Air fryer cooking times, by food

Everything goes in raw or straight from the freezer. Pick what is in the basket: the timer dings halfway to shake it or turn it over, then rings when it is done.

10:00

What is in the basket?

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How to use an air fryer in three steps

Preheat it for three minutes

Run it empty at the temperature in the table for three minutes. The times on this page assume a hot basket, and food that goes into a cold one steams for the first few minutes instead of crisping.
One layer, with gaps

Spread the food out in a single layer with a little space around each piece, so the hot air can reach every side. Toss fresh food in a teaspoon of oil first. Frozen food is usually oiled already and needs none.
Shake it when it dings

Halfway through the timer dings once. Pull the basket out, shake it hard or turn the pieces over, and push it back in. The clock carries on by itself and rings properly when everything is done.

Air fryer cooking times and temperatures

Times are for a basket air fryer, preheated, with the food in a single layer. Air fryers vary, so the first time you cook something, check it two minutes early. Halfway says what to do when the timer dings.

Too full Piled up, they steam. Pale and soft, even at the full time.
One layer Room for the air to reach each piece. The times assume this.
Too few A handful cooks faster. Check them a few minutes early.

Air fryer cooking time, temperature and what to do halfway for each food
Food	Time	Temperature	Halfway
Frozen fries	12–15 min	200 °C · 400 °F	Shake
Frozen thick-cut fries	16–20 min	200 °C · 400 °F	Shake
Frozen chicken wings	25–30 min	200 °C · 400 °F	Shake
Frozen hash browns	10–12 min	200 °C · 400 °F	Turn
Frozen burgers	12–15 min	190 °C · 375 °F	Turn
Frozen pizza, small	8–10 min	190 °C · 375 °F	–
Frozen chicken nuggets	10–12 min	200 °C · 400 °F	Turn
Frozen fish fingers	8–10 min	200 °C · 400 °F	Turn
Homemade fries	18–22 min	200 °C · 400 °F	Shake
Sweet potato fries	12–15 min	200 °C · 400 °F	Shake
Potato wedges	20–25 min	200 °C · 400 °F	Shake
Baked potato, whole	40–45 min	200 °C · 400 °F	Turn
Chicken breast	18–20 min	190 °C · 375 °F	Turn
Chicken thighs, bone in	22–25 min	190 °C · 375 °F	Turn
Chicken drumsticks	20–24 min	200 °C · 400 °F	Turn
Chicken wings, fresh	22–25 min	200 °C · 400 °F	Shake
Pork chops	12–15 min	200 °C · 400 °F	Turn
Sausages	10–12 min	190 °C · 375 °F	Turn
Bacon	8–10 min	180 °C · 350 °F	Turn
Salmon fillet	8–10 min	200 °C · 400 °F	–
Prawns, raw	6–8 min	200 °C · 400 °F	Shake
Broccoli	8–10 min	200 °C · 400 °F	Shake
Brussels sprouts, halved	12–15 min	190 °C · 375 °F	Shake
Corn on the cob	10–12 min	200 °C · 400 °F	Turn

Chicken is safe at 74 °C (165 °F) in the thickest part and burgers at 71 °C (160 °F). Those are the USDA minimum temperatures, and the UK Food Standards Agency says the same in words: poultry and minced meat cooked all the way through, with no pink left. A probe thermometer is the quickest way to know, and the only reliable one for chicken.

For fish the USDA minimum is 63 °C (145 °F), when the flesh turns opaque and flakes easily. Many cooks take salmon off at 55 to 60 °C for a moister fillet. That is a choice about texture, not the safe figure.

Frozen food goes in straight from the freezer. Thawing it first makes it soggy, and the times above already allow for the ice.

One exception: the USDA advises against cooking raw, stuffed, breaded chicken products, such as a frozen chicken Kiev or cordon bleu, in an air fryer. Follow the packet instructions for those. The same page says to cook in batches rather than overfill the basket, which is what the three baskets above show.

