To convert any oven recipe for your air fryer, reduce the temperature by 25°F (14ºC) and the cooking time by 20%. For example, for a deep fryer to air fryer recipe conversion, reduce the temperature by 25°F but cook for the same time or a bit longer as needed. OK, so let’s learn how to convert a recipe for your air fryer …
Regarding my kitchen, my air fryer is a star player. I love how it can turn out perfectly crispy, juicy food with minimal oil. Plus, it’s so easy to use and cooks food in a flash.
I’ve used my air fryer for a while and run through my entire recipe collection. But I discovered I could easily convert my baked, deep-fried, pan-fried or roasted recipes to work in my air fryer.
The beauty of a great air fryer is that you can cook all your favourite foods in it. First, however, you need to know how to adjust the cooking temperature and time to avoid the risk of burning a dish or undercooking it.
To make things easier, I have put together simple charts to convert oven recipes to air fryers and deep fryer recipes to air fryers that you can use. So now, adapting recipes for the air fryer is a breeze.
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Converting Oven Recipes To Air Fryer
Ovens and air fryers work similarly, using hot air to cook food. However, their compact size and efficient cooking process allow air fryers to cook the food more quickly and achieve a crispier texture than ovens.
But when cooking food in an air fryer, it is essential to use a lower temperature and shorter cooking time to prevent overcooking or burning.
As a general guideline, when adapting a traditional oven recipe to an air fryer one, it is recommended to reduce the temperature by around 25°F and the cooking time by about 20%.
It’s important to remember that not all recipes are the same when converting from an oven to an air fryer, so starting with a lower cooking time and monitoring the food closely is crucial.
A good strategy is to check the food halfway and adjust as needed. Also, when using an air fryer, it’s important to remember that cooking times and temperatures can vary depending on the type of food you’re preparing.
Air fryers cook food quickly, so it’s easy to assume that the food is fully cooked based on the browned exterior, but the inside may not be fully cooked.
To ensure your food is cooked to perfection, it’s crucial to keep an eye on it and check on it periodically, especially if you’re trying out a new recipe. Also, try reducing the temperature or cooking time if your food cooks too quickly.
If it’s not getting crispy enough, increase the temperature. A meat thermometer is a great idea to ensure your food is fully cooked, especially for ingredients like chicken.
You can easily convert your favourite oven recipes to air fryers with this conversion chart:
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Oven
Air Fryer
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Temperature
If the recipe specifies a temperature of 400°F (200°C)
Cook at 375°F (190°C)
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Time
If the recipe specifies a cook time of 1 hour
Cook for around 45 minutes(Start checking the food after 30 minutes)
Converting Deep Fryer Recipes To Air Fryer
An air fryer cooks food very differently than an air fryer, and instead of submerging the food and frying it in hot oil, air fryers use circulating hot air to cook food.
This gives you a crispy, crunchy texture and a nice golden-brown colour with minimal oil. When adapting a recipe from deep frying to air frying, the cooking temperature must be reduced by 25°F.
Regarding the cooking duration, the air fryer and deep fryer are similar, with the air fryer possibly taking slightly longer. To ensure that your food is cooked evenly, it’s recommended to check on it halfway through the cooking.
You can spritz a little oil before cooking to achieve a nice crunchy crust and golden colour in your air-fried food.
This conversion chart lets you easily convert your favourite deep-fryer recipes to air fryers.
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Oven
Air Fryer
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Temperature
If recipe specifies temperature of 350°F (177°C)
Cook at 325°F (163°C)
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Time
If the recipe specifies a frying time of 5 minutes
Cook for around 5-10 minutes(Start checking the food after 5 minutes)
Quick Tip: If you want to convert a pan-fry recipe cooked on the stovetop to an air fryer recipe, then if the recipe specifies cooking on high heat, then air fry at around 375°F to 400°F (190°C to 204°C) and if it specifies medium heat, then air fry at about 325°F to 350°F (163°C to 177°C). Keep the cooking time the same, but keep checking the food regularly.
FAQs
Do The Same Rules As Oven Or Deep Frying Apply To Cooking Frozen Foods In An Air Fryer Too?
Cooking frozen foods, such as pizza, chicken nuggets, French fries, etc., in an air fryer follows the same guidelines as using an oven or deep fryer.
Follow the cooking instructions on the packaging and adjust the temperature and time accordingly. One thing to remember is that frozen foods usually have oil already in them, so there is no need to add extra oil when cooking them in an air fryer.
Does The Process Of Baking In An Air Fryer Differ From Baking in An Oven?
Baking in an air fryer is the same as baking in a regular oven, except that a few adjustments are needed in the temperature and baking time. But make sure to avoid using toppings that may melt, as they may get burnt in the air fryer.
How To Convert A Recipe For Your Air Fryer: Summing Up
After experimenting with various recipes in my air fryer, I learned that converting recipes to be cooked in an air fryer is a breeze. All you need to do is slightly adjust the temperature and cook time.
With the quick conversion charts I have put together in the article, I hope you can quickly cook all your favourite recipes in your air fryer.
