Temperatures and technique
Air Fryer Temperature by Food Type
Published by the RecipeAirFryer editorial team · How we source times · Updated
Beef recipes run hottest in an air fryer, at an average of 197°C / 387°F, and dessert recipes run coolest at 170°C / 338°F. Savoury categories all average between 180 and 197°C, while breakfast and dessert sit below because eggs, batters and sugar cannot take the same heat.
Key findings
- The gap between the hottest and coolest category is 27°C.
- 3 categories have 200°C / 400°F as their most common setting, and 6 have 190°C / 375°F.
- Dessert recipes range from 150°C to 190°C.
- Across all 304 recipes the average is 186°C / 367°F.
- Beef197°C
- Chicken195°C
- Fish & Seafood195°C
- Side Dishes192°C
- Dinner191°C
- Vegan191°C
- Kids190°C
- Appetizers188°C
- Snacks185°C
- Pork184°C
- Lunch182°C
- Holiday180°C
- Breakfast176°C
- Dessert170°C
Temperature by category
Categories with fewer than five recipes are left out.
| Category | Recipes | Average | Most common | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beef | 6 | 197°C / 387°F | 200°C (5 recipes) | 180-200°C |
| Chicken | 6 | 195°C / 383°F | 190°C (3 recipes) | 190-200°C |
| Fish & Seafood | 13 | 195°C / 383°F | 200°C (7 recipes) | 190-200°C |
| Side Dishes | 34 | 192°C / 378°F | 190°C (14 recipes) | 160-200°C |
| Dinner | 73 | 191°C / 376°F | 190°C (30 recipes) | 175-200°C |
| Vegan | 15 | 191°C / 376°F | 190°C (8 recipes) | 150-200°C |
| Kids | 5 | 190°C / 374°F | 190°C (3 recipes) | 180-200°C |
| Appetizers | 20 | 188°C / 370°F | 190°C (7 recipes) | 130-200°C |
| Snacks | 38 | 185°C / 365°F | 200°C (13 recipes) | 80-200°C |
| Pork | 9 | 184°C / 363°F | 180°C (4 recipes) | 170-200°C |
| Lunch | 9 | 182°C / 360°F | 180°C (7 recipes) | 180-190°C |
| Holiday | 8 | 180°C / 356°F | 180°C (3 recipes) | 170-190°C |
| Breakfast | 31 | 176°C / 349°F | 180°C (9 recipes) | 130-200°C |
| Dessert | 34 | 170°C / 338°F | 160°C (14 recipes) | 150-190°C |
Why the categories differ
Meat and potatoes want high heat to brown the surface. That reaction needs a dry surface well above the boiling point of water, and the hotter the air, the sooner it starts.
Eggs, cake batter and anything sugary are the opposite. They set or burn at much lower temperatures, so the heat has to be gentle enough for the middle to catch up with the outside.
Thickness matters too. A large joint is cooked cooler than a thin chop of the same meat, because the centre needs time and the outside would be overdone at full heat.
How these figures were worked out
The figures are counted from the 304 recipes published on RecipeAirFryer.com on 2026-10-08. Each recipe has one temperature, a time range, a prep time, an ingredient list and a serving count, and those fields are what is counted here.
The times and temperatures are the starting points given on each recipe page for a standard basket air fryer. They are not laboratory measurements, and air fryers differ between models, so treat the counts as a description of this recipe set, not of every air fryer.
Fahrenheit averages are converted from the Celsius average and rounded to the nearest degree.
You may quote these figures with a link to this page. If you spot an error, tell us through the contact page and we will correct it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What temperature do you air fry chicken?
Breast at about 190°C / 375°F, and thighs, drumsticks and wings at 200°C / 400°F. Every cut is done when the thickest part reaches 74°C / 165°F.
What temperature do you air fry vegetables?
Most at 190 to 200°C / 375 to 400°F. Side dish recipes in our set average 192°C.
Why do desserts cook at a lower air fryer temperature?
Sugar and batter burn before they cook through at high heat. Dessert recipes in our set average 170°C, about 21°C below dinner recipes.