Air Fryer Cooking Times + Search Tool & Free Printable

Are you confused about how long to air fry chicken, broccoli, or frozen snacks? You’re not alone!

Whether you’re new to air frying or just need a quick reference, this free printable air fryer cooking chart gives you go-to times and temperatures for the most common foods — no guesswork needed.

I’ve been air frying everything from Brussels sprouts to brownies for years now, and I’ve made every mistake in the book — soggy fries, dry chicken, burnt bacon.

That’s why I wanted to create something practical and easy to use, so you don’t have to guess or Google every time you cook.

Air fryers have become popular kitchen appliances because they can make crispy fried foods with little to no oil, but figuring out the correct cooking times can be tricky, especially when it is your first time using one.

These free printable charts and this  Searchable Time & Temp Tool provide a helpful starting point and easy reference.

However, remember that you may still need to make adjustments based on the specific recipe, the size of the food pieces, and the size of your air fryer.

Every air fryer is a little different!

Use it as a reference to figure out how to air fry meat, seafood, vegetables, frozen foods, and dessert!

How Air Fryers Work (And Why They’re Awesome)

Air fryers use rapid air circulation to cook food with a crispy outside and a tender inside — all with little to no oil.

A powerful fan blows hot air over a heating element, surrounding your food and cooking it quickly and evenly.

It’s basically a mini convection oven, but it’s much faster and often more efficient.

What Can You Air Fry?

Generally, food from appetizers, side dishes, main dishes, desserts, bread, and even air fryer dog treats can be cooked with an air fryer.

For me, the air fryer is perfect for cooking frozen foods, and not only that, but it also works well with fresh vegetables and meat.

Since it works like a small oven, you can also bake bread.

And even cakes! From muffins to shortbread.

Lastly, it’s a great quick way to reheat leftover food, especially if it needs to return crispy!

Benefits of Cooking with an Air Fryer

• Healthier meals with less oil
• Faster cooking 
• Easy cleanup (many baskets are dishwasher-safe)
• Versatile — cook vegetables, meats, snacks, desserts, and more.
• Great for small spaces or when you don’t want to heat up the kitchen

Air Fryer Cooking Tips For Better Results

• Preheat the air fryer: This is a crucial step to ensure even cooking, so don’t skip it. It is essential for the best results, just like a regular oven.

Use oil spray: I find that using an oil spray is perfect for the air fryer.

The cooking spray helps you cover the food well with oil while using less of it.

• Do not overcrowd the basket of the air fryer: Always cook in a single layer for even cooking of food and to ensure crispness.

Cook food in smaller batches for best results.

• Shake the air fryer basket or Turn the food: Shaking the food while cooking helps the heat get all over the food. So take the basket out at least a couple of times, shake it, and put it back in.

Don’t worry! When you take the basket out, the machine will automatically stop and start cooking once it is re-inserted.

• Clean the air fryer regularly: I clean it every time.

It helps to keep your air fryer working correctly and to prevent any unpleasant odors or flavors from building up.

Parchment paper or air fryer liners can minimize sticking and make cleanup easier.

Personal Air Fryer Fails (and What I Learned)

• Battered Fish Disaster
• I once threw wet beer-battered fish into the basket — it fused to the tray and fell apart.
• ✔️ Lesson: Always preheat & lightly flour before air frying anything battered.
• Overcrowded Fries
• I tried to make a giant batch of sweet potato fries — they steamed instead of crisping.
• ✔️ Lesson: Less is more. Cook in small batches for the crispiest results.
• Burnt Cookies
• I assumed 350°F for 10 minutes was safe for cookie dough — nope. The bottoms were charred.
• ✔️ Lesson: Use parchment paper and check halfway. Air fryers cook FAST.

Air Fryer vs Oven vs Deep Fryer

We refer to the convection oven when discussing the differences between an air fryer and an oven.

The convection oven is an oven that circulates hot air around the food using a fan, which is very similar to the air fryer.

Given that they use the same cooking process, it is fair to ask what the differences are from an oven.

• Faster preheating: While an oven requires waiting between 10 and 15 minutes for it to reach the set temperature, the air fryer, on the other hand, allows you to start right away, or at most, it will take only 2 minutes to preheat.
• Faster cooking: The cooking time in the air fryer is much shorter.

