You have a recipe you love. It’s written for a regular oven or stovetop. But you want to make it in your air fryer.
Can you adapt it? Usually, yes. Here’s how to convert your favorite recipes so they work in your air fryer.
The Basic Conversion Rules (Review)
Remember the core formula from earlier:
Reduce temperature by 25°F Reduce time by 20%
This works for most oven recipes. But some recipes need additional adjustments.
Recipes That Convert Easily
These recipe types adapt perfectly to air fryers:
Roasted vegetables: Take any oven-roasted vegetable recipe. Cut vegetables to uniform size. Toss with oil and seasonings. Follow the temperature and time conversion.
Baked chicken: Chicken breasts, thighs, or drumsticks all work. Season as the recipe directs. Just adjust temperature and time.
Frozen foods: Any frozen item meant for the oven works in the air fryer. Frozen fries, nuggets, fish sticks, and more. Use the conversion formula on the package directions.
Reheated foods: Pizza, fried chicken, fries, and most leftovers reheat beautifully. Use 350°F for 3-5 minutes.
Recipes That Need More Adjustment
Some recipes require extra thought:
Breaded or Battered Foods
The issue: Wet batters drip through the basket holes.
The solution: Use thicker coatings or dry breading.
If your recipe uses a thin batter, change it to a three-part breading: flour, egg, breadcrumbs. Press the breading on firmly. This stays on the food instead of dripping away.
Recipes with Sauces
The issue: Liquid sauces drip through the basket and burn in the drip tray.
The solution: Cook the food first, add sauce at the end.
For BBQ chicken or glazed wings, cook the plain chicken in the air fryer. During the last 2-3 minutes, brush on the sauce. This gives you the flavor without the mess.
Or cook the food fully, then toss with sauce after removing from the air fryer.
Casseroles and Layered Dishes
The issue: Layered recipes need a dish. Air circulation is limited.
The solution: Use a small, oven-safe dish that fits in your basket.
Lasagna, mac and cheese, or casseroles work in small baking dishes. Make sure the dish has at least 1 inch of space around it for air circulation.
Reduce oven temperature by 25°F and start checking 5-10 minutes early. Dense dishes in pans take longer than items directly in the basket.
Large Roasts
The issue: A 5-pound chicken won’t fit in most air fryers. If it does fit, it might not cook evenly.
The solution: Cook smaller portions.
Instead of a whole chicken, make chicken pieces. Instead of a large roast, make individual pork chops or smaller cuts.
If you want whole chicken, get a 3-pound bird maximum. It might fit in a 6-quart air fryer. Check that air can circulate around it.
Delicate Baked Goods
The issue: Cakes, soufflés, and delicate items need gentle, even heat. Air fryers push air aggressively.
The solution: Lower temperature by 50°F instead of 25°F. Cover with foil if the top browns too quickly.
Baking works in air fryers, but it requires patience and attention. Check frequently. Be ready to adjust.
Converting Stovetop Recipes
Stovetop recipes are trickier. Air fryers don’t exactly replicate sautéing or pan-frying.
For sautéed vegetables: Toss with oil and roast in the air fryer at 375°F. Shake frequently. The result is roasted, not sautéed, but still delicious.
For pan-fried meats: Bread the meat and air fry at 375-400°F. You’ll get crispy coating similar to pan-frying but with less oil.
For stir-fry: Air fryers don’t replicate wok cooking. Cook components separately (protein, then vegetables), then combine after cooking. It won’t be authentic stir-fry, but it tastes good.
Converting Deep-Fried Recipes
Deep-fried recipes convert well if you make one change:
Use thicker coatings instead of thin batters. The coating needs to stick to the food without hot oil to set it immediately.
For fried chicken: Use a three-part breading process. Press the coating on firmly. Spray with oil. Air fry at 375°F.
For donuts or fritters: Look for air fryer-specific recipes. These baked goods work in air fryers but need recipes designed for the method.
For tempura: Tempura’s thin batter doesn’t work. Use a thicker coating or find an air fryer tempura recipe that accounts for the cooking method.
Scaling Recipes Up or Down
Your recipe serves 6, but you’re cooking for 2. Or vice versa.
Scaling down: Cut ingredient amounts in half or by a third. Keep temperature the same. Reduce cooking time by 20-30% because less food cooks faster.
Scaling up: If your recipe makes more food than fits in one batch, cook in multiple batches. Don’t try to cram everything in at once. Overcrowding ruins results.
Testing Your Adaptation
The first time you adapt a recipe, watch it closely:
Check early: Set your timer for 5 minutes less than your calculated time. Check the food. If it needs more time, add 2-3 minutes and check again.
Take notes: Write down what worked. Next time, you’ll know exactly what to do.
Be flexible: If something isn’t working, adjust. Lower the temperature if food burns. Raise it if cooking takes forever.
Recipe adaptation is part science, part art. You’ll get better with practice.
Examples of Common Adaptations
Oven-roasted Brussels sprouts:
- Original: 425°F for 20 minutes
- Air fryer: 400°F for 16 minutes, shake twice
Baked chicken breast:
- Original: 375°F for 25 minutes
- Air fryer: 350°F for 18-20 minutes, flip once
Frozen french fries:
- Package: 450°F for 18-20 minutes
- Air fryer: 425°F for 14-16 minutes, shake 3 times
Chocolate chip cookies:
- Original: 350°F for 12 minutes
- Air fryer: 325°F for 8-10 minutes, watch closely
When Not to Adapt
Some recipes just don’t work in air fryers:
Large batch baking: Making 3 dozen cookies? Use your oven. Air fryers are too small.
Wet dishes: Soups, stews, and anything liquid-based don’t work.
Items needing gentle heat: Custards and delicate desserts need an oven.
Very large items: Prime rib or whole turkeys are too big.
For these recipes, stick with your traditional methods. Air fryers are versatile, but they’re not perfect for everything.
Building Confidence
Start with recipes similar to ones you’ve successfully made in your air fryer. If you’ve mastered chicken wings, try adapting a different chicken recipe.
As you succeed, tackle more complex adaptations. Soon you’ll look at any recipe and instantly know how to make it in your air fryer.
Final Tips
Read the recipe fully first: Make sure you understand what the original recipe is trying to achieve. Then figure out how to get similar results in the air fryer.
Don’t fear failure: If an adaptation doesn’t work, you learned something. Try again with adjustments.
Share your successes: When you successfully adapt a recipe, share it with friends or online. Others will benefit from your experiments.
Keep experimenting: The more you adapt, the better you get. Every recipe teaches you something new about your air fryer.
You now have all the tools to adapt almost any recipe. Your air fryer just became even more useful.
Summary of Posts 11-15
You’ve completed another set of essential skills:
- Handling smoke: Understanding causes and prevention
- Preventing sticking: Using oil, parchment, and proper technique
- Shaking and flipping: Knowing when and how to move food
- Advanced techniques: Temperature control, flavoring, and troubleshooting
- Recipe adaptation: Converting favorites to work in your air fryer
With 15 posts complete, you have a solid foundation for confident air fryer cooking. When you’re ready, posts 16-20 will cover even more advanced topics.