Skip to content
AirfryerHQ

What do you want to cook?

Pick what you have actually got. Every page gives a temperature and a time range, states the size, quantity and appliance it assumes, and tells you how to know it is done rather than trusting the clock.

Fresh, from frozen and reheating are three different questionsOne food at the top branches into three states. Fresh means raw and unfrozen, and the question is whether it has reached its safe core temperature. From frozen means cooked straight from the freezer, which takes longer at a similar or slightly lower temperature, and the same core temperature rule applies; a frozen time is never derived from a fresh one. Leftover means already cooked and being reheated, which is governed by a reheating rule — piping hot throughout — rather than by the original cooking rule. All three converge on the same final step: the food is done when it reaches its target, not when the timer ends. Where AirfryerHQ holds no figure for a state, it says so and refuses rather than adapting a figure from a neighbouring state.One foodFreshRaw, not frozenCook to a safe coreFrom frozenFrom the freezerLonger, not derivedLeftoverAlready cookedReheat rule appliesDone is a temperature, not a timeThe clock says when to check
The same food, three different questions. Each state has its own governing safety rule, so a frozen time is never derived from a fresh one and a reheat is never derived from a cook. Where we hold nothing for a state, the page says so instead of adapting the nearest number.

Poultry

The category air fryers are best at and the one with the least room for error: every cut here has a core temperature it must reach, and the surface browns long before the middle is finished.

  • Chicken breast

    Lean, tapering and unforgiving: the cut with the narrowest window between cooked and dry.

    FreshFrom frozenLeftover (reheating)

  • Chicken thigh

    Fattier and far more forgiving than breast, and it wants to be cooked past its safety target rather than to it.

    FreshLeftover (reheating)

  • Chicken wings

    The cut air fryers do genuinely better than an oven, provided the skin gets long enough to render.

    FreshLeftover (reheating)From frozen

  • Chicken drumsticks

    Bone-in, skin-on and slow: the cut where every published time is longer than people expect.

    FreshLeftover (reheating)

  • Whole chicken

    The showpiece cook, and the one where a single thermometer reading is not enough to call it safe.

    FreshLeftover (reheating)

  • Chicken tenders

    One manufacturer prints twenty minutes at 180°C and another grills nine mini fillets for seven to eight; neither says fresh or frozen.

    Leftover (reheating)

  • Bone-in chicken thighs

    Fresh bone-in thighs get nineteen to twenty-eight minutes at 200°C in one manufacturer's charts for two machines; its chart for a third names no state.

    From frozenLeftover (reheating)Fresh

  • Chicken leg quarters

    Thigh and drumstick in one piece, which makes it the largest bone-in cut most people cook.

    Leftover (reheating)

  • Chicken sausages

    One manufacturer grills twelve for nine to twelve minutes on its lowest plate setting, two minutes longer than its pork sausages; it does not say fresh or frozen.

    Leftover (reheating)

  • Chicken jerky strips

    Five to seven hours at 70°C — dehydrating raw poultry, which is a safety question first.

    Marinated

  • Turkey burgers

    One manufacturer grills four 125g turkey burgers for ten to thirteen minutes and says there is no need to flip; it does not say fresh or frozen.

    Leftover (reheating)

  • Turkey jerky strips

    Five to seven hours at 70°C, on the same published figure as chicken and beef.

    Marinated

  • Duck breast

    Fresh duck breasts get eighteen to twenty-two minutes at 200°C in one manufacturer's chart; its grill chart for another machine names no state.

    Leftover (reheating)Fresh

  • Duck legs

    Thirty to thirty-five minutes from frozen, and the published instruction is to prick the skin.

    From frozen

Potatoes

More air fryer cooking happens here than anywhere else. Almost every problem in this group is the same problem — too much in the basket at once.

  • Frozen chips

    The single most cooked food in this appliance class, and the one crowding ruins.

    From frozenLeftover (reheating)

  • Roast potatoes

    Parboiling is not optional, and it is what the air fryer cannot do for you.

