To convert a broiling or grilling recipe to an air fryer, set the air fryer to its maximum temperature — usually 400°F (200°C) — and multiply the time by about 1.5, flipping once. A steak broiled for 4 minutes per side becomes 12 minutes total in the air fryer, turned at the halfway point.
Enter your recipe settings to get the converted values
Recipe Details
Converted Settings
Cooking Tips
Why These Settings?
Broil (UK Grill) to Air Fryer Chart
| Food | Broil time | Air fryer | Air fryer time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steak, 1 inch, medium | 4–5 min per side | 400°F / 200°C | 10–12 min, flip once |
| Sausages | 12–15 min, turning | 400°F / 200°C | 12–15 min, shake twice |
| Bacon | 4–6 min | 375°F / 190°C | 8–10 min |
| Salmon fillet | 6–8 min | 400°F / 200°C | 10–12 min |
| Chicken thighs, bone in | 20–25 min | 375°F / 190°C | 22–25 min, flip once |
| Lamb chops | 4–5 min per side | 400°F / 200°C | 10–12 min, flip once |
| Halloumi | 3–4 min per side | 400°F / 200°C | 8–10 min |
| Cheese on toast | 2–3 min | 400°F / 200°C | 4–5 min |
| Peppers, to blister | 8–10 min | 400°F / 200°C | 12–15 min |
Outdoor Barbecue to Air Fryer Chart
| Grill heat | Approximate temp | Air fryer setting |
|---|---|---|
| Low | 250–300°F / 120–150°C | 300°F / 150°C |
| Medium | 350–400°F / 175–200°C | 375°F / 190°C |
| Medium-high | 400–450°F / 200–230°C | 400°F / 200°C |
| High | 450–550°F / 230–290°C | 400°F / 200°C (the ceiling) |
Time: barbecue times convert roughly one to one at medium heat, and need about 25% more when the recipe called for high heat, because most air fryers cannot exceed 400°F (205°C).
Grilling and broiling both work by intense radiant heat from a single direction, close to the food. An air fryer works by convection from all directions at a lower peak temperature. The air fryer will cook the food through reliably and brown it evenly, but it cannot reproduce the hard char that direct radiant heat produces in the first two minutes.
Why can't an air fryer reproduce a proper char?
Because char comes from a very hot surface in direct line of sight, typically 500–550°F (290°C) or above at the element or the coals. Almost all consumer air fryers stop at 400°F (205°C), and they brown by circulating air rather than by radiating onto one face. You get even golden colour instead of dark, uneven grill marks.
How do you get closer to grill results?
Three things help. Preheat for 5 minutes rather than 3, so the basket surface itself is hot when the food lands. Pat the food completely dry — surface moisture must evaporate before browning starts. Finish with the last 2 minutes at maximum temperature after flipping, and check continuously.
A grill pan accessory with raised ridges will produce contact marks, though they come from conduction rather than radiant heat and look different from barbecue marks.
Does the conversion work for marinated food?
With one adjustment: wipe off excess marinade before cooking. Wet marinade in an air fryer steams the surface, prevents browning, and burns onto the basket as it reduces. Sugary marinades and barbecue sauces should be brushed on for the final 3–4 minutes only, or they will scorch.
Is an air fryer safer than a broiler?
It is more forgiving. Broiling requires constant attention because the margin between browned and burnt can be under a minute at close range. An air fryer's lower peak temperature widens that window considerably, which is the main practical argument for converting.
Related conversions and adjacent topics
Temperature and time convert together, never separately. The same rule set covers every appliance pair on this site, and the methodology page sets out where it comes from and the seven conditions under which it stops holding.
Every figure above is built into the oven to air fryer conversion calculator, which applies both adjustments together so you do not have to work them out separately.
Frequently asked questions
What air fryer temperature replaces the grill setting?
400°F, or 200°C — the maximum on most units. Grills and broilers run hotter, so the time increases by about half to compensate.
Can I air fry a steak instead of grilling it?
Yes. Ten to twelve minutes at 400°F (205°C) for a one-inch steak cooked to medium, flipping once. Rest it for 5 minutes. You will get even browning rather than grill marks.
Do air fryers have a grill or broil function?
Some larger oven-style models include one, using a top element. Basket models generally do not — their maximum temperature setting is the closest equivalent.
How do I convert a UK grill recipe?
Identically to a broil recipe. UK "grill" and US "broil" are the same appliance and the same conversion.
What about grilled vegetables?
Convert at the same 1.5× time and use maximum temperature. Toss in oil first — vegetables blister rather than char, and dry surfaces stay pale.