How to Convert Oven Recipes to Air Fryer Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How to convert oven cooking instructions for air fryer? ›

To cook fresh food in an air fryer, Jenny suggests subtracting 20°C from the typical oven temperature and reducing the oven cooking time by 20-25%. For example, if the oven instruction calls for cooking at 180°C for 25 minutes, set your air fryer to 160°C for 20 minutes.

Air fryer recipes are easy to convert to your oven—simply preheat to the listed temperature, place your food on a baking sheet, and turn on your convection setting. Oven temperatures often vary slightly from the listed temperature, so keep an eye on your goodies to make sure they're cooking at the correct rate.

Know How to Adjust a Recipe

In terms of temperature, air fryer recipes usually recommend a temperature of 20 to 25 degrees lower than what you would use if cooking with a conventional oven. The same holds true for convection ovens, so you can likely use the same temperature setting designated in an air fryer recipe.

The 10/20 rule means that you cut the temperature by 10% and the time by 20%. So if you have a recipe that calls for 350˚F for 15 minutes, you would take 10% off of 350, which is 315˚F. Then 20% of 15 is 3 minutes so cook time would be 12 minutes.

To use this cooking mode, just place your tray of food on the rack, press the Air Fry button on your oven's control panel, set the appropriate temperature between 350 and 500 degrees, and select “Start.”

Foil is safe to use in an air fryer so long as you follow three basic rules: never let foil touch the heating element; make sure the foil is weighted so it doesn't blow around the basket; and avoid contact with acidic ingredients, which can cause the foil to leach onto your food.

When taking a recipe from oven to air fryer, the general rule is to reduce the temperature by 20ºC – 30ºC, and cook for 20% less time.

Can you use a convection oven as an air fryer? A convection oven can help crisp up foods, but you'll need a dedicated air fry function for the best results.

While air fryers have their benefits, they can't entirely replace ovens due to their versatility and larger cooking capacity. However, if you're someone who wants to whip up quick and crispy dishes with less oil, an air fryer can be a handy addition to your kitchen.

So for example, if a recipe calls for a cooking temperature of 400°F in the oven, set your air fryer for 375°F. If the cooking time is 30 minutes in the oven, expect to cook your food about 24 minutes in the air fryer but start checking at 15 minutes (the halfway point).

What are people replacing air fryers with? ›

A countertop oven is a quick fix

But I'll argue that the taste trade-offs are worth it, and that you'll still be heating food and cooking more quickly than you would in a large conventional oven.

Converting From Traditional Oven Recipes

You can use your air fryer to cook recipes that have instructions for cooking in the oven. Because the heat in the air fryer is more intense than a standard oven, reduce the suggested temperature by 25ºF to 50ºF and cut the time by roughly 20%.

To convert an oven-cooked recipe to an air-fryer one, Mason's general rule of thumb is to reduce the suggested temperature by 25°F and then cut the cook time by about 20%.

RECOMMENDED BAKEWARE

Dark baking or sheet pans are recommended for in-oven air fry. They absorb more heat and promote better browning and crisping. If you do use a baking basket or grid, make sure you put a broil-safe pan on the rack underneath it to catch any drippings.

Parchment paper can handle the heat inside your air fryer - up to 428°F (220°C). To get the best results, add the parchment paper to the air fryer basket at the same time as you add your ingredients. This prevents the paper from lifting up and coming into contact with the heating element while cooking.

Air Fryer Conversions

To adapt a recipe for an air fryer, reduce the cooking time by approximately 20-30% compared to traditional methods. For example, if a recipe calls for baking chicken breast at 400°F for 30 minutes, you can try air frying it at 400°F for 20-24 minutes, or until cooked through.

Cook Time. Air fryers cook food faster than convection ovens. For starters, there's that shorter preheat time. But because of their smaller cooking chambers, air fryers are also more efficient at circulating air around food, leading to faster cook times.

An air fryer can be thought of as a sort of mini convection oven. Both appliances use a fan to circulate heated air throughout the cooking cavity. However, a convection oven has a larger capacity.