You open your air fryer manual. Some recipes say preheat. Others say nothing. Your friend swears by preheating. Another friend never does it. Who’s right?
The answer: it depends on what you’re cooking.
Let’s break down when to preheat, when to skip it, and why it matters.
What Preheating Actually Does
Preheating means running your air fryer empty for a few minutes before adding food. This brings the cooking chamber to your desired temperature before food goes in.
When you preheat, your food hits hot air immediately. The outside of your food starts cooking right away, creating a quick seal. This sealing locks in moisture while the outside crisps up.
Without preheating, your food sits in a warming chamber. The air fryer heats up slowly while your food is inside. This can lead to uneven cooking, longer cook times, and less crispy results.
Sources:
- How to Preheat Air Fryer: Step-by-Step Guide, Agaro, August 28, 2023, https://agarolifestyle.com/blogs/blogs-listing/how-to-preheat-air-fryer-do-you-really-need-to
- How To Preheat an Air Fryer (the RIGHT Way!), Foodess, September 26, 2024, https://foodess.com/article/how-to-preheat-air-fryer/
When You Should Preheat
Here’s when preheating makes a real difference:
For crispy foods: Fries, breaded chicken, onion rings, and anything you want crunchy needs preheating. The immediate high heat creates that golden, crispy exterior you’re after.
For searing meat: Steaks, burgers, and chops benefit from preheating. You want that brown, grilled finish. A preheated air fryer sears the outside quickly, trapping juices inside.
When recipes say so: If your recipe specifically mentions preheating, do it. The cook time listed in the recipe assumes you started with a hot air fryer.
For frozen breaded items: Frozen chicken tenders, fish sticks, or mozzarella sticks crisp up better when they hit immediate heat. The coating sets quickly instead of becoming soggy.
For baked goods: Cookies and cakes need consistent temperature from the start. Preheating helps them rise and set properly.
Sources:
- How to preheat an air fryer, Currys, July 19, 2024, https://www.currys.co.uk/techtalk/kitchen-and-home/appliances-reviews/how-to-preheat-air-fryer.html
- Do you really need to preheat an air fryer? We asked 3 experts, Tom’s Guide, March 6, 2025, https://www.tomsguide.com/home/home-appliances/do-you-really-need-to-preheat-an-air-fryer
When You Can Skip Preheating
You don’t always need to preheat. Here’s when you can skip this step:
For thick, dense foods: Baked potatoes, large roasts, or whole chickens cook for a long time anyway. The air fryer will heat up during the first few minutes of cooking. Preheating doesn’t make much difference for foods that take 40 minutes or more.
For delicate items: Fish fillets and shrimp can overcook easily. Starting in a cold air fryer gives you more control. The food warms up gradually instead of hitting intense heat right away.
For reheating leftovers: Small portions of leftovers don’t need preheating. You’re just warming them up, not trying to create crispy texture.
When your manual says not to: Some air fryer models preheat automatically. Check your manual. If it says preheating isn’t necessary, trust the manufacturer.
For vegetables with long cook times: Cubed butternut squash or thick carrot chunks might burn on the outside before cooking inside if you preheat. These dense vegetables do better starting cold.
Sources:
- How To Preheat an Air Fryer (the RIGHT Way!), Foodess, September 26, 2024, https://foodess.com/article/how-to-preheat-air-fryer/
- Do you Have to Preheat an Air Fryer? Answer Now, Typhur, May 28, 2025, https://explore.typhur.com/do-you-have-to-preheat-an-air-fryer
- How to preheat an air fryer, Currys, July 19, 2024, https://www.currys.co.uk/techtalk/kitchen-and-home/appliances-reviews/how-to-preheat-air-fryer.html
How to Preheat Your Air Fryer
The process is simple and takes 3-5 minutes:
Step 1: Make sure the basket is empty. Don’t add food yet. Don’t add parchment paper or liners. The hot air can blow lightweight materials into the heating element and cause them to burn.
Step 2: Plug in your air fryer and turn it on.
