Frozen foods in an air fryer
The air fryer turns frozen-bag food into something close to restaurant quality without waiting for an oven to preheat. Each guide below has the generic baseline plus calibrated timings for the major brands sold in US grocery stores — Ore-Ida, Tyson, SeaPak, Trader Joe’s, Costco Kirkland and more.
Frozen
frozen french fries
- Time
- 14 min
- Temp
- 400 °F
- Brands
- 5
Frozen french fries are what the air fryer was built for — about 14 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with one shake gives results closer to drive-through than the oven, in half the time. Major brands diverge mostly on cut size; the brand row below is calibrated per product.
Frozen
frozen tater tots
- Time
- 12 min
- Temp
- 400 °F
- Brands
- 4
Frozen tater tots cook in about 12 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with one shake — far better than the standard 30-minute oven instruction printed on the bag. Spread them one layer thick and the result is restaurant-style: shattering-crisp shell, fluffy centre.
Frozen
frozen mozzarella sticks
- Time
- 6 min
- Temp
- 380 °F
- Brands
- 4
Frozen mozzarella sticks are the single most timing-sensitive frozen item in an air fryer. The 6-minute window at 380 °F (193 °C) is narrow — go longer and the breading ruptures, go cooler and the cheese stays cold inside. Treat the brand row below as the source of truth per product.
Frozen
frozen chicken nuggets
- Time
- 9 min
- Temp
- 400 °F
- Brands
- 5
Frozen chicken nuggets cook in about 9 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with a shake at the halfway mark — visibly crisper than the oven and significantly faster than the bagged 18-minute oven instruction. Confirm 165 °F internal before serving.
Frozen
frozen chicken wings
- Time
- 24 min
- Temp
- 400 °F
- Brands
- 4
Frozen wings are the longest-cooking frozen category — raw frozen wings need about 24 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with a flip at 12 minutes, while fully-cooked breaded wings finish in 14–16 minutes. The brand row below splits raw from breaded.
Frozen
frozen breaded shrimp
- Time
- 8 min
- Temp
- 400 °F
- Brands
- 5
Frozen breaded shrimp cook in just 8 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with a shake — faster than any other frozen protein. Coconut, popcorn, and standard butterfly varieties all hit the same window with small temperature tweaks shown in the brand row.
Frozen
frozen hash browns
- Time
- 12 min
- Temp
- 380 °F
- Brands
- 5
Frozen hash browns cook in about 12 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C) with a flip — patties hold their shape and crisp on every face, while shredded hash browns crisp at the tips and stay tender below. The slightly lower temperature is critical.
Frozen
frozen chicken breast
- Time
- 22 min
- Temp
- 360 °F
- Brands
- 4
Frozen chicken breasts cook in 22 minutes at 360 °F (182 °C) with a flip at the halfway mark — about 4 minutes longer than fresh. The two-stage technique (thaw briefly, season, finish) is what makes the difference between dry centres and properly seasoned chicken.
Frozen
frozen salmon
- Time
- 14 min
- Temp
- 380 °F
- Brands
- 4
Frozen salmon fillets cook in 14 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C) without flipping — about 5 minutes longer than fresh salmon. The lower temperature and the seasoning pause at 4 minutes are what make frozen-to-cooked salmon work without ending up overcooked or under-seasoned.
Frozen
frozen raw shrimp
- Time
- 7 min
- Temp
- 400 °F
- Brands
- 4
Frozen raw shrimp cook in 7 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C) with a shake — but only after a 5-minute cold-water thaw. The thaw step is non-negotiable: without it the shrimp end up rubbery on the outside and cold in the middle.
Frozen
frozen meatballs
- Time
- 12 min
- Temp
- 380 °F
- Brands
- 5
Frozen meatballs cook in 12 minutes at 380 °F (193 °C) with one shake — about 2 minutes longer than fresh. They work for both classic Italian-style and Asian-style (frozen Trader Joe's beef-less meatballs); the brand row covers the most popular bags.
Looking to reheat leftovers instead? Different times, different technique — see the reheat section.