190°C Oven to Air Fryer: Use 170°C
Drop the temperature by 20°C and cut the time by 20% as a starting point.
Published by the RecipeAirFryer editorial team · How we source times · Updated
Times and temperatures come from our reviewed cooking database. Explanatory text on each page is generated from that entry so the numbers stay consistent.
If a recipe says 190°C, set a typical basket air fryer to 170°C (170°C / 338°F) and plan on about 80% of the oven time. At this oven setting people usually cook chicken pieces, sausages, roasted roots. The 20% rule is a starting point; Do not convert only the temperature and keep the full oven time on poultry - check with a probe.
How to convert 190°C to an air fryer
- 1Read the oven recipe: it calls for 190°C (190°C / 374°F).
- 2Preheat the air fryer to 170°C (170°C / 338°F), not 190°C.
- 3Multiply the oven minutes by 0.8. Example: chicken thighs that roast 40 minutes at 190°C becomes about 32 minutes at 170°C, flipping halfway, to 74°C / 165°F inside.
- 4Cook in a single layer and check early. Do not convert only the temperature and keep the full oven time on poultry - check with a probe.
Conversion chart
| Oven time at 190°C | Air fryer time at 170°C |
|---|---|
| 10 min | 8 min |
| 15 min | 12 min |
| 20 min | 16 min |
| 25 min | 20 min |
| 30 min | 24 min |
| 40 min | 32 min |
| 45 min | 36 min |
| 60 min | 48 min |
What 190°C is usually used for
In a conventional oven, 190°C is the setting for chicken pieces, sausages, roasted roots. Converting that heat without thinking about the food is why people burn cookies or undercook a joint.
Worked example: chicken thighs that roast 40 minutes at 190°C. In the air fryer that is about 32 minutes at 170°C, flipping halfway, to 74°C / 165°F inside.
Why the temperature drops
An oven heats mostly by radiation from its elements and by slow convection. An air fryer is a small chamber with a fan driving air across the food at speed, so heat transfers into the surface much faster at the same dial setting.
That is why 190°C in an air fryer would over-brown the outside before the middle caught up. Setting it to 170°C instead gives you the same finish in less time.
What to watch at 170°C
Do not convert only the temperature and keep the full oven time on poultry - check with a probe.
Dense items such as a whole chicken may need close to the original oven time because heat still has to travel to the centre. Go by internal temperature, not only the converted clock.
Gas mark 5 in an air fryer
190°C is roughly gas mark 5. If your recipe is written in gas marks, convert to 190°C / 374°F first, then apply the same drop to get 170°C / 338°F in the air fryer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 190°C in an air fryer?
170°C, which is 170°C / 338°F. Reduce the cooking time by about 20% as well, then check early.
What foods are usually cooked at 190°C?
chicken pieces, sausages, roasted roots. Example conversion: chicken thighs that roast 40 minutes at 190°C becomes about 32 minutes at 170°C, flipping halfway, to 74°C / 165°F inside in the air fryer.
Why not just use 190°C in the air fryer?
You can, but the outside will brown or burn before the inside is cooked. The fan transfers heat into the food far faster than an oven does, so the lower setting gives a more even result.
Do I need to preheat the air fryer?
A 2-3 minute preheat helps for anything breaded, frozen or that you want crisp. For longer cooks it makes little difference.