    FreshLeftover (reheating)

  • Potato wedges

    Thicker than chips, so the inside has to cook while the outside is already crisping.

    From frozenFreshLeftover (reheating)

  • Jacket potato

    Fresh jacket potatoes get sixty minutes at 180°C in one manufacturer's chart and twenty-five to forty minutes at 200°C in another's.

    Leftover (reheating)Fresh

  • Homemade chips

    Ten to forty minutes depending on whose chart you read, and the widest published disagreement in the catalogue.

    FreshLeftover (reheating)

  • Baby potatoes

    680g whole at 200°C for fifteen minutes — the quickest whole-potato option.

    Leftover (reheating)

  • Frozen chunky chips

    Charted twenty degrees COOLER than thin frozen fries, which surprises everybody.

    From frozen

  • Chunky homemade chips

    Twenty to twenty-four minutes at 200°C, and thirty minutes of soaking beforehand.

    Fresh

  • Frozen roast potatoes

    Fifteen to twenty minutes at 190–200°C from frozen, in one manufacturer's charts for two machines.

    From frozen

  • Potato rösti

    One manufacturer prints fifteen to eighteen minutes at 180°C for 250g, shaken part-way.

  • Potato gratin

    Fifteen to eighteen minutes at 200°C for a 400g portion — and it must be in a dish, not loose.

    Leftover (reheating)

  • Potato cubes

    Twelve to eighteen minutes at 200°C with half a tablespoon of oil.

    Fresh

Prepared and processed foods

Breaded, frozen and packaged foods, most of which arrive with instructions written for an oven. Where the packet is right, we say so; where the coating falls off, that has its own answer.

  • Frozen chicken nuggets

    Follow the packet — and know why the packet is right about this one.

    From frozenLeftover (reheating)

  • Pizza (reheating)

    The clearest case where an air fryer beats every other tool in the kitchen.

    Leftover (reheating)

  • Breaded chicken breast

    Two manufacturers print a figure — ten to fifteen minutes at 180°C, and thirty to thirty-five at 200°C — and neither says frozen or chilled.

    Leftover (reheating)

  • Fish fingers

    Six to ten minutes from frozen at 180–200°C, and better than the oven method on the box.

    From frozenLeftover (reheating)

  • Breaded scampi

    Nine to fifteen minutes from frozen, and the two published figures disagree by a lot.

    From frozenLeftover (reheating)

  • Hot dogs

    One manufacturer grills fifteen hot dogs for three to five minutes, and does not say whether they are frozen.

    Leftover (reheating)

  • Fish cakes

    Fresh fish cakes get twelve to fifteen minutes at 200°C in one manufacturer's charts for two machines; its chart for a third names no state.

    Leftover (reheating)Fresh

  • Battered fish fillets

    Eleven minutes at 200°C from frozen, published as a single figure rather than a range.

    From frozen

  • Chicken goujons

    Eight to ten minutes from frozen — the quickest breaded poultry there is.

    From frozenLeftover (reheating)

  • Chicken Kiev

    Sixteen to eighteen minutes at 190°C from frozen, and the temperature is lower on purpose.

    From frozen

  • Frozen chicken burgers

    Fourteen to fifteen minutes at 200°C from frozen for six.

    From frozenLeftover (reheating)

  • Frozen chicken steaks

    Fourteen to fifteen minutes at 200°C, the same as a chicken burger and a different shape.

    From frozenLeftover (reheating)

  • Vegan burgers

    Seven to nine minutes on one manufacturer's grill plate for fresh ones, and ten minutes at 180°C from frozen in its charts for two other machines.

    FreshLeftover (reheating)From frozen

  • Frozen vegan sausages

    Eight minutes at 180°C, against nine to twelve for a frozen pork sausage.

    From frozen

  • Frozen vegan nuggets

    Ten minutes at 200°C, less than half the time of chicken nuggets by weight.

    From frozen

  • Frozen veggie burgers

    Twelve minutes at 200°C from frozen.

