What Is Broil In Air Fryer? | The Directional Heat Trick

You probably bought your air fryer for crispy fries and juicy chicken wings. So when you spot a “Broil” button, it’s tempting to treat it like a hotter version of the air fry setting. But that button does something entirely different — and if you use it the wrong way, you might burn the top of your food while leaving the bottom undercooked.

The broil function in an air fryer is a directional heat tool, not a replacement for baking or air frying. Once you understand how it works, you can use it to finish dishes with a professional-looking crust, melt cheese in seconds, and crisp up casseroles without drying them out.

What the Broil Function Actually Does

Air fryer broiling works by turning on the top heating elements at full power, typically reaching temperatures around 500°F to 550°F. Unlike baking, which surrounds food with even heat, broil shoots heat straight down from above. That makes it excellent for tasks that need surface-level cooking — melting cheese on a burger, browning the top of a shepherd’s pie, or crisping the skin on chicken thighs.

On models like KitchenAid countertop ovens, all four heating elements fire during preheat, but once the set temp is reached, the bottom elements switch off. Only the top elements remain on, focusing the heat downward. This is why broiling works quickly — often in just 2 to 5 minutes — and why you need to watch food closely to avoid charring.

Some air fryers also include a “convection broil” setting, which keeps a fan running along with the top heat. That fan helps distribute the heat more evenly across the surface, giving you more consistent browning than a standard broil. If your model has this, it’s a solid middle ground between air frying and straight broiling.

Why Broil and Air Fry Are Not the Same

It’s easy to lump both settings under “hot air cooking.” But the core difference matters for recipe success. Air frying uses high heat plus rapid air circulation to crisp food evenly on all sides — think of it as a small, powerful convection oven. Broiling, on the other hand, uses intense top-down heat to brown or melt only the surface. The food below the top layer barely cooks.

Here’s a quick breakdown of what each setting does best:

• Air Fry: Circulates hot air at high speed to crisp food throughout. Great for french fries, chicken wings, vegetables, and frozen snacks.
• Broil: Directs top-element heat downward for surface browning. Best for melting cheese, toasting open-faced sandwiches, and finishing casseroles.
• Convection Bake: Uses bottom heat plus a fan for even cooking at moderate temps. Ideal for cakes, breads, and quiches.
• Air Broil: A hybrid setting on some models that combines top heat with the fan for faster, more even browning. It’s a good compromise when you want a crisp top without burning.
• Standard Bake: Dry heat at lower temperatures (usually 350°F or below) to cook food through gently. Suitable for delicate dishes like custards or lasagna.

Choosing the wrong mode can ruin a dish. Broil a whole chicken and you’ll get a burnt exterior and raw center. Air fry a cheese-topped casserole and the topping may not brown at all. Match the mode to the task and your air fryer becomes far more versatile.

When to Use Broil Instead of Air Fry

The Breville cooking preset guide on the broil function definition lists specific foods that benefit from this method: open-faced sandwiches, melting cheese, browning the top of casseroles, and crisping meat skin. Notice the common thread — every item is already mostly cooked and just needs a finishing touch on top.

Open-faced tuna melts, for example, come together in 3 to 4 minutes under the broiler. The bread stays soft underneath while the cheese bubbles and browns on top. Similarly, a baked macaroni and cheese that’s fully heated through at 350°F can be finished under broil for 2 minutes to create a golden crust without drying out the pasta.

Broiling also works well for reheating foods that lose texture in the microwave. Leftover pizza slices get a crisp top crust in 2 to 3 minutes under broil, while the bottom stays less dried out than it would in a toaster oven. For thin cuts of meat like fish fillets or chicken breast strips, broiling can cook them quickly from the top side without overcooking the bottom.

Use the table as a starting point, but remember that every air fryer model varies. Some have multi-position racks that let you move food closer or farther from the top element, which changes broiling results. Check your manual for rack position recommendations.

How to Broil in an Air Fryer Successfully

Getting good results from the broil function comes down to a few simple rules. Because broiling is fast and focused, you can’t walk away. Here’s a step-by-step process that works across most air fryer models:

1. Preheat the air fryer with the broil setting. Most models benefit from a 2- to 3-minute preheat so the top elements are already hot when your food goes in. Some models preheat automatically when you select the broil preset.
2. Position food on the upper rack. For the most even browning, place food on the highest rack position that still allows at least 1 inch of clearance from the top heating elements. Too close and you risk burning; too far and it takes longer than expected.
3. Set a short timer and watch carefully. Start with 2 to 3 minutes for melting cheese or toasting, then check. For thicker toppings like a casserole crust, 4 to 5 minutes is usually enough. Broil times are rarely longer than 6 minutes unless you’re cooking something very large.
4. Rotate the pan halfway if needed. Some air fryer ovens have hot spots toward the back or edges. Rotating the pan 180 degrees once during cooking helps ensure even browning across the surface.
5. Finish with a rest of 1 to 2 minutes. The surface continues to set as it cools slightly. Letting the food rest before serving prevents the topping from sliding off or breaking apart.

One more tip: if you’re converting a recipe that calls for oven broiling, reduce the time by about a third because the smaller chamber of an air fryer concentrates the heat more intensely. For oven recipes that broil for 10 minutes, check your air fryer version at the 6- or 7-minute mark.

Temperature, Time, and Model Variations

Air fryer broil settings typically run at maximum heat — around 500°F to 550°F. There’s usually no temperature adjustment; the broil function is either on or off. If your model has a “lo broil” or “hi broil” option, use lo broil for delicate items like fish or bread, and hi broil for thicker toppings and meats. The KitchenAid support page on broil heating elements confirms that during operation, only the top elements stay active after preheating, which is why the heat is so directional.

Time is your main control lever. Most broil tasks fall into these ranges:

If your air fryer has an “air broil” mode (common on Instant Pot and Ninja models), it combines the top heat with the fan. This setting browns faster and more evenly than standard broil, so reduce the time by about 25%. For example, a cheese melt that takes 3 minutes on regular broil might be done in 2 minutes 15 seconds on air broil. Always check early — you can always add more time, but you can’t un-burn a topping.

Model variations also affect rack placement. Some countertop ovens have as many as four rack positions, while basket-style air fryers have no rack at all and might not offer a true broil setting.

If your air fryer doesn’t have a dedicated broil button, you can mimic it by setting the temperature to maximum and placing food on the very top rack or in a metal pan that sits close to the top heating element. Keep the door ajar slightly on some models to prevent the unit from cycling off — check your manual for specific instructions.

The Bottom Line

The broil function in an air fryer is a specialized tool for surface cooking, not a replacement for air frying or baking. Use it when you want a browned crust, melted cheese, or crispy skin on already-cooked or partially-cooked food. It works fast — usually within 2 to 6 minutes — so stay nearby and adjust timing based on your model’s quirks.

For everyday air frying recipes that don’t need top browning, stick with the standard air fry setting. When you do reach for the broil button — say, for a batch of open-faced tuna melts or a quick reheat of leftover pizza — your results will be distinctly better than what a microwave or conventional oven can deliver.