An oven with forced hot air circulation, particularly for cooking food, comprising a muffle (11) in which the food to be cooked is placed and to the rear of which a ventilation chamber (12) is associated, the chamber being connected to the muffle (11) and accommodating means for the heating and forced circulation of air. The forced circulation means are constituted by at least one fan (13, 113, 114), the shaft (15) of which is supported and actuated by a motor drive (16) which is fixed externally with respect to the back (17) of the chamber (12), the shaft (15) passing through a hole (18) in the back (17), the rim of which forms, with the shaft (15), an annular intake port (19); the cross-section of the intake port (19) is such as to optimize the exchange of air inside the oven (10), in relation to the position and cross-section of the inlet (20) of a stack (21) for venting from the ventilation chamber (12).