Food safety

What the official guidance says

Chicken and turkey: Safe at 74 °C (165 °F) in the thickest part, checked with a thermometer.
Burgers and minced meat: Safe at 71 °C (160 °F).
Fish: Safe at 63 °C (145 °F).
Don’t overfill the basket: Crowding stops the air circulating and can leave food undercooked. Cook large amounts in batches.
Stuffed breaded chicken: Raw, stuffed, breaded chicken products should not be cooked in an air fryer. Follow the packet instructions.
Leftovers: Into the fridge within 2 hours of cooking.

Source: USDA , checked September 2026.

Why it dings halfway

An air fryer is a small, very hot fan oven, and the fan blows from the top. Whatever faces up browns first, and whatever touches the basket or sits underneath other pieces stays pale. Shaking or turning halfway is what makes the result even.

So each timer here is two halves of the same length, and the ding between them is the moment to act. It does not stop the clock: shake the basket, push it back in and the second half is already counting.

The basket is the recipe

Every time on this page assumes one layer. Pile the basket high and the food at the bottom steams in the moisture from the food above it, so it comes out soft however long you leave it. Two batches in a row are faster than one overfilled basket.

A very small amount goes the other way. Five or six fries in a big basket get all the air to themselves and are done a few minutes early, so check them before the timer ends.

From an oven recipe

To convert a fan oven recipe, turn the temperature down by 20 °C (25 °F) and cut the time by about a fifth. A packet that says 20 minutes at 220 °C becomes about 16 minutes at 200 °C.

Anything that needs to rise or set, like cakes, bread or batter, converts less well. The fan dries the surface before the middle is ready. Those are better in the oven, and the bread timer has the times.

Popular timers

Questions about air fryer cooking times

How long do frozen fries take in an air fryer?

12 to 15 minutes at 200 °C (400 °F) for ordinary frozen fries, and 16 to 20 for thick-cut or steak fries. Shake the basket halfway. They go in straight from the freezer with no extra oil, in one layer.

How long do you cook chicken breast in an air fryer?

18 to 20 minutes at 190 °C (375 °F) for an average breast of about 200 g, turned over halfway. It is done when the thickest part reads 74 °C (165 °F). A very large breast can take 25 minutes, so check the middle rather than trusting the clock. The chicken breast timer has every size, frozen and breaded, and counts the rest.

How long do chicken wings take in an air fryer?

Fresh wings take 22 to 25 minutes at 200 °C (400 °F), and frozen wings 25 to 30. Shake them halfway either way. Pat fresh wings dry first, and they come out crisper with no oil at all, because the skin renders its own fat. The chicken wings timer has every kind, with the two-temperature method for the crispiest skin.

How long does salmon take in an air fryer?

8 to 10 minutes at 200 °C (400 °F) for a fillet about 2.5 cm thick. Do not turn it. The top browns in the fan and turning a cooked fillet breaks it. It is done when it flakes easily in the middle. The salmon timer has every thickness, frozen fillets, bites and glazes.

How long do sweet potato fries take in an air fryer?

12 to 15 minutes at 200 °C (400 °F) for homemade sweet potato fries cut about 1 cm thick, shaken halfway, and 10 to 14 for frozen ones. Toss homemade fries in a teaspoon of oil and a little cornflour first. Sweet potato holds more water than ordinary potato, and the cornflour is what lets it crisp rather than go limp. For a whole baked sweet potato, see the baked potato timer.

How long do hash browns take in an air fryer?

Frozen hash brown patties take 10 to 12 minutes at 200 °C (400 °F), turned over halfway. Lay them flat in one layer without overlapping, or the edges that touch stay soft.

Can you cook frozen burgers and pizza in an air fryer?

Yes. Frozen burgers take 12 to 15 minutes at 190 °C (375 °F), turned halfway, and are done at 71 °C (160 °F) in the middle. A small frozen pizza that fits flat in the basket takes 8 to 10 minutes at the same temperature and is not turned.

Do you need to preheat an air fryer?

For crisp results, yes, and three minutes is enough. Food that goes into a cold basket spends the first minutes warming up and steaming rather than browning. Some models preheat themselves; if yours does, skip it.

How do I convert oven times to an air fryer?

Lower the temperature by 20 °C (25 °F) and reduce the time by about 20 per cent, then check a few minutes early the first time. A frozen food packet with oven instructions of 20 minutes at 220 °C becomes about 16 minutes at 200 °C.