Air Fryer vs Oven: The Ultimate Cooking Time Showdown

Welcome to the sizzling skirmish between your air fryer and the good ol' oven. If you're like me—part impatient, part crispy-obsessed—you want food that’s fast, golden, and glorious. Whether you're in your kitchen at home or heating up hash browns in your campervan Vanilla, this blog post is your ultimate cheat sheet.

Below is a comprehensive, alphabetically sorted guide that includes both fresh and frozen foods, covering cooking times, temperature comparisons, and helpful tips to ensure your air-fried creations come out better, faster, and tastier than ever.

🍝 Air Fryer vs Oven Cooking Time Chart (Including Frozen Foods)

Food Item

Oven Temp & Time

Air Fryer Temp & Time

Time Saved

Notes

Apple slices (crisps)

120°C, 2 hours

130°C, 20 mins

~100 mins

Sprinkle with cinnamon

Bacon

200°C, 15 mins

180°C, 8–10 mins

~7 mins

Check halfway

Breaded fish fillets (frozen)

200°C, 20–25 mins

180°C, 12–15 mins

~10 mins

No need to flip

Chicken breasts

200°C, 25 mins

180°C, 15–18 mins

~10 mins

Oil helps crisping

Chicken wings

200°C, 40–45 mins

190°C, 20–25 mins

~20 mins

Best when marinated

Croissants (from dough)

200°C, 18–20 mins

180°C, 10–12 mins

~8 mins

Light & flaky

Fish fingers (frozen)

200°C, 20 mins

190°C, 10–12 mins

~8 mins

Perfectly crunchy

Frozen chips

220°C, 25–30 mins

200°C, 15–20 mins

~10 mins

Shake halfway

Frozen samosas

200°C, 20–25 mins

180°C, 10–12 mins

~12 mins

Turn once

Garlic bread slices (frozen)

200°C, 10–12 mins

180°C, 5–7 mins

~5 mins

Garlicky greatness

Hash browns (frozen)

200°C, 20–25 mins

200°C, 10–15 mins

~10 mins

Crisps up beautifully

Jacket potato (medium)

200°C, 60–70 mins

200°C, 35–40 mins

~30 mins

Prick with fork

Mini pies (frozen or fresh)

180°C, 25 mins

160°C, 15 mins

~10 mins

Watch pastry browning

Mozzarella sticks (frozen)

200°C, 12 mins

180°C, 6–8 mins

~6 mins

Don’t overload basket

Pizza (small, frozen or fresh)

220°C, 12–15 mins

200°C, 6–8 mins

~6 mins

Base crisps up nicely

Reheat Chinese spring rolls

200°C, 15 mins

180°C, 6–7 mins

~8 mins

Less soggy than oven

Reheat pasty

180°C, 25 mins

160°C, 10–12 mins

~13 mins

Great for Greggs leftovers

Reheat roast potatoes

200°C, 25 mins

190°C, 8–10 mins

~15 mins

Revives the crunch!

Reheat steak pie

180°C, 30 mins

160°C, 12–15 mins

~15 mins

Tent with foil if browning too fast

Reheat takeaway pizza

200°C, 10 mins

160°C, 4–5 mins

~5 mins

Brings back the crunch

Roast veg (chunked)

200°C, 35–40 mins

190°C, 18–20 mins

~20 mins

Even size is key

Sausages

200°C, 25–30 mins

180°C, 12–15 mins

~15 mins

Shake or turn

Scotch egg (pre-cooked)

180°C, 20 mins

160°C, 8–10 mins

~10 mins

Outer crisped nicely

Spring rolls (mini, frozen)

200°C, 18 mins

180°C, 8–10 mins

~8–10 mins

Crispy without oil

Toasted sandwich

200°C, 10 mins

180°C, 6–8 mins

~4 mins

Butter for crunch

Veggie burgers (frozen)

200°C, 25 mins

180°C, 12–15 mins

~10 mins

Check centre heat

💡 Quick Tips for Air Fryer Success

Rule of Thumb: Reduce oven time by about 30% and temp by 10–20°C.

Preheat your air fryer for 2–3 mins unless it does it automatically.

Don’t overcrowd the basket. Airflow is the crispy secret.

Give food a shake halfway through if you’re unsure. The air fryer loves a good jiggle.

If you found this chart helpful, why not print it, laminate it, or tattoo it on your forearm? OK maybe not the last one. Want it as a PDF or as a magnetic fridge label for Vanilla? Let me know and I’ll whip one up faster than your Ninja can crisp a hash brown!

Stay crispy,

John Nickolls aka Nix

Powered by oats, curiosity, and unnecessarily fancy kitchen tech.