    From frozenLeftover (reheating)

  • Whole frozen pizza

    A fit problem before it is a cooking problem, and the answer depends on your appliance.

    Leftover (reheating)

Pork

Fat is the theme. Bacon and sausages render onto a hot surface, which is why this group is the commonest cause of a smoking air fryer.

  • Sausages

    Skins that brown early and centres that finish late — the classic false-done food.

    From frozenLeftover (reheating)Fresh

  • Bacon

    Fast, easy and the commonest cause of a smoking air fryer — rendered fat on a hot surface.

    Leftover (reheating)

  • Pork chop

    Fresh chops get fifteen to twenty minutes at 200°C in one manufacturer's table and twenty-five to thirty at 220°C in another; most other tables name no state.

    FreshFrom frozenLeftover (reheating)

  • Pork loin joint

    A fresh 800g boneless loin gets sixty minutes at 180°C on one manufacturer's roast setting; a 1.25kg figure elsewhere names no state.

    Leftover (reheating)Fresh

  • Boneless pork chops

    Fresh boneless chops get ten to fifteen minutes at 200°C in one manufacturer's charts for two machines; its chart for a third names no state.

    Leftover (reheating)Fresh

  • Pork loin steaks

    One manufacturer grills six 120g loin steaks for four to five minutes; it does not say fresh or frozen.

    Leftover (reheating)

  • Pork tenderloin

    Fresh tenderloins of 350–500g get twenty to twenty-seven minutes at 190°C in one manufacturer's charts for two machines; its chart for a third names no state.

    Leftover (reheating)Fresh

  • Pork loin ribs

    One manufacturer grills two racks weighing 475g for eleven minutes; it does not say fresh or frozen.

    Leftover (reheating)

  • Bacon chops

    One manufacturer grills four 125g bacon loin chops for seven to eight minutes, and names no state for them.

Red meat

The group where air frying is a genuine compromise rather than an improvement, and it is worth knowing which way the compromise runs before you commit a steak to it.

  • Steak

    Air frying is a compromise for steak, and it is worth knowing which way the compromise runs.

    FreshFrom frozen

  • Beef burger

    Minced, so it must be cooked through — and the published times run from seven minutes to twenty-four, depending on the machine, the amount and whether the table names a state.

    FreshFrom frozenLeftover (reheating)

  • Meatballs

    Seven minutes at 190°C for inch balls — fast, and minced, so cooked through.

    Leftover (reheating)

  • Roast beef joint

    A fresh 750g top rump joint gets forty-five to fifty minutes at 160°C on one manufacturer's roast setting; a 1.8kg figure elsewhere names no state.

    Leftover (reheating)Fresh

  • Lamb chops

    Fresh lamb chops get eleven to twelve minutes at 180°C in one manufacturer's charts for two machines; two grilling figures elsewhere name no state.

    Leftover (reheating)Fresh

  • Rack of lamb

    A 650–900g rack at 190°C for around twenty-two minutes.

    Leftover (reheating)

  • Thick-cut steak

    A 3cm steak, which is where this appliance stops being a compromise.

    From frozen

  • Flank or bavette steak

    One manufacturer grills two flank or bavette steaks, 2cm thick and 475g between them, for seven to eight minutes; it does not say fresh or frozen.

  • Beef jerky strips

    Five to seven hours at 70°C for 6mm strips marinated overnight.

    Marinated

  • Butterflied leg of lamb

    One manufacturer grills a 700g butterflied leg for twenty to twenty-four minutes; it does not say fresh or frozen.

  • Meat loaf

    Fifty to sixty minutes at 150°C — the lowest, longest published figure in the catalogue, and it needs a tin.

    FreshLeftover (reheating)

Fish

Fast, forgiving on time and unforgiving on handling. Fish is one of the things an air fryer does better than the alternatives, provided it comes out when it is done.

  • Salmon fillet

    One of the foods an air fryer does better than the alternatives, and quickly.

