✅ Air Fryer Settings
💡 Pro Tips
- The change from convection is small — watch closely the first time
- Don't overcrowd the basket for best results
- Shake or flip food halfway through
- Preheat the air fryer 3-5 minutes
📊 Convection Oven to Air Fryer Conversion Chart
| Convection Temp | Air Fryer Temp | Time Reduction |
|---|---|---|
| 300°F (150°C) | 290°F (145°C) | ~10% less |
| 325°F (165°C) | 315°F (155°C) | ~10% less |
| 350°F (175°C) | 340°F (170°C) | ~10% less |
| 375°F (190°C) | 360°F (180°C) | ~10% less |
| 400°F (200°C) | 390°F (200°C) | ~10% less |
| 425°F (220°C) | 415°F (210°C) | ~10% less |
| 450°F (230°C) | 440°F (225°C) | ~10% less |
🍽️ Common Convection Oven Foods in the Air Fryer
A convection oven already circulates air, so the jump to an air fryer is small — drop only about 10°F and trim roughly 10% off the time. These settings already include that adjustment. Check a few minutes early and fine-tune to your model.
| Food | Typical Convection Oven | Air Fryer Setting |
|---|---|---|
| Frozen french fries | 400°F, 18 min | 390°F, 16 min |
| Chicken wings | 400°F, 30 min | 390°F, 27 min |
| Roasted vegetables | 400°F, 20 min | 390°F, 18 min |
| Chicken breast | 375°F, 22 min | 365°F, 20 min |
| Bacon | 375°F, 15 min | 365°F, 13 min |
| Salmon fillet | 375°F, 15 min | 365°F, 13 min |
| Cookies | 350°F, 10 min | 340°F, 9 min |
| Reheating pizza | 375°F, 10 min | 365°F, 9 min |
How to Convert a Convection Oven Recipe to an Air Fryer
An air fryer is basically a small, turbocharged convection oven, so converting a convection recipe is much easier than converting a regular (conventional) oven recipe. Because your convection oven already circulates hot air, you only need a small adjustment — not the full 25°F drop used for standard ovens.
The Simple Rule
Lower the convection temperature by about 10°F (around 5°C) and cut the time by roughly 10%. For example, a convection setting of 375°F for 30 minutes becomes about 360°F for 27 minutes in the air fryer. The calculator above applies food-specific tweaks automatically.
Why Only a Small Change?
The big temperature drop in a normal oven-to-air-fryer conversion accounts for the air fryer's fan. A convection oven already has that fan, so most of the difference is already built into your recipe. The air fryer's chamber is just smaller and a touch more intense, which is why a slight reduction still helps prevent over-browning.
Convection vs. Conventional — Don't Mix Them Up
If your recipe lists a conventional (no-fan) oven temperature, use the standard oven to air fryer converter instead and drop 25°F. Only use this page when the recipe was written for a convection or fan-assisted oven.
A Worked Example: A 375°F Convection Roast
A convection recipe that calls for 375°F for 25 minutes barely changes in an air fryer, and that surprises people. Both appliances are fan-forced, so the air fryer is essentially a small, fast convection oven. Drop the temperature just 10–15°F to about 360°F and trim the time by a few minutes to roughly 20–22 minutes. Compare that to a conventional (no-fan) oven recipe, where you would drop a full 25°F — the smaller adjustment here is the whole point of starting from a convection recipe.
Common Mistakes When Switching From a Convection Oven
- Double-reducing the temperature — treating a convection recipe like a conventional one and dropping 25°F leaves food underdone. The convection adjustment is small on purpose.
- Mixing up convection and conventional recipes — if the recipe never used the fan, use the standard oven converter instead.
- Overloading the basket — a full-size convection oven has room to spare; an air fryer does not. Leave space for air to move.
- Not trimming the time — even at a similar temperature, the air fryer's tighter space cooks a little faster. Check a few minutes early.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I convert a convection oven recipe to an air fryer?
Lower the convection temperature by about 10°F (5°C) and reduce the time by roughly 10%. A convection setting of 375°F for 30 minutes becomes about 360°F for 27 minutes in the air fryer. Check a few minutes early the first time.
Is an air fryer the same as a convection oven?
They work on the same principle — a fan circulating hot air — but an air fryer has a smaller chamber and a more powerful, focused fan. That makes the air fryer cook a little faster and crisp more aggressively, so you reduce the temperature slightly when converting.
Do I reduce the temperature when going from convection to air fryer?
Only a little. Drop about 10°F (5°C). This is much less than the 25°F reduction used when converting from a regular conventional oven, because the convection oven's fan already does most of the work.
Why is the convection adjustment smaller than the regular oven one?
The standard 25°F reduction exists to account for the air fryer's fan. A convection oven already has a fan, so that adjustment is partly baked in. You only fine-tune for the air fryer's smaller, more intense chamber.
Can I just use the same settings as my convection oven?
Often you can get close, but food may brown faster in the air fryer's tighter space. Lowering the temperature about 10°F and checking early gives more reliable results, especially for baked goods and delicate items.
Is a convection oven the same as an air fryer?
In principle they work the same way — both use a fan to circulate hot air. An air fryer is essentially a small, powerful convection oven: its compact chamber and stronger fan concentrate the airflow, so it crisps faster and browns more aggressively than a full-size convection oven. That is why the adjustment between the two is so small.
Why is the temperature drop smaller for a convection oven?
Because a convection oven already moves air with a fan, it is much closer to how an air fryer cooks than a still, conventional oven is. You only need to lower the temperature about 10°F (rather than the usual 25°F) and trim the time slightly. If your recipe was written for a standard non-fan oven, use the main oven to air fryer converter instead.