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Air Fryer Reference

Tool · converter

Oven to air fryer conversion calculator

Paste any oven recipe’s temperature and time. We’ll convert it for the air fryer, or — if we have the food on the site — give you the per-food calibrated reading instead of the generic rule.

Temperature unit
°F
min

Air fryer conversion

375 °F (191 °C)

for 24 minutes

Based on the standard rule of thumb: drop the oven temperature by 25 °F and shorten cooking time by about 20 %. Air fryers cook hotter and faster than ovens because the basket sits much closer to the heating element and the fan pushes hot air directly across the food.

Common oven-to-air-fryer conversions

Tap a card to load it into the calculator. The result above will update with our calibrated temperature and time for that food.

How the conversion works

  • Temperature:Drop the oven temperature by 25 °F (about 15 °C). Air fryers concentrate heat in a much smaller chamber than an oven, so the same set temperature browns and crisps faster.
  • Time:Reduce the total cook time by about 20 %. The convection fan pushes hot air across every surface of the food at once, so the outside browns and the inside cooks through faster than in a still-air oven.
  • Check early:Always check doneness 2–3 minutes earlier than the calculated time. Air fryer basket sizes and fan speeds vary between brands — for the most accurate reading on your model, see our per-brand calibration pages.

When the rule doesn’t apply

The -25 °F / -20 % rule is a good starting point for roasts, baked goods, frozen foods and breaded items. It does not apply to wet-batter foods (tempura, beer-batter) which cannot be air-fried at all, or to small delicate proteins like shrimp where the conversion under-cooks. For those foods, use the per-food page directly — the calibration above defaults to the per-food values whenever you pick the food from the dropdown.

FAQ about oven to air fryer conversion

Why does the air fryer rule subtract 25 °F from the oven temperature?
Air fryers concentrate the same set temperature into a chamber 10–20 times smaller than a domestic oven, and a fan pushes that heat directly across every surface of the food. At identical dial settings the air fryer therefore browns and crisps the exterior significantly faster than the oven. Dropping the dial by 25 °F (about 15 °C) compensates so the inside has time to finish cooking before the outside scorches.
How much should I cut the cook time when converting oven to air fryer?
Reduce the total cook time by about 20 %. The convection fan moves hot air across every surface of the food at once, so the outside browns and the inside cooks through faster than in a still-air oven. Roasts, baked goods, frozen items and breaded foods all follow this -20 % shortcut closely. Wet-batter foods and very small delicate proteins are the main exceptions.
Does the −25 °F / −20 % rule work for every food?
No. The rule is a strong starting point for roasts, baked goods, frozen foods and breaded items. It does not apply to wet-batter foods (tempura, beer-batter fish) — those simply cannot be air-fried because the batter drips through the basket holes before it sets. It also under-cooks small delicate proteins like shrimp, where the per-food calibrated values give a more reliable result. When in doubt, pick the food from the calculator's dropdown and the page will switch to the per-food values automatically.
Can I use this conversion for baked goods like cakes, brownies and muffins?
Yes, with two caveats. First, use a smaller pan than the oven recipe — most domestic air fryer baskets fit a 6" or 7" round, not a standard 9" — and adjust depth so the batter cooks through before the top over-browns. Second, tent the top with foil if you see the surface darkening before the centre is set: the fan crisps surfaces aggressively. Past those two adjustments, -25 °F and -20 % time is a reliable starting point for most home-baking recipes.
Should I check the food earlier than the calculated time?
Always. Check doneness 2–3 minutes earlier than the converted time and again every minute after, because basket size, fan speed and pre-heat behaviour vary between air fryer brands. The brand-by-brand calibration on each per-food page shows exactly how much your model differs from the generic rule — for example, a Cosori basket runs true-to-dial, but a Ninja Foodi tends to over-shoot at temperatures above 380 °F and benefits from a small additional cut.
Why are the per-food calibrated times different from the −25 °F / −20 % rule?
The rule is a generic conversion — it ignores food-specific factors like surface area, moisture content, fat rendering and the optimum browning temperature for the protein in question. Our per-food pages measure each food independently: chicken breast benefits from a slightly lower temperature and a longer time than the rule suggests, while frozen french fries prefer a slightly higher temperature than the rule would give. When the food you are cooking is in our database, the calibrated reading is more accurate than the generic shortcut.

Already calibrated for you

The rule is a good fallback, but for these popular foods we’ve already measured the exact temp, time and flip schedule. Skip the math — tap any card.

Browse all 310 calibrated foods