Oven to Air Fryer Conversion: Times and Temps Made Easy

Most recipes in British cookbooks and on supermarket packs are written for an oven. An air fryer is essentially a small, powerful fan oven, so conversion is mostly common sense — but knowing the starting rule saves a lot of burnt edges and pale middles.

This guide gives you the basic rule, explains why it works, and covers the recipes that need extra care.

The basic rule

Start from the conventional (non-fan) oven temperature in the recipe, take off about 20°C, and cut the cooking time by around a fifth to a quarter. Then check the food a few minutes before the new time.

If the recipe gives a fan oven temperature, it has already been reduced by roughly 20°C, so use that figure as is or lower it only slightly, and focus on cutting the time.

• Conventional 220°C, 30 minutes → air fryer 200°C, about 22–24 minutes
• Conventional 200°C, 25 minutes → air fryer 180°C, about 19–20 minutes
• Fan 180°C, 40 minutes → air fryer 170–180°C, about 30–32 minutes
• Gas mark 6 (around 200°C conventional) → air fryer about 180°C

Why air fryers cook faster

The cooking chamber is small, the element is close to the food, and a strong fan blows hot air across the surface. Moving air transfers heat faster than still air, which is why a fan oven runs cooler than a conventional one for the same result. An air fryer pushes that effect further.

The flip side is that the surface browns faster than the inside cooks. That is why the temperature drop matters as much as the shorter time: it gives the middle a chance to catch up.

Adjusting for your machine and portion

No conversion is exact. Compact high-wattage models tend to run fast; large drawers and dual-drawer models running both sides can be slower. A full basket takes longer than the same food spread thinly.

The first time you convert a recipe, write down what you did and how it turned out. After two or three goes you will know whether your air fryer runs hot or cool.

Tip: For meat, a probe thermometer removes the guesswork. Chicken, turkey, pork and minced meat should reach at least 75°C in the thickest part.

Recipes that convert well

Recipes based on dry heat and smaller pieces are the easiest to adapt:

• Roast vegetables and potatoes
• Chicken pieces, sausages, chops and burgers
• Fish fillets and fishcakes
• Frozen and breaded foods
• Small bakes such as muffins, scones and cookies (in a suitable tin or on parchment)
• Reheating pastries, pizza and leftovers

Recipes that need care

Large cakes and loaves can rise unevenly or dome and crack because the top is so close to the element. Use a smaller tin, drop the temperature by a further 10°C and cover loosely with foil part-way if the top browns too quickly (keeping it well clear of the element and tucked in).

Wet batters, such as homemade Yorkshire pudding or tempura, do not work well in a perforated basket — they drip through before they set. Cook them in a solid tin, or stick to the oven. Large joints of meat fit in some models, but you may get a better, more even result in the oven.

A quick conversion checklist

Run through this each time you adapt a recipe:

1. Note whether the recipe temperature is conventional or fan.
2. Lower conventional temperatures by about 20°C.
3. Cut the time by 20–25% and set a timer to check before that.
4. Spread food out in one layer, cooking in batches if needed.
5. Shake or turn halfway.
6. Check doneness by sight and, for meat, by temperature.

General information only. Check product labels and manufacturer instructions before you start.