Oven to Air Fryer Conversion Calculator
Enter the oven temperature and time from any recipe — get the air fryer setting instantly. Works in °F and °C.
Cooking a specific food? Skip the math — we tested the common ones:
How the conversion works
An air fryer is a small, powerful convection oven: a fan drives hot air around the food in a compact chamber. Because the hot air moves faster and sits closer to the food than in a full-size oven, the same recipe cooks hotter and faster. The widely used rule of thumb:
- Temperature: reduce by 25°F (about 15°C)
- Time: reduce by about 20%
- Check early: open the basket 2–3 minutes before the converted time — there is no harm in checking, and models vary
Quick reference table
| Oven (conventional) | Air fryer temp | Oven 20 min becomes |
|---|---|---|
| 350°F / 175°C | 325°F / 160°C | ≈ 16 min |
| 375°F / 190°C | 350°F / 175°C | ≈ 16 min |
| 400°F / 200°C | 375°F / 185°C | ≈ 16 min |
| 425°F / 220°C | 400°F / 205°C | ≈ 16 min |
| 450°F / 230°C | 425°F / 215°C | ≈ 16 min |
When the 25°F / 20% rule is not enough
The rule works well for roasted vegetables, breaded frozen foods, chicken pieces, fish fillets, sausages and reheating. Adjust your expectations for these cases:
- Batters and delicate baking (cakes, muffins, wet batter coatings): the fan can deform batter before it sets. Use dedicated air-fryer baking recipes instead of converting.
- Large roasts and whole birds: the outside browns long before the center is safe. Use a meat thermometer, not time alone.
- Anything that needs steam (crusty bread, braises): an air fryer is a dry-heat machine — it can't replicate a covered pot.
- Overcrowded baskets cook slower and steam instead of crisping. Cook in a single layer, in batches if needed.
Air fryer times for common foods
Tested settings with °F and °C, from-frozen variants and doneness temperatures:
| Food | Temp | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salmon fillets | 400°F / 200°C | 7–9 min | Details |
| Chicken breast | 375°F / 190°C | 15–18 min | Details |
| Chicken wings | 400°F / 200°C | 18–22 min | Details |
| Frozen french fries | 400°F / 200°C | 14–18 min | Details |
| Pork chops | 380°F / 195°C | 10–14 min | Details |
| Bacon | 350°F / 175°C | 8–10 min | Details |
Frequently asked questions
What is the rule for converting oven to air fryer?
Lower the temperature by 25°F (about 15°C) and cut the time by roughly 20%. A 400°F / 20-minute oven recipe becomes about 375°F / 16 minutes in the air fryer. Start checking a few minutes early.
Do I need to preheat an air fryer?
Most models reach temperature in 2–3 minutes. For crispy foods like fries and wings, a short preheat gives more even results; for bacon or delicate fish, starting cold is fine.
Does this converter work in Celsius?
Yes — switch the toggle to °C and the calculator reduces by 15°C instead of 25°F. UK and fan-oven users can enter recipe temperatures directly.
My recipe is for a convection (fan) oven. Do I still reduce it?
Reduce less: about 10–15°F (5–10°C) and around 10% less time, because fan-oven recipes already assume circulating air. The full 25°F/20% rule is for conventional oven recipes.