They cook food in less time because the hot air focuses directly on the food, whereas an oven has to heat the air within its much larger space.

• Energy efficiency: Air fryers are more energy efficient than ovens because they use less electricity.
• Healthier cooking: Air fryers can be more beneficial because they use less oil than an oven.
• Easy Cleaning: The air fryer is pretty easy to clean.

The air fryer basket can be washed after use, and some models also provide for washing their components in a dishwasher.

On the other hand, speaking of deep frying, the result is very similar between the two cooking methods, perfect for crispy foods, but the process is different.

Air frying uses hot air as the source of heat to cook food, as opposed to normal frying, which uses oil to cook the food.

This makes the air fryer process healthier.

How to Convert Oven Recipes to Air Fryer

I convert oven recipes by lowering the temperature, reducing the cooking time, or both.

A general rule of thumb is to lower temperature settings by 25-50 degrees and the oven time by 25-30%.

Check out this air fryer conversion chart.

🔍 Quick Search Tool for Air Fryer Times & Temps

Use the search tool below to quickly find the best air fryer settings for vegetables, meats, frozen foods, and more. Just type in something like “salmon,” “tater tots,” or “chicken wings” — and get instant tips for perfect, crispy results every time!

Air Fryer Cooking Time Chart 

The temperature is Fahrenheit; you can find Celsius temperatures to print below.

Vegetables

Asparagus	375°F	4-6 minutes
Baby carrots	380°F	12-15 minutes
Beet	380°F	17-20 minutes
Broccoli	400°F	6-8 minutes
Brussel Sprouts	375°F	12-15 minutes
Butternut Squash	375°F	15-20 minutes
Cauliflower (Breaded)	400°F	10 minutes
Corn On the cob	400°F	10-15 minutes
Eggplant (cube)	400°F	15-18 minutes
Fresh fries	400°F	15-18 minutes
Frozen french fries	400°F	10 minutes
Frozen Sweet potatos fries	375°F	16 minutes
Frozen tater tots	380°F	15-17 Minutes
Frozen Onion rings	380°F	8-10 Minutes
Frozen broccoli	400°F	10-12 minutes
Green beans	380°F	8-10 minutes
Mushrooms(Breaded)	375°F	10 minutes
Onions (slices)	375°F	8 minutes
Onion rings (homemade)	370°F	10 minutes
Peppers	375°F	8-10 minutes
Diced potatoes	360°F	12-18 minutes
Potato Puff	400°F	13 minutes
Potatoes Sliced	375°F	15 minutes
Potato Wedges	380°F	20 minutes
Sweet Potatos Fries	375°F	20 minutes
Tomatoes (cherry)	350°F	4-6 minutes
Zucchini (slices)	400°F	12-15 minutes

Snacks

Bagel Pizza	350°F	5 minutes
Burrito	375°F	5 minutes
Bread croutons	350°F	5 minutes
Eggplant rollatini	350°F	10 minutes
Frozen Potstickers	365°F	8-10 minutes
Frozen Mozzarella Sticks	400°F	6-8 minutes
Frozen Tater Tots	400°F	12-15 minutes
Frozen Pizza rolls	380°F	7-9 Minutes
Frozen corn dog	400°F	6-8 minutes.
Frozen meat pie	360°F	23-25 minutes
Frozen mini pizzas	350°F	8-11 minutes
Spring rolls	400°F	8 minutes
Kale chips	380°F	3-5 mins

Meat

Use a digital meat thermometer to ensure meats are cooked to a safe internal temperature, and adjust the cooking time or temperature if necessary.

Meat Safe temperature

• All Poultry 165 °F (73.9°C)
• Beef, Pork, Veal & Lamb 145 °F (62.8°C)
• Ground Meats 160 °F (71.1°C)
• Fish & Shellfish 145 °F (62.8°C)

Chicken 

Pork 

Beef

Fish 

Air fryer Desserts

Free Printable Air Fryer Cheat Sheet

1. Print it!
2. Keep it near your air fryer in the kitchen so you can refer to it when needed.
3. Cook the perfect food!