Yes — frozen fries, nuggets and fish sticks are what air fryers do best. Raw frozen meat works too, but takes about half as long again as thawed, and a thermometer is the only way to know it is done.
Why the appliance suits frozen food
Frozen surfaces turn wet as they thaw, and moving hot air removes surface moisture. That is the one thing an air fryer does better than a still oven, and it is why frozen fries come out crisper than on a sheet pan.
Where to start
Frozen fries and potato products: about 400 °F, 12 to 18 minutes, shaken halfway.
Nuggets, fish sticks, frozen appetizers: about 375 to 400 °F, 8 to 12 minutes, turned once.
Raw frozen chicken pieces or burgers: a moderate 360 to 380 °F, and about 50% longer than the thawed time, so the outside does not finish before the middle.
The packet comes first. Many now print air fryer directions; if not, take the oven time, lower the temperature by about 25 °F and check early.
What to watch
Ice on the food, which becomes water in the drawer. Shake it off.
A full basket, which steams rather than crisps. One layer with gaps between the pieces — see why a single layer matters.
Frozen pieces stuck together. Break them apart before they go in, or the joined faces stay pale.
Frozen preset or defrost?
A frozen preset cooks from frozen; a defrost setting only brings food up to temperature. They are not the same setting and not interchangeable — your manual names which your machine has.
The air-fry toaster oven alternative
A flat mesh tray spreads frozen food into one layer by itself. The BLACK+DECKER 5-in-1 at $61.99 ships with an air fry mesh tray; the Hamilton Beach at $59.95 with an air-fry basket.
And the authority
The packet, your appliance’s manual and the USDA’s safe minimum internal temperatures decide what is done — not a preset. See using a probe thermometer and why are my air fryer fries soggy.
Check your own manual before you follow anything here. Temperatures, fill limits and pressure ratings differ from model to model, and the manufacturer’s figures take precedence over anything written on this site. We report what makers publish — an oven’s range in degrees, a cooker’s maximum fill line, whether a part is declared dishwasher-safe — and we never turn those figures into food-safety guidance. Cooking temperatures and holding times for particular foods are set by manufacturers and by your national food safety authority, and this site points you to them rather than restating them.
Prices quoted in this text were read on 2026-10-18. The live price is at the top of the page.
What readers want to know
Do I need to thaw food before air frying?
No, for anything sold to be cooked from frozen — fries, nuggets, fish sticks, frozen vegetables. Raw meat and poultry can also be cooked from frozen, and the USDA says it is safe; it simply takes about 50% longer than thawed. What you should not do is thaw on the counter: thaw in the fridge, in cold water, or not at all.
Do I need to preheat first?
Usually a few minutes helps — the food starts crisping on contact instead of steaming while the machine warms up. Makers differ, and many machines have no preheat step at all, so the manual for your appliance is the authority.
How do I know frozen chicken is cooked through?
With a thermometer in the thickest part: 165 °F for poultry, 160 °F for ground meat, 145 °F with a three-minute rest for whole cuts of beef and pork. Color is not a test. The ThermoMonster HT09 reads in about half a second.
Last reviewed 18 October 2026