Converting From Traditional 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 – 50ºF and cut the time by roughly 20%. So, if a recipe calls for cooking at 400ºF for 20 minutes, air-fry at 370ºF for about 16 minutes. You can also refer to the cooking charts on this page to help determine the right cooking time for foods. Remember to turn foods over halfway through the cooking time (as you would in a skillet or on the grill) and check the foods for your desired degree of doneness as you approach the finish line.
Converting From Packaged Foods Instructions
The same rule applies to prepared foods that you might buy at the grocery store. If a bag of frozen French fries suggests cooking in the oven at 450ºF for 18 minutes, air fry the fries at 400ºF and start checking them at 15 minutes, remembering to shake the basket once or twice during the cooking process to help the fries brown evenly.
Converting to Different Sized Air-Fryers
Larger air fryers can make life a little easier, especially if you’re cooking for 4 or more people. Because the baskets in these air fryers are larger, you can cook more food at one time and do not have to cook the food in batches as specified in many of these recipes. Just remember not to over-fill the air fryer basket, since that will just slow down the overall cooking time and result in foods that are not as crispy as you’d like them to be. In addition, some larger air fryers with more power might cook foods slightly faster than smaller, lower wattage air fryers. This will not be a significant difference, but might save you a couple of minutes on some recipes. As with all things you cook in the air fryer, it makes sense to pull open the air fryer drawer and check the foods as they cook. That way, you’ll avoid over-cooking anything.