Step 3: Set the temperature to match your recipe. If your recipe says cook at 400°F, preheat to 400°F.
Step 4: Set the timer for 3-5 minutes. Most air fryers need about 3 minutes. Larger models might need 5 minutes.
Step 5: Let it run. Some air fryers beep when preheating is done. Others don’t give any signal. Just wait the full time.
Step 6: When time’s up, quickly open the basket, add your food, and start cooking immediately.
The clock starts now. When a recipe says “cook for 15 minutes,” that means 15 minutes after preheating is done and food is added.
Sources:
- How to Preheat Air Fryer: Step-by-Step Guide, Agaro, August 28, 2023, https://agarolifestyle.com/blogs/listings/how-to-preheat-air-fryer-do-you-really-need-to
- How To Preheat an Air Fryer (the RIGHT Way!), Foodess, September 26, 2024, https://foodess.com/article/how-to-preheat-air-fryer/
If Your Air Fryer Has a Preheat Button
Some newer models include a dedicated preheat function. This makes everything easier.
Just press the preheat button. The air fryer automatically sets the right temperature and time. It will beep or alert you when preheating is complete. Then add your food and set your cook time.
This feature takes the guesswork out. You don’t have to remember the 3-5 minute rule.
Sources:
- How to preheat an air fryer, Currys, July 19, 2024, https://www.currys.co.uk/techtalk/kitchen-and-home/appliances-reviews/how-to-preheat-air-fryer.html
Common Preheating Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake 1: Preheating too long
Don’t let your air fryer preheat for 10 or 15 minutes. This wastes energy and can make the unit too hot. Stick to 3-5 minutes max. Overheating can lead to burnt food or uneven cooking.
Mistake 2: Adding liners during preheat
Never put parchment paper or silicone mats in the basket while preheating. Without food weight, the hot air will blow these items around. They can hit the heating element and burn or catch fire. Always add liners after preheating, right before you add food.
Mistake 3: Forgetting you preheated
Preheat right before you’re ready to cook. Don’t preheat and then walk away for 20 minutes while you prep ingredients. The air fryer will cool down. Do your prep work first, then preheat as the last step before cooking.
Mistake 4: Not adjusting for preheating
If a recipe says “cook for 20 minutes” and assumes preheating, but you skip the preheat, your food will need extra time. Without preheating, add 2-3 minutes to compensate.
Sources:
- How To Preheat an Air Fryer (the RIGHT Way!), Foodess, September 26, 2024, https://foodess.com/article/how-to-preheat-air-fryer/
- Do air fryers need to pre-heat? Appliance aficionados offer expert insights, Homes and Gardens, January 17, 2024, https://www.homesandgardens.com/shopping/do-air-fryers-need-to-pre-heat
The Real-World Difference
One home cook who previously struggled with air fryer results found that preheating changed everything. After starting to preheat for just 5-7 minutes at 400°F, food came out crispy and perfectly cooked every time. Before preheating, results were inconsistent and disappointing.
The lesson: for foods where you want crispy results, preheating makes a noticeable difference. Your fries will be crunchier. Your chicken skin will be crisper. Your breaded foods will have better texture.
For foods that don’t need crispiness, you can skip it without worry.
Sources:
- Air Fryer tips: How to preheat an air fryer, Reviewed, April 16, 2024, https://www.reviewed.com/cooking/features/how-to-use-air-fryer
Quick Decision Guide
Ask yourself these questions:
- Do I want crispy, crunchy results? → Preheat
- Am I cooking meat that needs searing? → Preheat
- Does my recipe mention preheating? → Preheat
- Am I cooking something delicate like fish? → Skip preheating
- Am I reheating leftovers? → Skip preheating
- Is my food going to cook for more than 30 minutes? → Preheating optional
When in doubt, preheat. It won’t hurt, and it often helps. The 3-5 minutes of wait time is worth better results.
Next steps: Now that you understand preheating, the next post will teach you how to convert any oven recipe so you can use it in your air fryer.