Air Fryer Cooking Times vs. Oven- which cooks faster?
Air fryers and ovens have different cooking methods and are faster than others.
But did you know that air fryers and ovens have different cooking times?
In air fryer cooking times vs. oven, the air fryer cooks food 20 percent faster than an oven on average.
This is because an air fryer circulates hot air faster than an oven.
So if you’re planning to make meals in an air fryer or oven, you should know the air fryer and oven cooking times for different foods.
Air fryer to oven conversion chart – Cooking times
An oven takes 20 percent more time for food to cook than an air fryer.
So if you are using an iron fryer, time and recipe.
We recommend putting the food in the oven for longer than you put it in an air fryer while keeping a close eye on it.
Related Reading: Best BPA – Free Air Fryer – Get To Know More Here.
Cooking time for vegetables
For vegetables like zucchini, potatoes, parsnips, funnel, eggplants, and Brussel sprouts, take 15 minutes to cook in an air fryer.
It takes 18 minutes to make them nice and crunchy in an oven.
Tough vegetables like beet and baking whole potatoes take almost 40 minutes to cook in an air fryer.
In contrast, a conventional oven takes 48-50 minutes to cook thoroughly once you increase the oven temperature by 25°F.
| Vegetables | Cooking time in the air fryer (min) | Cooking time in the oven (the min) |
| Potatoes (whole) | 45 | 50 |
| Carrots | 20 | 25 |
| Beet | 40 | 45 |
| Broccoli | 7 | 10 |
| Brussel sprouts | 11 | 15 |
| Squash | 12 | 15 |
| Zucchini | 17 | 24 |
| Kale | 10 | 12 |
| Asparagus | 8 | 10 |
| Eggplant (sliced) | 13 | 15 |
| Cauliflower | 12 | 15 |
| Green beans | 8 | 10 |
| Tomato (cut in half) | 10 | 12 |
Cooking time for meat
Either business or whole chicken, it takes not more than 24 to 60 minutes to cook chicken at 380°F.
To cook the same chicken in the oven, you need 30 to 70 minutes respectively.
Similarly, seafood items like calamari and shrimp take 4 to 9 minutes to cook in an air fryer.
In contrast, cooking in an oven takes 5 to 11 minutes.
The same goes for red meat.
A thick cut of meat takes at least 45 minutes to cook in an air fryer, whereas it takes 50 minutes to cook in an oven.
Here is the cooking time of different chicken parts to help you easily cook.
| Meat | Cooking time in the air fryer (min) | Cooking time in the oven (min) |
| Lamb rack (1lbs) | 20 | 26 |
| Chicken breast | 12 | 16 |
| Whole chicken | 55 | 65 |
| Chicken thighs (boneless) | 16 | 20 |
| Chicken thighs (with bone) | 20 | 25 |
| Salmon | 10 | 13 |
| Flank steak | 12 | 15 |
| 8 oz. ribeye | 11 | 15 |
| Burger patties | 15 | 18 |
Air fryer cooking times in Celsius
Most conventional ovens use Fahrenheit as a heat measuring scale.
However, in an air fryer, the temperature reading can be Celsius.
That’s why you should know which food cooks at different times at different temperatures in an air fryer.
Chicken
A full chicken cooks at 185°C for 60 minutes in an air fryer
Drumsticks take 23 minutes to cook at 193°C.
Similarly, boned and boneless breast pieces and thigh bones take 12 -22 minutes to cook at 193°C.
| Chicken piece | Temperature (celcius) | Cooking time (min) |
| Boneless breast | 189 | 11 |
| Wings | 204 | 12 |
| Bone-in thighs | 193 | 23 |
| Drumsticks | 193 | 22 |
| Whole | 184 | 60 |
| Tenders | 182 | 12 |
Vegetables
Most vegetables cook at a high-temperature range of 190°C – 203°C to maintain their crispiness and thoroughly cook.
However, vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, fennel, kale, onions, tomatoes, and mushrooms take not more than 5-10 minutes to cook thoroughly.
On the other hand, many root vegetables like carrots, beets, eggplants, sweet potatoes, squash, and zucchini take between 12-20 minutes to cook at 204°C.
Meat
Red meat is the toughest food item to cook.
However, in an air fryer, a thin beef cut-like flank takes 13 minutes to cook at 205°C.
The same goes for one-inch sirloin steak and filet mignon.
Meatballs cook at 193°C for 8-12 minutes.
