Air Fryer Cheat Sheet

An air fryer is a small, loud convection oven, and like any oven it has opinions. The numbers below are starting points, not laws. Basket size, wattage and how thick you cut things all move the timing, so check early the first time and adjust from there.

Fresh food

Nearly everything lands at 375°F. The two exceptions are ground beef and bacon, which do better a little cooler at 350°F so the outside doesn't get ahead of the inside.

Food	Temp	Time
Chicken breast	375°F	12-15 min
Chicken thighs	375°F	15-18 min
Ground beef patties	350°F	10-12 min
Pork chops	375°F	12-15 min
Bacon	350°F	8-10 min
Potatoes	375°F	15-18 min
Bell peppers	375°F	10-12 min
Mixed vegetables	375°F	10-12 min
Broccoli	375°F	8-10 min
Asparagus	375°F	8-10 min

Breaded food is the exception that proves the rule: the Air Fryer Chicken Tenders go hotter, at 400°F, because the crumbs need the extra heat to crisp before the chicken dries out.

Straight from the freezer

No thawing needed. The rule of thumb is add 3 to 5 minutes to the fresh time, shake the basket more often so the frozen outside doesn't steam, and start checking at the low end of the range.

Frozen food	Temp	Time
Chicken breast	375°F	15-18 min
Ground beef	350°F	12-15 min
Vegetables	375°F	12-15 min
Fries	400°F	15-18 min
Pretzels	350°F	8-10 min

Fries are the one thing here that wants 400°F. If you're cooking them alongside something else, meet in the middle: the Burger and Fries runs both at 370°F and checks each for doneness.

Warning

Time is a guess; temperature is the answer. Chicken is done at 165°F in the thickest part, ground beef at 160°F. A cheap instant-read thermometer settles it in two seconds.

Quick meals

A few combos that don't need a recipe at all:

Meal	How
Seasoned chicken and roasted vegetables	Together at 375°F for 15 minutes
Ground beef tacos	Beef at 350°F for 10-12 minutes, then into tortillas
Bacon and eggs	Bacon first, then use the air fryer to reheat
Crispy potatoes	375°F for 15-18 minutes
Roasted bell peppers	375°F for 10-12 minutes

For a full sheet-pan-style dinner with the same logic, the BBQ Chicken with Sweet Potato Fries cooks the protein and the side in one go.

The four habits

These matter more than getting a time exactly right:

• Pat food dry. Surface water has to steam off before anything browns.
• Spray the basket lightly with oil so things release.
• Don't overcrowd it. Hot air needs room to move. Two batches beat one soggy one.
• Shake halfway through. Flip or toss so every side gets its turn near the fan.

Tip

The seasoning doesn't need to be fancy either. The seasoning combos note has the air fryer mixes worth keeping in rotation, most of them four ingredients or fewer.