This easy Air Fryer French Bread Pizza is crispy, cheesy, and only takes 5 minutes to cook. Customize it with whatever toppings you like. I mean you really can’t go wrong when there's lots of cheese and bread involved. This is the perfect shortcut for pizza night and is much cheaper than delivery.
Pizza is a staple in my house. Whether it is frozen, made from scratch, or from our favorite local pizza joint, pizza is normally on the menu at least once a week in my house.
And I recently upgraded my air fryer. I am not sure how many quarts my old one was off the top of my head, but it was tiny. It worked great, but I needed a larger one to avoid so much batch cooking. I went with the Ultrean 8.5 quart and I love it so far. It is not too pricey and is much larger than my old one. So I highly recommend it!
Anyways, I have been testing out so many new recipes in it and cooking everything I can in it (because that’s what you do when you get a new appliance right?). So I decided to give these french bread pizzas a go.
They came out perfectly and are so easy to make that I had to share the recipe. Such a simple dinner option for busy nights and definitely great for kids.
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Highlights
- Easy air fryer lunch/dinner recipe
- Cheesy, crispy, and loaded with toppings
- Takes only about 5 minutes to cook
- No homemade dough
- Kid friendly
Ingredients
- Pizza Sauce: I normally just buy a jar of sauce to keep it simple, but you can make homemade sauce too. ⅓ of a cup is enough for about 2 pizzas. I did not add any to the white pizza.
- Balsamic Glaze: This is different from balsamic vinegar. You can normally find it near the balsamic vinegar in the grocery store. It is thicker and sweeter.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.
Instructions
before you start . . .
- Cut the bread. I normally cut mine in half lengthwise (like you would for a sub sandwich) and then in half again widthwise. This is the perfect size for a personal pizza and I can fit up to 3 in my air fryer.
Step 1: Assemble the pizzas. For the white pizza, start by brushing the bread generously with olive oil. Spread the tomato sauce on the other pieces of french bread. Divide the mozzarella and parmesan cheese between the 4 pizzas. Put a little more on the tomato based pizzas. Finish the white pizzas with the feta and goat cheese. Finish the tomato based pizzas with the pepperoni, onion, and peppers.
Step 2: Air fry at 350 degrees for 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is beginning to brown.
TIP - Because there is no tomato sauce on the white pizza, start with an olive oil base for some moisture.
TIP - Check the pizza after 5 minutes. Some air fryers cook faster than others. Toppings might have flown around during cooking. I normally just stick them back on top at the end.
Step 3: While the pizzas cook, combine the arugula, a drizzle of olive oil, and salt in a bowl. Toss well. Set aside for topping.
Step 4: Cook the remaining 2 pizzas and enjoy. Finish the white pizza with arugula and balsamic glaze.
Expert Tips & Recipe Notes
- Shred your own cheese. I always recommend buying blocks of cheese and shredding it yourself. A couple months ago I did away with pre-shredded for good and I will never go back. It melts so much better and has more taste.
- Use soft french bread. You do not want to use a super crusty bread or the pizza will be too tough.
- Check your pizza after 5 minutes. Every air fryer is made differently so cooking time will vary. I always recommend keeping an eye on the food so it does not over cook.
- The toppings will fly around. I find that sometimes the toppings fly around in the air fryer. You can either just put them back on top at the end or put your cheese on top of the toppings to hold them in place.
- Customize the toppings. This recipe gives 2 different ways to make this pizza. Feel free to customize these with whatever toppings you like, or have on hand.
- Batch cook if needed. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may have to cook the pizzas in batches. I recommend serving them right as they come out though.
FAQs
I do not find that these pizzas hold up well leftover. The bread’s texture begins to deteriorate. If you do keep leftovers, store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 1-2 days. If you reheat them in the air fryer, they will likely be too tough so the microwave is probably the best option.
My air fryer does not require preheating. If yours does, preheat it like usual before cooking.
Any of your favorite traditional pizza toppings will work. Any meats (ham, bacon, sausage, ground beef, prosciutto, etc.), cheeses, or vegetables (olives, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes) are great options. The french bread holds up well to lots of toppings.
I recommend a simple salad like this Crunchy Kale Salad. Something light & easy!
There are so many different things to do with fresh bread. These air fryer french bread pizzas are a great and easy dinner idea.
You can follow the same instructions for a frozen pizza. You just may have to extend the cook time. I would check the pizza after 5 minutes and probably cook it for an additional 2-5 or until it is hot all the way through.
Related Recipes
Air Fryer French Bread Pizza (2 ways)
Ingredients:
Base
- 1 small french loaf, cut to fit in air fryer
- olive oil
- 1 ounce ⅓ cup parmesan, shredded
- 6 ounce 1 ½ cups mozzarella, shredded
White Pizza
- 1-2 ounces handful goat cheese
- 1-2 ounces handful feta
- 1 cup arugula
- drizzle balsamic glaze*
Tomato Based Pizza
- ⅓ cup or more pizza sauce*
- 14 pepperonis, or more
- ¼ cup sliced red onion onion
- ¼ cup sliced bell pepper
Instructions:
- Review all recipe notes and instructions before beginning.
- Assemble the pizzas. For the white pizza, start by brushing the bread generously with olive oil. Spread the tomato sauce on the other pieces of french bread. Divide the mozzarella and parmesan cheese between the 4 pizzas. Put a little more on the tomato based pizzas. Finish the white pizzas with the feta and goat cheese. Finish the tomato based pizzas with the pepperoni, onion, and peppers.
- Air fry at 350 degrees for 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is beginning to brown.
- While the pizzas cook, combine the arugula, a drizzle of olive oil, and salt in a bowl. Toss well. Set aside for topping.
- Cook the remaining 2 pizzas and enjoy. Finish the white pizza with arugula and balsamic glaze.
My kids loved this recipe!