Air Fryer Conversion Table
| Food | Oven °F / min | Air fryer °F / min | Pull at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast, boneless | 400 / 22-26 | 380 / 12-14 | 165°F |
| Chicken thighs, bone-in | 425 / 35-40 | 400 / 18-22 | 165°F |
| Chicken wings | 400 / 45-50 | 380 / 22-25 | 165°F |
| Chicken tenders, fresh | 400 / 18-20 | 380 / 10-12 | 165°F |
| Hamburgers, 3/4-in | 400 / 18-22 | 370 / 10-12 | 160°F |
| Meatballs, 1-in | 400 / 18-20 | 380 / 10-12 | 160°F |
| Sausages, fresh | 400 / 20-25 | 370 / 12-14 | 160°F |
| Pork chops, 1-in | 400 / 20-25 | 375 / 12-15 | 145°F |
| Pork tenderloin | 425 / 25-30 | 400 / 18-20 | 145°F |
| Salmon fillet | 400 / 12-15 | 390 / 8-10 | 145°F |
| White fish fillet | 400 / 15-18 | 380 / 9-11 | 145°F |
| Shrimp | 400 / 8-10 | 390 / 5-6 | 145°F |
| Steak, 1-in | 400 / 20-24 | 400 / 12-15 | 135-145°F |
| Bacon | 400 / 15-18 | 350 / 8-10 | crisp |
| Frozen french fries | 425 / 18-22 | 400 / 14-16 | golden |
| Sweet potato fries | 425 / 20-25 | 380 / 12-15 | golden |
| Potato wedges | 425 / 30-35 | 400 / 18-20 | fork-tender |
| Baked potato, whole | 425 / 50-60 | 400 / 35-45 | fork-tender |
| Frozen mozzarella sticks | 400 / 8-10 | 370 / 6-8 | melted |
| Frozen chicken nuggets | 400 / 15-18 | 390 / 10-12 | 165°F |
| Brussels sprouts, halved | 400 / 25-30 | 375 / 15-18 | browned |
| Broccoli florets | 425 / 18-20 | 380 / 8-10 | crisp-tender |
| Asparagus | 400 / 12-15 | 380 / 7-9 | crisp-tender |
| Corn on the cob | 400 / 20-24 | 370 / 12-14 | hot through |
Every air fryer conversion answers the same question: your recipe was written for the oven, and the air fryer is a small, violent convection oven that cooks faster and hotter. The rule of thumb that survives contact with real dinners: drop the temperature about 25 degrees Fahrenheit and cut the time about 20 percent, then verify with a thermometer instead of trusting either number blindly.
The table below is the conversion pre-computed for 24 foods - proteins from chicken breast to steak, freezer staples from fries to mozzarella sticks, and the vegetables that brown beautifully in a basket. Each row carries its own pull-at column because a fish fillet and chicken thighs do not share a safe temperature, and the FDA/USDA minimums are the authority there, not the clock.
The honest part: air fryer models differ by hundreds of watts and basket geometry, so any chart - this one included - is a starting position. Check at the 70 percent mark, shake or flip once, and the thermometer gets the final word.
How to use
- Find your food in the table and start at the listed air fryer temperature - do not round up; the basket overshoots on its own.
- Set the timer two minutes short of the chart number and check early: pull-at temperatures beat pull-at times for every protein.
- Shake the basket or flip the food at the halfway mark - the hot side browns twice as fast as the top side.
- For foods not in the table, use the converter above: oven temp minus 25 degrees, oven time times 0.8, rounded to a friendly minute.
Frequently asked questions
What is the rule for converting oven to air fryer?
Lower the oven temperature by about 25 degrees Fahrenheit and multiply the cooking time by 0.8 - a 400 degree, 20 minute oven bake becomes roughly 375-380 degrees for 15-16 minutes. The rule works because an air fryer is a compact convection oven: the fan moves hot air across every surface, so heat arrives faster and the food browns sooner. It is a starting point, not a promise - check early and trust the thermometer.
Do you need to preheat an air fryer?
Three minutes is enough for almost everything - the basket volume is a fraction of an oven's, so it recovers heat fast. Preheating matters most for frozen foods and anything you want to sear on contact; for a full basket of marinated vegetables you can skip it and add two minutes. The oven-to-air-fryer times in the table assume a preheated basket, which is why skipping the preheat quietly adds time back.
Why do frozen foods not need the full conversion?
Frozen fries, nuggets and snacks are engineered for convection ovens already - the bag's oven instructions assume moving hot air. So the air fryer version mostly cuts the time and keeps the temperature close to the bag's number, which is exactly what the table's frozen rows show: 425 degree fries drop to 400 for about 14-16 minutes instead of the full minus-25 treatment.
What internal temperatures are safe?
The FDA/USDA safe minimums: 165 degrees for all poultry, 160 for ground meats and fresh sausage, 145 for whole cuts of pork, fish and shellfish, with a three minute rest for whole cuts. That is why the table's pull-at column exists - a chicken breast and a salmon fillet finishing at the same minute are nowhere near the same safe temperature. An instant-read thermometer through the thickest piece is the whole trick.
Why is my air fryer food dry or uneven?
Usually crowding, not conversion. A packed basket blocks the air movement that makes an air fryer an air fryer - leave a finger of space between pieces and cook in two rounds rather than one overstuffed one. A light spray of oil fixes leanness (bacon and sausage self-lubricate; chicken breast does not), and shaking at the halfway mark evens out the hot side. If the outside burns before the inside hits temperature, drop the next run 15 degrees and add a couple of minutes.