This is your comprehensive guide to cooking times for air fryer recipes. If you’re new to air fryers, this air fryer quick reference guide gives you all the information you need to air fry the most common foods. The air fryer cooking charts are organized by type of food e.g. vegetables, meats, frozen foods, and seafood. There’s a free air fryer cooking chart included, too.
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Table of Contents
The performance of a model varies based on design, wattage, capacity, and size. These cooking times for air fryer are just a guide. As such, allow it to guide you, but make all the necessary adjustments to time and air fryer temperature based on your model.
Introduction
The air fryer has changed the way I cook. I love that I can bake, roast, and crisp my favorite foods in a fraction of the time it takes in a conventional oven and that I can get the crispiness achieved with a deep fryer without the unhealthy side effects.
In many cases, foods cook more evenly in the air fryer than in the oven. Air fryers work by circulating hot air in a small space.
I like to use an air fryer in the summer because I hate turning on the oven and heating up the whole house. Until I got an air fryer, baking cakes, and roasting vegetables were things I saved for the colder months.
The air fryer doesn’t heat up the kitchen as a regular oven does, and I love that I have an alternative to the grill because the grill doesn’t work for all foods.
The air fryer works like a convection oven, where the powerful fan forces hot air to circulate around the food inside the air fryer, which helps it cook faster and more evenly.
Each type of food has a cheat sheet with general air fryer cook times and temperatures. Check your manual or air fryer recipe for details on temperature settings and air fryer times for different foods.
If you have an Instant Pot, you may want to check out my Instant Pot air fryer cooking times guide, too!
Air Frying Cooking Tips
- The first time you use an air fryer, you might find an odor for the first few seconds after turning it on. This shouldn’t happen again.
- For best results, spray foods with a little oil. One of my first purchases when I got my air fryer was an oil spray bottle. It’s so much more convenient to spray oil on food rather than drizzling or brushing with oil. AVOID USING nonstick oil sprayer cans because they can ruin the nonstick coating of your air fryer basket.
- To prevent food from sticking to the basket, coat the basket with oil. You can also use a paper towel soaked with a little olive oil or vegetable oil to coat the basket.
- Flip foods halfway through cooking. This allows for even browning. Depending on the type of food, you can also shake up the food e.g. french fries.
- To get the food to crisp up evenly, give it a little spritz of oil when you’re turning it. Avocado oil, vegetable oil, and olive oil are all good choices.
- Cooking times can vary between air fryer models. So when following a recipe, check on the food 5 minutes before the time is up. The air fryer will pause its timer while the basket, lid, or door is open.
- Some foods are so light that they’ll fly around the air fryer basket when the air starts circulating. Use a trivet to weigh these foods down e.g. pieces of kale.
- Be sure not to overcrowd the basket. The air fryer works on circulated hot air, and if you don’t leave enough room between pieces of food, it causes the food to cook unevenly and will take longer to cook.
- Don’t stack foods, especially larger pieces of food such as pork chops or salmon, or they won’t brown evenly. Those foods do best when placed in a single layer.
- Cook food in an air fryer in multiple batches if the entire quantity won’t fit in the air fryer.
- Use parchment paper or aluminum foil to keep foods from sticking. You can buy parchment with precut holes that allow the air to circulate.
- Use a digital meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of meats to make sure it’s cooked through.
- If you’re cooking very fatty foods, there’s a risk of smoke. Add no more than a couple of tablespoons of water to the air fryer drawer below the perforated basket. This will prevent smoke.
- If you find that the food is cooked through but not crisp, set it to a higher temperature for a couple of minutes.
- Take notes and modify your favorite recipes based on your air fryer. Some air fryers run at a higher temperature, and some take longer to heat up.
- Make sure there are at least 6 inches of space around your air fryer so that air can freely circulate.
Notes
- The cooking temperatures and times noted below are general cook times. The exact time required will vary based on the model, wattage, and the capacity of the air fryer. So please keep an eye on the food and start checking it 5 minutes before the time is up.
- In general, the larger the air fryer, the more time it takes to air fry foods. I find that the Instant Pot air fryer lid takes slightly less cooking time than my larger basket style air fryer.
- A perfect time to get a feel for how the cooking is proceeding is at the halfway mark when you flip or shake up the food.
- The closer to the heating element the food is, the quicker it browns.
- Because of the smaller space, basket-style air fryers cook faster than air fryer ovens.
✏️ AIR FRYER CONVERSION
- You can use your air fryer instead of your oven for most recipes. The general rule of thumb to convert oven recipes to air fryer recipes is to take the oven temperature and reduce it by 25° to 50°F (5° to 10°C) and reduce the cooking time by 20 to 25%.
Air Fryer Cooking Chart for Vegetables
- Preheat the air fryer before adding the vegetables.
- Coat the air fryer basket with oil.
- Cut the vegetables to the same size, to ensure even cooking.
- To get the veggies to cook evenly, avoid overlapping them.
- Turn the vegetables or shake them halfway through the cooking process.
- Check, check, check on the food during cooking because air fryers behave differently based on wattage and size.
