This Chart Shows You the Air-Fryer Cook Times for Your Favorite Foods

Determining how long to air-fry recipes can be a challenge. Especially when there are so many tasty things you can make in an air-fryer!

That’s why we’ve pulled together everyone’s favorite air-fryer recipes—from chicken wings to french fries, easy recipes to hard—and decoded how long they’ll take in your trusty air fryer.

Air-Fryer Cooking Chart

The tricky thing with air-fryers is that their temperatures can vary a bit. That’s why we give a time range on most of these foods.

Cooking Meat and Fish in the Air Fryer

Whether you’re cooking seafood or steak, it doesn’t hurt to check any kind of meat with a thermometer until you get to know your air fryer’s temperatures down pat—just to be on the safe side.

The air fryer can help you cook anything from meat loaf to your morning bacon. For example, if you don’t want to fire up the grill, preheat your favorite appliance for air-fryer cheeseburgers, air-fryer steak or air-fryer brats. Or, keep the house cool by leaving the oven off and instead making air-fryer meat loaf or air-fryer chicken breasts.

When it comes to seafood, air-fryer cod, air-fryer salmon or air-fryer tilapia would make quick and healthy weeknight dinners. Air-fryer coconut shrimp with apricot sauce feels a little more indulgent—but is still slightly healthier than deep fried shrimp.

You can even make your brunch protein easy by preparing some air-fryer sausage patties or air-fryer bacon.

Cooking Vegetables in the Air Fryer

Rely on your air fryer to help you sneak in more veggies. You might end up loving air-fryer Brussels sprouts, air-fryer asparagus or air-fryer broccoli more than you normally would when cooked with other methods. Otherwise, try using the air fryer for more classically-loved veggies like air-fryer carrots, air-fryer green beans, air-fryer potato wedges or air-fryer baked potatoes.

Take a look at more of these scrumptious air-fryer vegetable recipes.

Frying Foods in the Air Fryer

When you’re craving fried foods, using the air fryer instead of pulling out the deep fryer is a much easier (and slightly healthier) way to get your hands on some crunchy goodness. Air-fryer french fries, air-fryer pickles and air-fryer potato chips are all great places to start!

Making Baked Goods in the Air Fryer

Air fryers can often take care of a sweet craving more quickly than the oven can, with the same results. Air-fryer cookies, along with air-fryer cupcakes and air-fryer brownies are all fair game, along with plenty of other air-fryer desserts!

Making Mains, Snacks and Heating Up Frozen Foods

The air fryer is one of the best ways to heat up foods like frozen mozzarella sticks, tater tots and corn dogs because it crisps them up more than the oven would. However, don’t forget about your air fryer when it comes to foods like air-fryer quesadillas and air-fryer pizza though, either!

If your favorite dish isn’t on this list, follow this handy air-fryer conversion guide. And if you’re wondering about more frozen foods, don’t worry; we’ve covered them in this frozen food air-fryer guide, too.

Air Fryer Tips

First and foremost, many of these foods will need to be flipped over halfway through cooking time. Since air fryers cook by rushing hot air down onto the food, flipping will fry the food evenly and will prevent overcooking or burning. There are exceptions for a few recipes, like this air-fryer meatball recipe, but many foods follow this halfway mark rule. Here are more details on what is an air fryer and how it really works.

Another air fryer cooking tip we recommend is to always fry your foods in a single layer in the air-fryer basket—which will allow the food to cook perfectly even and crispy. So, if you’re air-frying large quantities or large food items, we recommend prepping the food in batches for a speedy cook time.

Lastly, don’t forget to preheat! This is one of the most common air-fryer mistakes that many people fall victim to. It takes only a few minutes and will save your food majorly in the long run.

Hungry for more tips? Check out this air-fryer cooking guide for more tricks and secrets.