Air Fryer Meal Timer
Cooking a main and a side? Pick the foods and this works out when to start each one so they all finish together.
Published by the RecipeAirFryer editorial team · How we source times
Your timeline
- 13 min before servingPreheat the air fryer for 3 minutes.
- 10 min before servingStart Bacon190°C / 375°F for 8-12 min · Flip halfway · full method
- 9 min before servingAdd Asparagus190°C / 375°F for 7-10 min · Shake halfway · full method
- ServeCheck everything is done, then serve. Total cooking time 10 minutes.
How the timeline is built
Each food comes from the air fryer cooking times chart. The timer takes the middle of each food's time range, treats the longest one as the length of the whole cook, and subtracts the others from it. The result is when each food goes in.
Everything in one basket has to share a single layer, or nothing browns. If the foods will not fit side by side, cook the longest one first and keep it warm, or use two drawers. The guide to cooking two things at once in an air fryer covers dividers, racks and which pairings work.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get two air fryer foods to finish at the same time?+
Start the food with the longest cooking time first, then add each of the others when the time left on the clock equals its own cooking time. This timer does that subtraction for you and lists the start times in order.
Can I cook foods that need different temperatures together?+
Not in one basket - a single chamber has a single temperature. Use a dual-drawer air fryer, or cook one food in the oven. If the temperatures are within about 10°C / 20°F of each other, most cooks use the lower one and check the faster food early.
Which time does the timer use from a range like 18-22 minutes?+
The middle of the range. Treat every start time as a plan, then check doneness - and internal temperature for meat and fish - before serving.
Does opening the drawer to add food change the timing?+
Slightly. Each time the drawer opens the chamber loses heat, so be quick, and expect the food already inside to need a minute or so longer on a cook with several additions.