- If you like your vegetables crunchier, cook them for less time than indicated in this air fryer cooking chart.
| Vegetable | Temperature | Cook Time |
|---|---|---|
| Asparagus (medium thickness) | 400° F | 205° C | 6-8 minutes |
| Beets (cubed) | 380° F | 190° C | 18-20 minutes |
| Broccoli (florets) | 380° F | 190° C | 8-10 minutes |
| Brussels sprouts | 380° F | 190° C | 14-18 minutes |
| Butternut squash (halved) | 380° F | 190° C | 27-32 minutes |
| Butternut squash (1 inch) | 400° F | 205° C | 12-15 minutes |
| Cauliflower (florets) | 400° F | 205° C | 14-17 minutes |
| Carrots (baby) | 380° F | 190° C | 12-15 minutes |
| Carrots (½ inch) | 400° F | 205° C | 18-20 minutes |
| Corn on the cob | 380° F | 190° C | 12-15 minutes |
| Eggplant (sliced) | 380° F | 190° C | 12-15 minutes |
| Green beans | 380° F | 190° C | 12-15 minutes |
| Parsnips (fries) | 400° F | 205° C | 12-15 minutes |
| Potato wedges | 400° F | 205° C | 15-20 minutes |
| Potato (baby) | 400° F | 205° C | 15-20 minutes |
| Potatoes (cubed) | 400° F | 205° C | 18-23 minutes |
| Potatoes (sliced ¼ inch) | 400° F | 205° C | 12-15 minutes |
| Sweet potatoes (whole) | 380° F | 190° C | 40-50 minutes |
| Sweet potatoes (cubed) | 390° F | 200° C | 12-15 minutes |
| Sweet potatoes (thin fries, fresh) | 380° F | 190° C | 12-14 minutes |
| Zucchini (cubed) | 400° F | 205° C | 6-8 minutes |
| Zucchini (sliced) | 400° F | 205° C | 8-10 minutes |
Poultry/Cooking Times Chart
- Preheat the air fryer before adding the chicken.
- Chicken breasts, in particular, can easily get overcooked. Measure the temperature with a digital thermometer. Chicken is ready when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
- Coat the air fryer basket with oil.
- Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel before air frying to get it crisp.
- Make sure the chicken pieces are about the same size, to ensure even cooking.
- Avoid overlapping the chicken pieces to get them to cook evenly.
- Flip the chicken halfway through. In the case of a whole chicken, flip it ¾ of the way through.
- Check on the food periodically because air fryers behave differently based on wattage and size.
- Adjust the times as needed based on how quickly the food cooks.
| Chicken | Temperature | Cooking Time |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast (bone-in) | 380° F | 190° C | 25-27 minutes |
| Chicken breast (boneless) | 360° F | 180° C | 18-22 minutes |
| Chicken thigh (bone-in) | 380° F | 190° C | 18-22 minutes |
| Chicken thigh (boneless) | 380° F | 190° C | 15-17 minutes |
| Chicken (1 ½ inch cubes) | 380° F | 190° C | 8-11 minutes |
| Chicken (frozen) | 360° F | 180° C | 25-30 minutes |
| Chicken (whole 3 lbs) | 360° F | 180° C | 55-65 minutes |
| Cornish game hen (2 lbs) | 380° F | 190° C | 30-40 minutes |
| Turkey breast (4 lbs) | 360° F | 180° C | 45-55 minutes |
Air Fryer Times for Seafood
- Preheat the air fryer before adding the fish.
- Fish is prone to overcooking very easily. Measure the temperature with a digital thermometer. It’s ready when the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F.
- Coat the air fryer basket with oil.
- Make sure the fish pieces are about the same size to ensure even cooking.
- Avoid overlapping the pieces of fish so that they cook evenly.
- Turn the fish halfway through the air frying time.
- Check on the fish periodically because air fryers behave differently based on wattage and size.
- Adjust the times as needed based on how quickly the fish cooks.
| Seafood | Temperature | Cooking Time |
|---|---|---|
| Cod | 380° F | 190° C | 8-10 minutes |
| Halibut | 360° F | 180° C | 7-10 minutes |
| Salmon | 380° F | 190° C | 8-10 minutes |
| Shrimp | 400° F | 205° C | 5-7 minutes |
| Swordfish | 400° F | 205° C | 8-10 minutes |
| Tuna steaks | 380° F | 190° C | 4-7 minutes |
Air Fryer Cook Times Chart for Beef
- Preheat the air fryer before adding the beef.
- Measure the temperature with a digital thermometer. Steak is ready when the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F (rare). For medium doneness, cook to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. Ground beef is ready when the internal temperature hits 160 degrees F.
- Coat the air fryer basket with oil.
- Make sure the beef pieces are about the same size to ensure even cooking.
- Avoid overlapping the pieces of beef so that they cook evenly.
- Turn the beef halfway through the air frying time.
- Check on the beef periodically because air fryers behave differently based on wattage and size.
