Air-Fryer Pizza: Quick, Crispy, And Delicious!

Cooking pizza in an air fryer is a quick and easy way to make a delicious, personal-sized pizza with a crispy crust and melted cheese. It's perfect for a quick lunch or an easy dinner, and you can customise your pizza with your favourite toppings. You can use store-bought or homemade pizza dough, and cook the pizza in an air fryer pan or directly on foil in the air fryer basket. The pizza cooks in under 15 minutes, and you can reheat any leftovers in the air fryer too.

Pizza dough: store-bought or homemade

When it comes to making pizza in an air fryer, you have the option to use store-bought or homemade pizza dough. Both options are perfectly valid, and the choice depends on your personal preference and time constraints. Here is a detailed guide to help you decide:

Store-Bought Pizza Dough:

Using store-bought pizza dough is a convenient and time-saving option. It eliminates the need to prepare the dough from scratch, which can be a lengthy process. Simply purchase a pre-made ball of dough from your local grocery store or a pizzeria. You can often find fresh or pre-cooked dough options, and some stores even offer different flavors or types of dough, such as thin crust or whole wheat. Pre-cooked dough can go directly into the air fryer, saving you time.

Homemade Pizza Dough:

Making your own pizza dough from scratch allows you to customize the flavor, texture, and ingredients to your liking. It also gives you the satisfaction of creating a truly homemade pizza. However, it does require more time and effort. You will need to gather the necessary ingredients, such as flour, yeast, water, salt, and olive oil. Then, you will need to mix, knead, and proof the dough before rolling it out to fit your air fryer basket. Making your own dough gives you control over the thickness and size of your pizza crust.

Tips for Using Store-Bought Dough:

• Look for fresh or pre-cooked pizza dough at grocery stores or pizzerias.
• Pre-cooked dough saves time and can be placed directly into the air fryer.
• Consider different dough flavors or types, such as thin crust or whole wheat.

Tips for Making Homemade Dough:

• Gather ingredients like flour, yeast, water, salt, and olive oil.
• Mix, knead, and proof the dough before rolling it out to fit your air fryer.
• Making your own dough allows you to customize the thickness and size of the crust.
• Let the dough rest at room temperature to make it easier to stretch and shape.

In conclusion, whether you choose store-bought or homemade pizza dough for your air fryer pizza, the most important part is enjoying the process and creating a delicious, crispy pizza that suits your taste.

Pre-cooking the crust

To pre-cook your pizza crust, first, roll out your pizza dough to the size of your air fryer basket. You can use store-bought or homemade dough, rolled-out crescent rolls, or a tortilla. A 12-inch piece of dough will typically make two personal pizzas. If your dough is cold or has just been kneaded, let it rest for a few minutes to bring it to room temperature, as this will make it easier to roll out.

Next, line your air fryer basket with parchment paper and place the dough on top. Prick the dough a few times with a fork to prevent bubbling, and then lightly brush it with olive oil. Place the air fryer rack on top of the dough and cook for around 3 minutes at 375°F/190-195°C. Then, flip the crust over and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Once the crust is pre-cooked, you can add your toppings. It is recommended to add your toppings while the crust is still in the air fryer, as transferring a fully assembled pizza into the air fryer can be difficult.

Adding toppings

Once you've cooked your pizza crust, it's time to add your toppings. You can add almost anything you like to your pizza. Popular toppings include pepperoni, roasted peppers, cooked mushrooms, tomatoes, cooked broccoli, chicken, sausage, ham, bacon, fresh mozzarella, and ricotta cheese. However, it's important not to overload your pizza with toppings. Keeping it simple is sometimes the key to the best pizzas.

If you're using raw meat, be sure to precook it before adding it to your pizza. You can also precook other toppings, like mushrooms and sausages, by combining them with tomato puree/passata, oregano, basil, salt, oil, garlic, and water in a pan. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes, then remove the lid and continue cooking on medium heat until the water has evaporated.

When adding your toppings, it's a good idea to add cheese both under and on top of them to help hold them in place. You can also add a final sprinkle of cheese on top of your pizza to help anchor the toppings and keep them from flying off. If you're using black olives, press them into the cheese so they don't blow away.

Finally, place an air fryer rack on top of your pizza to ensure the toppings don't blow away while cooking.

Cooking the pizza

First, preheat your air fryer to 375°F (190°C). Spray the air fryer basket with oil or line it with parchment paper. If using parchment paper, also spray the paper with oil.

Roll out your pizza dough to the size of your air fryer basket. You can use store-bought or homemade pizza dough, crescent rolls, or a tortilla. A 12-inch piece of dough will make two personal pizzas. Place the dough in the basket and lightly brush it with olive oil. Prick the dough in several places with a fork.

Now, you will pre-cook the crust. Cook the dough for about three minutes, then flip it over and cook for another two to three minutes. This will help you achieve a crispy bottom without overcooking the toppings.

Next, you will assemble your pizza. Add your sauce, spreading it evenly over the pre-cooked dough. You can use store-bought tomato sauce or make your own. Then, sprinkle the sauce with mozzarella cheese. You can also add other toppings at this stage, such as onions, pepperoni, green peppers, black olives, or cooked mushrooms. However, keep in mind that adding raw meat toppings may require a longer cooking time, so it is best to precook these ingredients.

Finally, place an air fryer rack on top of the pizza to prevent the toppings from blowing away. Then, cook the pizza at 375°F for about four to seven minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese has melted. The cooking time may vary depending on the brand and size of your air fryer, so be sure to check frequently to prevent overcooking.

Once the pizza is cooked, let it cool down before slicing and serving. It will be extremely hot straight out of the air fryer. You can also garnish the pizza with fresh basil, Parmesan, and red pepper flakes.

If you have any leftovers, you can easily reheat them in the air fryer. Set the temperature to 325°F (165°C) and cook for about four minutes.

Reheating leftovers

• Preheat your air fryer: Set the temperature to 325-350 degrees Fahrenheit (about 165-175 degrees Celsius). This temperature range is ideal for reheating pizza without burning it.
• Prepare the pizza: Place the leftover pizza slices on a piece of parchment paper or directly onto the air fryer rack. If using parchment paper, ensure it is cut to fit the size of your air fryer basket.
• Reheat the pizza: Place the pizza in the preheated air fryer and cook for about 4 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius). If using a higher temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius), start with a shorter time, around 2-3 minutes, and then check on it. The reheating time may vary depending on the thickness of your crust and the amount of toppings.
• Check on the pizza: After the initial reheating time, carefully remove the basket or rack from the air fryer. Check if the pizza has reached your desired temperature and level of doneness. If not, return it to the air fryer for an additional minute or until heated through.
• Serve and enjoy: Once the pizza is reheated to your liking, transfer it to a plate or cutting board. Let it cool down slightly, as it will be very hot. Then, enjoy your freshly reheated pizza!

Some additional tips for reheating pizza in an air fryer:

• If your pizza has a lot of toppings, consider placing an air fryer rack or piece of aluminum foil over it to prevent the toppings from blowing away during reheating.
• For a crispier crust, you can preheat your air fryer to a higher temperature, such as 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius), and then reduce the temperature to 325-350 degrees Fahrenheit (165-175 degrees Celsius) once you put the pizza inside.
• If you prefer your cheese extra melted, you can sprinkle a small amount of additional cheese on top of the pizza before reheating.

Frequently asked questions