    From frozenLeftover (reheating)Fresh

  • White fish fillet

    Fresh fillets get twenty to thirty-two minutes in the two manufacturers' tables that name a state; shorter figures elsewhere name none.

    FreshFrom frozenLeftover (reheating)

  • Tuna steak

    One manufacturer grills four steaks of 110–170g each for four to six minutes; it does not say fresh or frozen.

  • Sea bass fillet

    One manufacturer grills four fillets weighing 380g for six to eight minutes; it does not say fresh or frozen.

    Leftover (reheating)

  • Salmon jerky strips

    Three to five hours at 70°C — two hours shorter than any meat jerky, because of the fat.

    Marinated

  • Whole fish

    One manufacturer prints fifteen to twenty-five minutes at 180–200°C for a 300-400g fish, and the size that fits is the real constraint.

    Fresh

Shellfish

Minutes rather than tens of minutes, and the failure mode is always overcooking rather than undercooking.

  • Prawns

    Fresh prawns get sixteen to twenty minutes at 180°C in the one table that names a state; other tables print four to ten minutes and name none.

    FreshFrom frozen

  • Scallops

    One manufacturer grills thirty-eight scallops weighing 600g for three to four minutes, patted dry and seasoned; it does not say fresh or frozen.

  • Frozen tempura prawns

    Nine to ten minutes at 190°C from frozen, which is twice as long as a bare prawn.

    From frozen

Vegetables

Cut size decides almost everything here. Most complaints about charred outsides and raw middles are a knife problem rather than a cooking problem.

  • Broccoli florets

    Charred heads and raw stalks — a cutting problem dressed up as a cooking problem.

    Fresh

  • Sweet potato wedges

    Thirty to thirty-five minutes at 200°C for 500–600g of hand-cut fries on oven racks, and they will not crisp like a potato chip.

    FreshLeftover (reheating)

  • Whole sweet potato

    Fresh whole sweet potatoes get thirty to forty minutes at 200°C in one manufacturer's charts for two machines; two other figures name no state.

    Leftover (reheating)Fresh

  • Carrot slices

    Fresh slices get twenty to twenty-five minutes at 180°C in one manufacturer's table; another prints fifteen at 190°C for half-inch slices without naming a state.

    Fresh

  • Cauliflower florets

    Fresh florets get twenty-two to twenty-six minutes at 180°C in one manufacturer's table; two others print nine to twelve minutes at 200°C without naming a state.

    Fresh

  • Brussels sprouts, halved

    Fresh sprouts get twenty to twenty-four minutes at 180°C in one manufacturer's table; two others print eight to fifteen minutes at 200°C for halved ones without naming a state.

    Fresh

  • Pepper chunks

    One manufacturer prints fifteen minutes at 200°C for inch chunks. They blister; they do not crisp.

  • Courgette sticks

    One manufacturer prints twelve minutes at 200°C for half-inch sticks and another fifteen at 180°C; cut thickness decides everything.

  • Mushroom slices

    Fresh mushrooms get sixteen to twenty minutes at 180°C in one manufacturer's table; two others print five and ten minutes at 200°C without naming a state.

    Fresh

  • Green beans

    Fresh fine green beans get seven to eight minutes at 200°C in one manufacturer's charts for two machines; two other figures name no state.

    Fresh

  • Asparagus spears

    Fresh asparagus gets twelve to sixteen minutes at 180°C in one manufacturer's table; two others print six to seven minutes at 200°C without naming a state.

    Fresh

  • Corn on the cob

    Fresh whole ears get twelve to eighteen minutes at 200°C in one manufacturer's charts for two machines; two other figures name no state.

    Fresh

  • Aubergine cubes

    One manufacturer prints fifteen minutes at 200°C for inch-and-a-half cubes; another grills 5cm pieces for eight to ten. Neither says fresh or frozen.

  • Parsnip cubes

    One manufacturer prints fifteen minutes at 190°C for half-inch cubes.

  • Squash chunks

    Fresh butternut squash in 2.5cm pieces gets sixteen to twenty-five minutes at 200°C in one manufacturer's charts for two machines; two other figures name no state.