- Adjust the times as needed based on how quickly the beef cooks.
| Meat | Cooking Temperature | Cooking Time |
|---|---|---|
| Beef ribs | 380° F | 190° C | 23-25 minutes |
| Flank steak | 360° F | 180° C | 8-12 minutes |
| Hamburger | 360° F | 180° C | 12-15 minutes |
| Meatballs | 400° F | 205° C | 10-12 minutes |
| Meatloaf | 360° F | 180° C | 25-35 minutes |
| Short ribs | 380° F | 190° C | 8-12 minutes |
| Skirt steak | 380° F | 190° C | 6-8 minutes |
| Sirloin steak | 400° F | 205° C | 7-12 minutes |
| Sirloin tips | 400° F | 205° C | 7-10 minutes |
Air Fryer Cooking Time Chart for Pork
- Preheat the air fryer before adding the pork.
- Measure the temperature with a digital thermometer. Insert a thermometer through the center and thickest part of the meat. Pork chops are ready when the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F, and a fully cooked ham is ready when the internal temperature hits 165 degrees F.
- Make sure the meat pieces are about the same size to ensure even cooking.
- Avoid overlapping the pieces of meat so that they cook evenly.
- Turn the meat halfway through the air frying time.
- Check on the meat periodically because air fryers behave differently based on wattage and size.
- Adjust the times as needed based on how quickly the meat cooks.
| Meat | Temperature | Cooking Time |
|---|---|---|
| Baby back ribs (1 rack) | 380° F | 190° C | 30-40 minutes |
| Bacon | 360° F | 180° C | 6-9 minutes |
| Ham (fully cooked, 3 lb) | 300° F | 150° C | 35-45 minutes |
| Ham slices (2 lbs) | 380° F | 190° C | 10-12 minutes |
| Pork chops | 380° F | 190° C | 12-14 minutes |
| Pork loin roast | 360° F | 180° C | 45-55 minutes |
| Pork tenderloin (1.5 lbs) | 360° F | 180° C | 18-25 minutes |
Frozen Food Cooking Times
- Preheating the air fryer before adding the food is not necessary but it does help get crispy food, especially foods that cook for a short period of time such as shrimp.
- Keep the food frozen until ready to air fry.
- Avoid overlapping larger frozen food. Fries, tater tots, and smaller foods can be stacked, but in a haphazard manner so that air circulates.
- Turn the food or shake the basket halfway through the air frying time.
- Check on the frozen foods periodically because air fryers behave differently based on wattage and size.
- Adjust the times as needed based on how quickly the frozen food cooks.
| Air Fryer Frozen Food | Temperature | Cooking Time |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast (breaded) | 380° F | 190° C | 16-19 minutes |
| Chicken nuggets | 400° F | 205° C | 8-12 minutes |
| Chicken tenders | 380° F | 190° C | 12-14 minutes |
| Chicken wings (frozen raw) | 400° F | 205° C | 20-25 minutes |
| Chicken wings (frozen precooked) | 400° F | 205° C | 11-15 minutes |
| Chicken fries | 400° F | 205° C | 8-10 minutes |
| Egg rolls | 370° F | 188° C | 8-12 minutes |
| Empanadas | 360° F | 180° C | 7-12 minutes |
| Falafels | 350° F | 177° C | 9-12 minutes |
| Fish sticks | 400° F | 205° C | 7-9 minutes |
| Fish fillet | 380° F | 190° C | 12-14 minutes |
| French fries | 400° F | 205° C | 15-18 minutes |
| Hashbrowns | 380° F | 190° C | 13-16 minutes |
| Mozzarella sticks | 360° F | 180° C | 5-8 minutes |
| Onion rings | 350° F | 177° C | 11-14 minutes |
| Popcorn chicken | 400° F | 205° C | 9-12 minutes |
| Potato skins | 360° F | 180° C | 8-11 minutes |
| Samosas | 380° F | 190° C | 10-13 minutes |
| Shrimp (frozen raw) | 400° F | 205° C | 6-9 minutes |
| Shrimp (frozen cooked) | 400° F | 205° C | 5-7 minutes |
| Sweet potato fries | 360° F | 180° C | 14-17 minutes |
| Pizza | 370° F | 188° C | 8-12 minutes |
| Pizza rolls | 380° F | 190° C | 7-10 minutes |
| Potstickers | 380° F | 190° C | 11-14 minutes |
| Tater tots | 400° F | 205° C | 11-14 minutes |
| Taquitos | 400° F | 205° C | 7-10 minutes |
Get more details on how to cook the most popular frozen foods in the air fryer.
Free Printable Air Fryer Cook Times Cheat Sheet
The following free printable chart with air frying time and temps is for the most common foods that can be easily made in the air fryer. Download the printable cheat sheet.
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Robert says
Excellent article. You are better than Barnes and Noble.
Neena Panicker says
Thank you! Happy to help.
Daphne Siseman says
Thanks for some great information regarding Air Fryers. I hope I am able to follow you on Pintrest
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thanks Daphne, I am on Pinterest, slowly adding new recipes for the air fryer.