Can You Put Frozen Meat In An Air Fryer? (read this first)

You can cook frozen meat in an air fryer and it will surprise you just how quick and easy it is. That’s a very generic answer and it covers a wide spectrum of frozen meat. Which is why this article will endeavour to show you the ways to cook a wide range of frozen meats in the air fryer.

Cooking frozen meats on or in a conventional oven, grill or hob can take a considerable amount of time. However, using an air fryer to cook those same frozen meats can seriously reduce those cooking times.

Frozen Meat Cooking Times & Temperatures

Frozen Meat	Temperature	Cooking Time
Chicken Wings	180 C (350 F)	12 minutes
Chicken Kiev	180 C (350 F)	20 minutes
Chicken Breast	180 C (350 F)	24 minutes
Whole Chicken	80 C (180 F)	70 minutes
Chicken Nuggets	180 C (350 F)	8 minutes
Chicken Thighs	180 C (350 F)	20 minutes
Pork Chops	120 C (250 F)	18 minutes
Sausages	160 C (320 F)	12 minutes
Meatballs	160 C (320 F)	17 minutes
Steak	160 C (320 F)	20 minutes
Burgers (Beef/Turkey/Pork)	180 C (350 F)	15 minutes
Hot Dogs	180 C (350 F)	7 minutes
Kebab Meat	180 C (350 F)	10 minutes

All meat should be temperature tested using a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature has reached a high enough point to be safe to eat. 

You can check the internal temperature against the temperatures found on our meat cooking temperatures chart.

Why Cook Frozen Meats In An Air Fryer?

Air fryers are the perfect way to cook frozen meats because you can;

• Cook frozen meats faster
  Cooking frozen meat often takes a long time because you often have to defrost the meat before you can cook it safely. This is not the case in the air fryer because it reaches the desired temperature faster which allows the meat to cook thoroughly removing any unwanted bacteria.
• Cook frozen meats easier
  In many cases all you need to do is place the frozen meat in the air fryer basket and select the correct settings.
• Cook frozen meats crisper
  Air fryers are a much faster way of cooking food in general and this is also true of frozen meat.
• Clean it easily
  Unlike conventional ovens, grills or hobs, cooking in an air fryer is a far more tidy way of cooking. The only likely mess is the basket which is easy to clean. Plus, if you use a paper liner the basket could remain clean throughout.

How To Cook Frozen Meat In The Air Fryer

Now let’s have a look at each meat individually and how to cook them from frozen in an air fryer:

Frozen Chicken Wings

To cook frozen chicken wings in the air fryer, set the temperature to 180 C (350 F) and cook for 12 minutes. Ensure the chicken wings have reached a minimum of 75°C (167°F) before eating.

Frozen Chicken Kievs

If you’d like to cook frozen chicken kievs in an air fryer, you need to set the temperature to 180 C (350 F) and cook for 20 minutes. 

Check that the internal temperature of the kievs has reached a minimum of 75°C (167°F) before serving.

Frozen Chicken Breast

To cook frozen chicken breast in the air fryer, set your air fryer’s temperature to 180 C (350 F) and cook for 24 minutes. Ensure the chicken breasts have reached a minimum of 75°C (167°F) before eating using a meat thermometer.

Frozen Whole Chicken

If you’re cooking a whole frozen chicken in an air fryer You will need to cook for 70 minutes at 80 C (180 F) and then check that the chicken has achieved an internal temperature of 75°C (167°F) by inserting the probe of a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat.

Frozen Chicken Nuggets

Frozen chicken nuggets are a firm favourite with the kids and cooking them in an air fryer could not be any easier. All you need to do is cook for 8 minutes at 180 C (350 F). Ensure the internal temperature has reached 75°C (167°F) using a meat thermometer before serving.

Frozen Chicken Thighs

For frozen chicken thighs, you need to set your air fryer’s temperature to 180 C and cook for 20 minutes.You must ensure the meat has reached at least 75°C before consuming so check it with a meat thermometer first. If it’s not reached 75°C, extend the cooking time until it has.

Frozen Pork Chops

If you need to cook frozen pork chops in an air fryer, here’s what you need to do: set your air fryer’s temperature to 120 C (250 F) and cook for 18 minutes. 

Ensure the pork chops reach a minimum temperature of 75°C.

Frozen Sausages

Cooking frozen sausages in an air fryer is easy, all you need to do is set the temperature to 160 C (320 F) and cook for 12 minutes.

Although the minimum temperature for sausages will vary depending on the type of meat, the most common type is pork – so ensure the temperature of the meat reaches at least 75°C.

Frozen Meatballs

Take the meatballs out of any packaging and place them inside your air fryer. Next, set the air fryer’s temperature to 160°C (320 F). Cook the meatballs for 17 minutes. 

Although the minimum temperature of the meat will again depend on the type of meat they’re made from, pork is sometimes used in them so ensure they reach at least 75°C.

Frozen Steak

This will depend on the type/thickness of the steak, but generally speaking, to cook steak in an air fryer you need to set the temperature at 160 C (320 F) and air fry for 20 minutes flipping at the halfway point.

Frozen Burgers (Beef/Turkey/Pork)

To cook frozen burgers in an air fryer, all you need to do is place the burgers in the air fryer basket allowing a gap between each burger. Then air fry at 180 C (350 F) for 15 minutes or until the juices run clear and an internal temperature of 71 C (160 F) has been achieved.

But if the burgers are made from turkey, ensure the internal temperature reaches at least 75C

You should turn the burgers after about 7 to 8 minutes.

Frozen Hot Dogs

Here’s how you cook frozen hot dogs in an air fryer, simply set the air fryer’s temperature to 180 C (350 F) and air fry for 7 minutes. Ensure the internal temperature of the hot dogs is hot and has reached a minimum of 70 C (158 F) before serving.

Frozen Kebab Meat

To cook frozen kebab meat in an air fryer, set the temperature to 180 C (350 F) and cook for 10 minutes. Check that the kebab meat has achieved a temperature of 75°C (167°F) by using a meat thermometer.

SEE ALSO: Can You Put Battered Fish In An Air Fryer?

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