    Fresh

  • Sweet potato chunks

    Fresh sweet potato in 2.5cm chunks gets fifteen to twenty minutes at 200°C in one manufacturer's charts for two machines.

    Fresh

  • Frozen sweet potato fries

    Eighteen to twenty minutes at 190°C — cooler and longer than ordinary frozen chips.

    From frozen

  • Whole beetroot

    Fresh whole beetroot gets thirty-five minutes to an hour at 200°C with no oil in one manufacturer's charts for two machines.

    Fresh

  • Dried beetroot slices

    Fresh beetroot in 3mm slices gets six to eight hours at 60°C in one manufacturer's chart.

    Fresh

  • Celeriac cubes

    Fresh celeriac in 1.5cm cubes gets fourteen to sixteen minutes at 200°C in one manufacturer's chart; its chart for another machine names no state.

    Fresh

  • Onion halves

    One manufacturer grills six halved onions weighing 600g for five to seven minutes; it does not say fresh or frozen.

  • Onion slices

    One manufacturer grills 2.5cm slices for six to eight minutes, one plate setting below halves; it does not say fresh or frozen.

  • Kale crisps

    Fresh kale for crisps gets eight to nine minutes at 150°C with no oil in one manufacturer's charts for two machines.

    Fresh

  • Portobello mushrooms

    Fresh whole portobello mushrooms get ten to twelve minutes at 180°C in one manufacturer's chart; its grill chart for another machine names no state.

    Fresh

  • Dried mushroom slices

    Fresh mushrooms get six to eight hours at 60°C in one manufacturer's chart, which says not to wash them.

    Fresh

  • Whole Brussels sprouts

    One manufacturer grills 600g of whole sprouts for twelve to sixteen minutes, against eight to ten for halved ones in its air-fry chart; it does not say fresh or frozen.

  • Carrot batons

    One manufacturer prints twelve to fourteen minutes at 200°C for a kilogram in 5cm pieces; it does not say fresh or frozen.

  • Parsnip batons

    One manufacturer prints ten to twelve minutes at 200°C for 500g in 5cm lengths; it does not say fresh or frozen.

  • Courgette quarters

    Fresh courgette, quartered lengthwise and cut in 2.5cm pieces, gets eight to eighteen minutes at 200°C in one manufacturer's charts for two machines.

    Fresh

  • Pepper quarters

    One manufacturer grills four quartered peppers weighing 750g for six to nine minutes; it does not say fresh or frozen.

  • Stuffed vegetables

    Ten minutes at 160°C — the lowest air-fry temperature for anything savoury in the catalogue.

    Leftover (reheating)

  • Dried ginger slices

    Fresh ginger root in 3mm slices gets six hours at 60°C in one manufacturer's chart.

    Fresh

  • Mixed vegetables

    Several vegetables in one basket, charted by four manufacturers with a wide band and an instruction to use your own judgement.

    FreshLeftover (reheating)

Grains and bread

Bread, rolls and part-baked things, where the air fryer is competing with a toaster and an oven and beats both on small quantities.

  • Grilled bread

    One manufacturer grills 4cm slices brushed with oil for two to three minutes, and does not say whether the loaf is fresh.

    Leftover (reheating)

  • Part-baked rolls

    One manufacturer prints six to eight minutes at 180–200°C, and it is one of the fastest useful things this appliance does.

    Fresh

  • A loaf of bread

    Thirty-three to sixty-five minutes at 150–160°C depending on the weight of the loaf, with a published warning about the dough rising into the element.

    Fresh

Pastry and dough

Pastry wants dry heat and gets it. The care needed is about the filling, which is usually hotter than it looks.

  • Sausage roll

    Thirteen to fifteen minutes at 200°C in two manufacturers' tables, neither of which says whether the rolls are chilled or frozen.

    Leftover (reheating)

  • Spring roll

    From frozen, ten to sixteen minutes at 180–200°C in one manufacturer's tables; two others print eight to ten minutes at 200°C without saying frozen or chilled.

