is as easy as setting it to the desired temperature and turning it on for around 3 minutes. I normally just switch it on while I am preparing the ingredients.
Some brands of air fryers state that no preheating is required. However, I have found that I do usually get better results when cooking in a preheated air fryer if the cooking time is less than ten minutes.
Using oil
The action of the hot air when air frying helps food to crisp up more easily than when cooking in a regular oven. For this reason, you can often get away with using less oil when roasting compared with what you would need for an oven.
I often spritz food with oil for air frying rather than coating it with oil as you might for a traditional roasting recipe.
You can check on the food halfway through cooking, and add an extra spritz of oil if it looks like it needs crisping up a bit more.
Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket
Another difference between cooking in an air fryer and cooking in a conventional oven is that air fryers require air to be able to circulate freely around the food you are cooking.
For this reason, don’t overcrowd the basket. If the food is piled up, remember to shake the food once or twice during cooking to redistribute the food and allow all surfaces to cook evenly.
