Air-Fried Pizza: A Quick, Easy, And Delicious Treat!

Making pizza in an air fryer is a quick and easy way to get your pizza fix. The air fryer's strong fan can blow lightweight toppings around, so it's best to place a rack over your pizza to stop this from happening. You can also use toothpicks to secure toppings like pepperoni. It's important to pre-cook the crust to get a nice golden colour and ensure the toppings don't overcook. You can use store-bought or homemade dough, and the best temperature to cook your pizza at is around 375–400 °F for 7–10 minutes.

Preheat the air fryer

Preheating your air fryer is an important step in making pizza, as it helps to ensure your pizza cooks evenly and efficiently. Here is a detailed guide on how to do it:

Firstly, preheat your air fryer to a temperature between 375 and 400 degrees Fahrenheit. The exact temperature will depend on your air fryer model and personal preference for how crispy you like your pizza. For example, if you like a crispier base, a higher temperature of 400 degrees is ideal. Most air fryers will take a few minutes to preheat, so you can use this time to prepare your pizza dough and toppings.

If you are using a basket-style air fryer, it is a good idea to spray the basket with olive oil or another cooking spray to prevent sticking. You can also line the basket with parchment paper, which makes it easier to transfer your pizza in and out of the air fryer. If you have a rack-style air fryer, you may want to place a rack over your pizza during cooking to prevent toppings from blowing around.

Once your air fryer has preheated to the desired temperature, you can carefully transfer your pizza dough into the basket or onto the rack. It is important to ensure that your dough is a similar size and shape to your air fryer basket to avoid any sticking or burning. You may need to work in batches if you are making multiple pizzas.

After placing your dough in the air fryer, you can prick it with a fork to prevent it from ballooning or folding while cooking. You can then pre-cook the dough for a few minutes before adding your toppings. This helps to ensure a crispy base and prevents the toppings from making the base soggy.

Overall, preheating your air fryer is a crucial step in ensuring your pizza cooks evenly and efficiently. By following the above steps, you can ensure your pizza cooks perfectly every time.

Prepare the dough

Preparing the dough is the first step in making pizza in an air fryer. You can use store-bought pizza dough, or make your own dough from scratch. If you're short on time, you can even use pre-cooked dough or a tortilla wrap as your base.

If you're using store-bought dough, roll it out on a floured surface until it's thin—less than 1/4 inch thick. If you're using a dough recipe that requires pre-baking, place the dough in the air fryer and cook at 370-400 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 minutes.

Once your dough is ready, cut it into equal parts to make personal-sized pizzas. Roll each piece into a thin, round shape, ensuring it's slightly smaller than your air fryer basket. Prick the dough all over with a fork to prevent it from puffing up during cooking.

Spray the air fryer basket with olive oil or line it with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Place the dough in the basket and pre-cook for about 3 minutes. Flip the dough and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Now your dough is ready for sauce and toppings!

Precook the crust

Precooking the pizza crust is a crucial step in making pizza in an air fryer. It ensures that the crust is cooked through and achieves a nice golden colour without overcooking the toppings. Here is a detailed guide on how to precook your pizza crust:

Preparing the Crust

First, preheat your air fryer to 375-400°F (190-204°C). The temperature may vary slightly depending on your air fryer model and preferences, but this range should be ideal for most. While the air fryer is preheating, prepare your pizza dough. You can use store-bought dough, or make your own from scratch. Divide the dough into two or more balls, depending on how many pizzas you plan to make. Work the dough into round shapes that are slightly smaller than your air fryer basket. This step ensures your pizza will fit comfortably in the basket.

Cooking the Crust

Lightly grease the bottom of the air fryer basket with olive oil or non-stick spray. This will prevent the dough from sticking. Carefully place the dough into the basket. Prick the dough all over with a fork to prevent it from ballooning or folding as it cooks. This technique also helps the crust bake evenly and stay flat.

Precooking the Crust

Now, it's time to precook the crust. Close the air fryer basket and cook the dough for about 3 minutes. This timing may vary slightly depending on your air fryer, so keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn't overcook. The goal is to have a partially cooked crust that will finish cooking along with the toppings.

Flipping the Crust

Once the initial cooking time is complete, open the air fryer basket and flip the crust. This step ensures even cooking and helps prevent the bottom of the crust from becoming soggy or undercooked. After flipping, you can add your sauce, cheese, and toppings. However, if you prefer to add the toppings after flipping, that is also an option.

Remember, precooking the crust is essential when making pizza in an air fryer. It ensures that your crust is cooked through, golden, and crispy, without compromising the quality of your toppings. By following these steps, you'll be on your way to enjoying delicious, perfectly cooked air fryer pizzas!

Add toppings

Once you've prepared your pizza dough and sauce, it's time to get creative with your toppings. The beauty of making pizza in an air fryer is that you can customise it to your taste.

If you're a meat-lover, try adding pepperoni, cooked shredded chicken, or crumbled sausage. For a vegetarian option, go for veggies like onions, green peppers, olives, mushrooms, chopped tomatoes, spinach, or broccoli. You can also get creative with different types of cheese, such as shredded Italian blend, mozzarella, cheddar, or Parmesan.

When adding your toppings, keep in mind that the fan in the air fryer can blow lightweight toppings around. To prevent this, place a rack over the pizza to hold them in place. You can also secure toppings like pepperoni with toothpicks.

• Beer caramelised onion and Brussels sprout pizza
• Three-cheese roasted grape pizza
• Gorgonzola pear pizza
• Beet pesto pizza with goat cheese and kale
• Sirloin steak, onions, and red peppers
• Black olives
• Fresh garlic-infused olive oil, Pecorino cheese, medium cheddar cheese, red onion, hot honey drizzle, and fresh basil
• Green olives
• Pita bread as the crust
• Chicken wings
• Hot honey
• Buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil, Parmesan cheese, and pepper flakes
• Garlic salt and Italian herbs on the crust

Cook the pizza

Now that you've prepared your dough and worked it into a round shape that's slightly smaller than your air fryer basket, it's time to cook the pizza!

First, pre-cook the pizza dough. This is an important step as it ensures the dough is cooked through and gives you a nice golden crust. Place the dough in the air fryer basket and cook for around 3 minutes. You can brush the dough with olive oil and prick it with a fork before pre-cooking to help achieve an even crispier crust.

Once the dough is pre-cooked, it's time to add your toppings. Keep the pre-cooked dough in the air fryer basket and add your sauce, cheese, and any other desired toppings. It's recommended to add the cheese last, as lighter toppings may blow off while cooking. You can also add a sprinkle of dried herbs and spices, such as basil and red pepper flakes, for extra flavour.

After assembling your pizza, it's time to cook it until the crust is golden brown and the cheese has melted. This should take around 5-9 minutes, depending on your air fryer model. Keep an eye on the pizza to ensure it doesn't overcook or burn. You may want to cover the pizza with an air fryer rack to prevent the toppings from blowing around.

Once the pizza is cooked to your liking, remove it from the air fryer and let it cool down a bit before digging in! Enjoy your delicious, freshly made air fryer pizza!

Frequently asked questions