    From frozenChilledLeftover (reheating)

Fruit

Mostly drying rather than cooking, which needs a machine whose temperature range goes low enough — not all of them do.

  • Cherry tomatoes

    One manufacturer prints four minutes at 200°C for whole cherry tomatoes. Blistered, not cooked.

  • Halved tomatoes

    One manufacturer prints ten minutes at 170°C for large halved tomatoes; another grills them for seven. Neither says fresh or frozen.

  • Dried apple slices

    Fresh apple in 3mm slices gets seven to eight hours at 60°C in one manufacturer's chart; two other figures name no state.

    Fresh

  • Grilled avocado halves

    One manufacturer grills up to three halved avocados for four to five minutes; it does not say fresh or frozen.

  • Grilled pineapple

    One manufacturer grills six to eight slices or spears for seven to ten minutes, flipped two or three times; it does not say fresh or frozen.

  • Dried pineapple

    Fresh pineapple in slices of 3mm to 1.25cm gets six to eight hours at 60°C in one manufacturer's chart.

    Fresh

  • Dried banana slices

    Fresh banana in 3mm slices gets eight to ten hours at 60°C in one manufacturer's chart.

    Fresh

  • Dried strawberries

    Fresh strawberries, cut in half or in 1.25cm slices, get six to eight hours at 60°C in one manufacturer's chart.

    Fresh

  • Grilled mango

    One manufacturer grills three halved mangoes for four to six minutes, pressed gently onto the plate; it does not say fresh or frozen.

  • Dried mango

    Fresh mango in 3mm slices gets six to eight hours at 60°C in one manufacturer's chart.

    Fresh

  • Grilled peaches and plums

    One manufacturer grills four to six halved stone fruit for three to five minutes; it does not say fresh or frozen.

  • Grilled lemons and limes

    One manufacturer grills five halved lemons or limes for four to five minutes; it does not say fresh or frozen.

  • Grilled melon spears

    One manufacturer grills six melon spears of 10–15cm for four to six minutes; it does not say fresh or frozen.

  • Dried tomato slices

    Fresh tomato in 3mm slices gets six to eight hours at 60°C in one manufacturer's chart, with a note about steaming them first.

    Fresh

Baking and desserts

A small chamber with a fan is an awkward oven. These work, with the caveats stated on each page.

  • Cake in a tin

    In a tin at 150–160°C; the published times run from twenty minutes to an hour, and they are not for the same amount of batter.

    Fresh

  • Muffins

    Thirteen to nineteen minutes at 160°C to 200°C, depending on the manufacturer.

    FreshLeftover (reheating)

  • Quiche

    Twenty to twenty-two minutes at 180°C, in a tin or oven dish.

    Leftover (reheating)

Dairy

A short group, and one where the surface behaviour matters more than the core temperature.

  • Halloumi slices

    One manufacturer grills 3cm slices brushed with oil for two to four minutes, and names no state for the cheese.

    Leftover (reheating)

Snacks

Small, quick and easy to burn while you are doing something else.

  • Frozen hash browns

    From frozen, twenty minutes at 180°C for 900g in one manufacturer's chart and eighteen to twenty at 200°C for 600g on racks in another's.

    From frozenLeftover (reheating)

  • Frozen onion rings

    Eight to fifteen minutes, at 180°C or 200°C — three charts, three answers.

    From frozenLeftover (reheating)

  • Mozzarella sticks

    Eight minutes from frozen in two manufacturers' charts, one at 180°C and one at 200°C, and there is no second attempt.

    From frozen

  • Frozen potato waffles

    280g in eight minutes at 200°C.

    From frozenLeftover (reheating)

  • Frozen breaded mushrooms

    Twelve to fourteen minutes at 170°C — the coolest frozen snack in the chart.

    From frozen

Not finding it?

AirfryerHQ is deliberately smaller and more carefully built than it could be. Where AirfryerHQ holds no figure for a food, it says so rather than adapting one from something similar.