Convert any oven recipe to air fryer settings: lower the temperature by 25F or 15C and cut the cook time by 20 percent. Free calculator with charts and tips.
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Enter the oven temperature and time from any recipe, pick F or C, and the converter subtracts 25F (15C) for the air fryer temperature and multiplies the time by 0.8, then adds a start checking time at 75 percent of the original oven time. Everything is rounded to settings your air fryer can actually use, so you can work straight from your phone at the counter. The result is a reliable starting point, not a promise: models differ, so the early check matters more than the math.
An air fryer is a compact convection oven. A powerful fan drives hot air rapidly around the food inside a small chamber, so heat reaches every surface far faster than the still air of a conventional oven cavity. The food also sits just a few centimetres below the heating element, so browning starts earlier. Because of this concentrated heat and airflow, cooking at the full oven temperature and time almost always burns the outside before the inside is done.
The standard rule used by manufacturers and recipe developers is simple: set the air fryer 25 degrees Fahrenheit lower than the oven recipe (about 15 degrees Celsius), and multiply the cooking time by 0.8, which is a 20 percent cut. So 400F for 30 minutes becomes 375F for 24 minutes. This 25/20 rule is the consensus across calculator tools and cooking guides; it is a starting point, not a law, so treat every converted number as your check point rather than a finish line.
Subtract 25 from the oven temperature in Fahrenheit, or 15 in Celsius, and round to the nearest setting your air fryer dial actually has. Common pairs: 350F becomes 325F, 375F becomes 350F, 400F becomes 375F, 425F becomes 400F. In Celsius: 175C becomes 160C, 190C becomes 175C, 200C becomes 185C, 220C becomes 205C. Many basket air fryers stop at 400F (200C), so if the converted temperature lands above your machine's maximum, cook at the maximum and check a little earlier.
Multiply the oven time by 0.8: 10 minutes becomes 8, 20 minutes becomes 16, 30 minutes becomes 24, 45 minutes becomes 36, and 60 minutes becomes 48. Because air fryer models vary in wattage and basket size, also note the start checking time at about 75 percent of the original oven time, 22 minutes in for a 30 minute recipe. Opening the basket to peek costs nothing, but burnt edges cannot be undone, so this early check is the single most useful number on the page.
The basic rule assumes an average recipe, and food shape moves the result. Thin and crispy foods such as fries, cutlets and fish fillets finish sooner, so use 0.75 of the oven time. Vegetables behave the same way and do well with a 0.75 multiplier. Thick meats and roasts need heat to penetrate, so use 0.85. Cakes and bakes also use 0.85, since a too-hot crust sets before the centre rises. Frozen packaged food converts at the standard 0.8. If a frozen package already prints air fryer directions, use those instead of the conversion.
Some recipes should not be converted at all. Wet batters drip straight through the basket; they need deep frying or a coating adapted for the air fryer. Very large roasts, like a whole turkey, block the airflow the conversion depends on and cook unevenly. Stacking food in crowded layers traps steam and kills crisping, so cook in a single layer and work in batches. Delicate custards and low and slow recipes designed for gentle oven heat also convert poorly.
If a recipe was written for the air fryer and you only have an oven, reverse the rule: add 25F (15C) and multiply the air fryer time by 1.25. A recipe for 375F and 16 minutes in the air fryer becomes about 400F for 20 minutes in the oven. Expect slightly less crispness, since the oven cannot reproduce the concentrated airflow, and give the food a little more space on the tray.
The minus 25 rule assumes a conventional oven with still air. If the recipe already gives a fan or convection oven temperature, that air is already moving, so keep the same temperature and cut only the time, by about 10 percent. Gas oven recipes use gas marks: convert the mark to Celsius first (gas mark 6 is about 200C), then apply the usual minus 15C and 0.8 time multiplier. When a recipe just says bake without mentioning fan or convection, treat it as conventional.
Preheat the air fryer for 2 to 3 minutes; a cold start adds several minutes and ruins the converted time. Shake the basket or flip the food halfway for even browning, especially fries, vegetables and small pieces. Do not overcrowd: one even layer beats a heaped basket every time. And trust a meat thermometer over the timer for anything that needs a safe internal temperature; the USDA minimum for chicken is 165F (74C).
Example 1: roast potatoes at 400F for 30 minutes in the oven. Air fryer: 400 minus 25 = 375F; 30 times 0.8 = 24 minutes; start checking at 22 minutes. Example 2: a cake at 350F for 45 minutes. Air fryer: 350 minus 25 = 325F; 45 times 0.8 = 36 minutes, and since it is a bake, lean toward checking with a toothpick from 34 minutes. Example 3: a Celsius recipe at 200C for 45 minutes. Air fryer: 200 minus 15 = 185C; 45 times 0.8 = 36 minutes; start checking at about 34 minutes.
Type the oven temperature and time from your recipe, pick F or C, and press calculate. The converter shows the air fryer temperature, the converted time, and the start checking time, all rounded to numbers your machine can actually set. It works on your phone at the counter, needs no sign up, and you can screenshot the results as a printable fridge chart. Remember that every converted setting is a starting point: models differ, so check early and let doneness decide.
Subtract 25F (or about 15C) from the oven recipe's temperature and multiply the time by 0.8. A recipe calling for 400F for 30 minutes becomes 375F for about 24 minutes. Round the temperature to the nearest setting your air fryer has, and start checking a few minutes early since every model runs a little differently.
Multiply the oven time by 0.8, which takes off 20 percent. 30 minutes becomes 24, 20 minutes becomes 16, and an hour becomes 48. Also set a reminder at about 75 percent of the original oven time to peek in the basket: opening it early costs nothing, but burnt edges cannot be undone.
An air fryer is a small convection oven with a powerful fan that drives hot air rapidly around the food. The small chamber heats up fast, air reaches every surface quickly, and food sits close to the heating element, so browning starts earlier. The same settings as a full-size oven would burn the outside before the inside cooks through.
A 2 to 3 minute preheat gives a better crust and keeps the converted time accurate; a cold start adds several minutes. Many modern models have a dedicated preheat button. If you skip it, add roughly 3 to 5 minutes to the converted time.
A 400F oven recipe converts to 375F in the air fryer with about 20 percent less time. In Celsius, a 200C oven recipe becomes about 185C. If your recipe was already written for the air fryer at 400F, that is already the right setting.
Yes, in a small oven-safe pan with room for air around it. Lower the temperature by 25F (15C) but cut the time by only about 15 percent (multiply by 0.85) rather than 20 percent, since the crust sets before the centre rises. Test with a toothpick and do not open the basket in the first half of baking.
Yes. Shake the basket or flip pieces halfway through for even browning, especially fries, vegetables and small items. For larger pieces like chicken breasts or steaks, one flip at the halfway point is enough. A single uncrowded layer cooks far more evenly than a heaped basket.
Compared with deep frying, air frying uses far less oil and is clearly lighter. Compared with oven baking, the difference is small: what you cook and how much oil you add matters more than the appliance. Both are healthy ways to cook when you go easy on the oil.
Yes. The 25F reduction and 20 percent time cut is a universal starting point used across basket-style, oven-style and paddle-style models from all major brands, including Ninja, Cosori, Instant Pot and Philips. Individual models vary slightly, which is why the calculator also gives a start checking time; always check doneness a few minutes early.
Yes, with a smaller adjustment. A convection oven already moves the air, so keep the same temperature and cut the time by only about 10 percent. If the recipe was written for a conventional oven, use the full conversion: minus 25F (15C) and 20 percent less time.
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