However, a roast could take 55 minutes to cook at the same temperature.
| Meat | Cooking temperature (celcius) | Cooking time (min) |
| 4 oz. burger patties | 189 | 18 |
| 1-inch meatballs | 193 | 10 |
| 1- inch thick ribeye | 204 | 12 |
| Beef eye roast | 198 | 50 |
| Flank steak | 204 | 12 |
Air fryer to convection oven conversion
An air fryer cooks food in less time on high heat.
If you want to try an air fryer recipe in a conventional oven, increase the temperature of the oven to 25°F than you set in the air fryer.
Also, increase the cooking time of food items up to 20 percent.
For example, if you are baking chicken in an oven instead of an air fryer.
Firstly, increase the temperature to 25°F than in an air fryer, and instead of cooking for 50 minutes in an air fryer, bake it for 60 minutes.
Related Reading: What Is An Air Fryer Cover- Read More.
Air fryer conversion chart for frozen food – Cooking times
To cook frozen items thoroughly, you should preheat your air fryer.
Most frozen items easily cook at 200°C.
However, their cooking range can vary very which as follows.
| Frozen food items | Cooking temperature (celcius) | Cooking time (min) |
| Thick cut fries | 200 | 12 |
| Thin cut fries | 200 | 8 |
| Nuggets | 200 | 10 |
| Shrimp | 200 | 7 |
| Fish filets | 200 | 12 |
| Onion rings | 200 | 5 |
| Mozzarella sticks | 200 | 6 |
| Potato wedges | 200 | 14 |
| Fish fingers | 200 | 10 |
Air fryer cooking times vs. oven – FAQs
1. How do you convert baking time to Air Fryer?
To convert your oven baking time to your air fryer, firstly, say the air fryer temperature 25°F less than you set in an oven.
Then reduce the time by 20 percent that you set in the oven.
Keep checking the food and adjust the time according to your favorite cook.
2. Are air fryer cooking times the same as an oven?
No, an air fryer cooks faster than an oven and has reduced cooking times.
3. Does the air fryer cook faster than the oven?
Yes, an air fryer has a quicker and hotter heat flow than an oven.
That’s why it cooks fast and thoroughly.
4. What is the temperature difference between an oven and an air fryer?
An air fryer takes 25°F less to cook a food item than an oven.
So there’s a temperature difference of 25°F.
5. Can I put aluminum foil in an air fryer?
Yes, as no radiation is used in an air fryer, you can use aluminum foil easily.
6. How long do I cook frozen french fries in the air fryer?
Frozen French fries take 8-12 minutes to cook in an air fryer, depending on their cut.
Thick-cut French fries take about 12 minutes, and thin-cut ones cook within 10 minutes.
7. How do you convert cooking times?
While converting an air fryer recipe into an oven, always increase the time by 20 percent.
Similarly, when using an oven recipe in an air fryer, reduce the time by half and increase it until your food is cooked thoroughly.
8. Can an air fryer replace an oven?
Yes, it can.
But an air fryer has a smaller room than an oven.
That’s why it can only work for small portions.
9. Does the air fryer cook raw chicken?
Yes, it does.
An air fryer can cook a whole chicken in 75 minutes at 180°C.
It can also cook other boned or boneless parts much quicker than in an oven.
10. How long does it take to air fry potatoes?
It depends on the cut.
Whole potatoes can take half an hour to cook on an air fryer.
Wedges, fries, or thin crisps take less than 15 minutes.
You can easily roast small potatoes at 200°C within 15 minutes.
11. Are air fryers cheaper to run than ovens?
Absolutely yes.
A high-quality air fryer takes 1500 watts of energy on average.
However, an oven consumes double power, which makes air fryers energy efficient.
12. Does food cook faster in an air fryer?
Due to elevated heat flow, an air fryer cooks food faster than any oven.
Related Reading: The Best Wattage For An Airfryer – Learn More.
The Bottom Line:
Air fryers are compact cooking gadgets that cook food by passing hot air through them.
Unlike an oven, it has quicker airflow.
That is why there is a difference in air fryer cooking times vs. oven.
Generally, an air fryer takes 20 percent less time for a food item to cook than an oven.
If you want to convert your air fryer cooking time into oven time.
Increase the oven temperature by 25°F and increase the cooking time by 20 percent to get the perfect cook on your food.
We also shared some cooking charts for your air fryer that will guide you through cooking at different times.
So don’t forget to share this article if it is insightful to you.
