Do I need to preheat an air fryer?

Often, but not always. Many models heat up so quickly that a 2–3 minute preheat is enough, and some manufacturers say you can skip it entirely for longer cooks. For crisp results on quick items (fries, wings, reheats) a short preheat helps; check your appliance's manual, since recommendations vary by model.

Why do I lower the temperature for an air fryer?

Because an air fryer is a small convection oven. The fan circulates hot air directly and rapidly around the food, transferring heat far more efficiently than the mostly-still air of a conventional oven. To avoid burning the outside before the inside is done, you drop the temperature by roughly 25°F (about 20°C) to compensate for that efficiency.

Does every food convert with the same rule?

No. The −25°F / −20% rule works well for foods that roast or crisp — vegetables, chicken pieces, frozen snacks, chops. It works poorly for wet batters, loose liquids, delicate baked goods, and anything that needs a covered, steady environment, because the strong airflow can dry them out, blow them around, or set the surface unevenly. Use the calculator as a guide and treat these foods case by case.

Should I shake or flip the basket?

Yes, for most loose or single-layer foods. Shaking the basket (or flipping larger pieces) once or twice during cooking exposes all surfaces to the airflow so they brown evenly. A good rhythm is to shake at the halfway point, then again near the end when you check for doneness.

How accurate are these numbers?

They are a reliable starting point, not a guarantee. Air fryers vary widely in wattage and basket size, and a crowded basket cooks more slowly than a single layer. Always verify doneness with your eyes and, for meat, a food thermometer — adjust the next time based on what you see.

Why does the calculator show a dash sometimes?

If an input isn't a valid number, the result shows "—" instead of "NaN" or "Infinity". Enter a numeric temperature and time and the suggestion will appear.

Air Fryer Conversion Calculator — Oven to Air Fryer

Take any oven recipe and get sensible air-fryer settings — temperature and time — in one step.

An air fryer is really a compact, high-powered convection oven: a fan drives hot air around the food much faster than the still air of a conventional oven. That extra efficiency means most oven recipes cook hotter and quicker in an air fryer. The widely-published rule of thumb — and the one this calculator uses — is to lower the temperature by about 25°F (≈20°C) and cut the cook time by roughly 20%.

Treat the numbers below as a smart starting point, not a precise recipe. Air-fryer models, basket size, and how full you pack the basket all change the result — and battered, saucy, or liquid dishes behave quite differently from roastable foods. Whatever the figure says, check your food a few minutes early.

Oven temperature (°F)

Oven time (minutes)

Suggested air fryer settings

Temperature

375°°F

Time

16min

Rule of thumb: lower the oven temperature by about 25°F (≈20°C) and cut the time by ~20%.

Tip: these are starting points, not exact figures. Check your food about 5 minutes early, shake or flip, and adjust — air fryers run hotter and faster than ovens.

How to use

Pick a direction
Use "Oven → Air fryer" to adapt a normal recipe, or "Air fryer → Oven" to go the other way if you only have air-fryer instructions.
Choose your temperature unit
Toggle °F or °C so the input and the suggested temperature match how your recipe and appliance are labelled.
Enter the temperature and time
Type the source temperature and cook time in minutes. The suggested settings update as you type — no submit button.
Cook, then check early
Set your air fryer to the suggested temperature, start a few minutes under the suggested time, and check, shake, or flip before the timer ends.

Worked example

A recipe calls for a 400°F oven for 20 minutes. Applying the rule of thumb:

Setting	Oven (recipe)	Air fryer (suggested)
Temperature	400°F	375°F
Time	20 min	16 min
Temperature (°C)	200°C	180°C

Start checking at around 11–13 minutes and adjust from there.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to preheat an air fryer?: Often, but not always. Many models heat up so quickly that a 2–3 minute preheat is enough, and some manufacturers say you can skip it entirely for longer cooks. For crisp results on quick items (fries, wings, reheats) a short preheat helps; check your appliance's manual, since recommendations vary by model.
Why do I lower the temperature for an air fryer?: Because an air fryer is a small convection oven. The fan circulates hot air directly and rapidly around the food, transferring heat far more efficiently than the mostly-still air of a conventional oven. To avoid burning the outside before the inside is done, you drop the temperature by roughly 25°F (about 20°C) to compensate for that efficiency.
Does every food convert with the same rule?: No. The −25°F / −20% rule works well for foods that roast or crisp — vegetables, chicken pieces, frozen snacks, chops. It works poorly for wet batters, loose liquids, delicate baked goods, and anything that needs a covered, steady environment, because the strong airflow can dry them out, blow them around, or set the surface unevenly. Use the calculator as a guide and treat these foods case by case.
Should I shake or flip the basket?: Yes, for most loose or single-layer foods. Shaking the basket (or flipping larger pieces) once or twice during cooking exposes all surfaces to the airflow so they brown evenly. A good rhythm is to shake at the halfway point, then again near the end when you check for doneness.
How accurate are these numbers?: They are a reliable starting point, not a guarantee. Air fryers vary widely in wattage and basket size, and a crowded basket cooks more slowly than a single layer. Always verify doneness with your eyes and, for meat, a food thermometer — adjust the next time based on what you see.
Why does the calculator show a dash sometimes?: If an input isn't a valid number, the result shows "—" instead of "NaN" or "Infinity". Enter a numeric temperature and time and the suggestion will appear.

About

A guideline, not a recipe

The temperature offset and time reduction here come from manufacturer guidance and cooking authorities, but they are deliberately approximate. The single most important habit is to check your food early — a few minutes before the suggested time — and adjust. Over a couple of cooks you'll learn how your specific air fryer behaves and can fine-tune from these defaults.

How the math works

For oven → air fryer, the suggested temperature is the oven temperature minus 25°F (or minus 20°C in Celsius mode), and the suggested time is the oven time multiplied by 0.8 (a 20% cut). The reverse mode adds the offset back and divides the time by 0.8 to recover the equivalent oven settings. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is sent to a server.

Sources & references

Authoritative references behind the math, constants, and tables on this page. Verified by Buğra Sözeri on the dates shown and re-checked at every deploy.

Ninja Kitchen — Air Fryer Conversion Guidance — Manufacturer guidance for adapting oven recipes to an air fryer (reduce temperature and time)(as of 2026-06-27)
Good Housekeeping — Air Fryer Conversion Chart & Tips — Reputable cooking authority on convection-style conversion, the ~25°F / ~20% rule, and checking food early(as of 2026-06-27)

Air Fryer Conversion Calculator — Oven to Air Fryer

How to use

Pick a direction

Choose your temperature unit

Enter the temperature and time

Cook, then check early