How to make Homemade Pizza in Air Fryer?- Easy Recipe!

Cooking pizza in air fryer is the easiest thing to do, and I have cooked it so many times that I can tell you with a ton of confidence that you can make the best homemade pizza in air fryer with this recipe.

What makes this recipe different?

Well, for starters, I do not cook the pizza on just one side and leave the other side uncooked like most AIR FRYER PIZZA RECIPES online.

I post real images of me cooking it so you get a better idea of how the pizza should look and what you can do to get a crispy base in an air fryer!

Yes, I tried some of the other recipes out there and was baffled at how they recommend cooking just one side like that would ever work in an air fryer!

Can I cook pizza in air fryer?

Yes, you can easily cook a pizza inside an air fryer, and I always do it. It is quite easy to do so, and if you are making pizza just for 1-2 people, then an air fryer is a more convenient way to make pizza.

The air fryer can easily make a personal-size pizza within 7-8 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pizza crust.

Why Air fryer pizza is the best?

1. Kid-Friendly Appeal: Air fryer pizza is a hit among kids due to its fun and quick preparation. Children enjoy customizing their mini pizzas with their favorite toppings, fostering a sense of creativity in the kitchen.

2. Perfect for Individual Servings: The small size of the air fryer is ideal for making single-serving pizzas, allowing everyone to have their personalized pizza without compromising on toppings.

3. Energy-Efficient Cooking: Air fryers are known for their energy efficiency compared to traditional ovens. This saves on electricity costs and aligns with a more eco-friendly approach to cooking.

4. Quick Heating and Cooking: Air fryers heat rapidly, allowing you to start cooking within minutes. This is especially advantageous when dealing with hungry kids or when you’re short on time.

5. Easy Cleanup: This is one of the reasons I love cooking in an air fryer; the cleanup is easy. Removable, dishwasher-safe components make cleanup quick and hassle-free, which is particularly useful for busy parents or those with limited time for kitchen chores.

Pizza Dough Recipe for Air Fryer Pizza

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
•  1 teaspoon sugar
•  1 teaspoon salt
•  1 teaspoon instant yeast
•  1 cup water (add a quarter more if needed)
•  2 tablespoons olive oil

How to make pizza dough-

1. Combine Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the all-purpose flour, sugar, instant yeast in a large mixing bowl. Lastly add salt to the bowl and mix the dry ingredients well.

2. Add Wet Ingredients: Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the warm water and olive oil.

3. Mix to Form Dough: Mix the wet and dry ingredients together by hand until a sticky dough forms. Ensure that all the flour is incorporated into the dough.

4. Rest the Dough: Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 4-5 hours in a warm place. During this time, the dough will rise and double in size.

5. Divide and make dough balls.

What do you need to make an air fryer pizza?

150 grams Pizza Dough Ball- You can use more pizza dough to make a larger pizza. I have made a pretty small pizza since you cannot make a larger pizza in an air fryer. If you want to go for a square-shaped pizza, you can make a larger one, but if it’s a circular pizza, you cannot make a pizza larger than a few inches.

2 tbsp Pizza Sauce- This is up to your preference. You can use slightly more or less pizza sauce, but ensure you do not overload the pizza with sauce, causing a slightly soggy crust in the middle.

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese- Again, you can use less or more mozzarella cheese. I recommend using mozzarella in moderation, as you do not want to make your pizza too greasy. You can use a combination of two cheeses, which would also work perfectly fine.

7-8 Pepperoni slices- You can easily add more pepperoni slices or other meat toppings like sausages, chicken, or bacon bits. If you want vegetarian topping options, you can go for bell peppers, corn, mushrooms, onion, and tomatoes.

Basil for garnishing- I have used finely chopped basil for garnishing on top, however this is completely optional and if you want you can skip this step.

You can also add hot honey or other sauce toppings to this well-cooked air fryer pizza.

How to make an air fryer Pizza

1. Roll Out the Dough: Roll out the pizza dough to your desired thickness using a rolling pin or your hands. If using your hands, stretch and shape the dough to your liking.

2. First Cook (Bottom Side Up): Transfer the rolled-out pizza dough to the air fryer basket.

Cook the bottom side facing up for 5-6 minutes at 400°F (200°C) until it becomes golden brown and crispy. This initial cooking helps create a sturdy base for your pizza.

3. Flip the Pizza: Using tongs or a spatula, carefully flip the partially cooked pizza dough in the air fryer basket.

4. Assemble the Pizza: Spread a generous amount of homemade pizza sauce on the uncooked side. Layer the shredded mozzarella cheese over the pizza sauce.

Add pepperoni slices or your preferred toppings on top of the cheese. Finish with a few more mozzarella cheese bits to help hold the toppings in place.

5. Second Cook (Final cook): Continue cooking the pizza for an additional 6-7 minutes at 400°F (200°C) until the crust reaches your desired crispiness.

6. Serve: Carefully remove the pizza from air fryer basket using a spatula. Slice and serve the pizza with your favorite dipping sauce.

Storing leftover pizza slices

There are three different storage situations, so let’s discuss them all-

1. Room Temperature (Short-Term): If you plan to consume the leftover pizza within a few hours, leave it at room temperature. Keep it covered with a plate or foil to prevent it from drying out.

2. Refrigeration (Long-Term): Refrigerate the leftover pizza for longer storage. Place slices in an airtight container and place them in the fridge. Storing in a single layer helps prevent slices from sticking together.

3. Freezing (Extended Storage): If you want to store pizza for an extended period, consider freezing it. Place individual slices on a plate and freeze the slices until solid. After they are frozen, you can store them in a zip-lock bag. Label with the date for easy tracking.

Reheating leftover Pizza Slices in the Air fryer

Place the pizza slices in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Cook for 3-4 minutes at 375°F (190°C) till you are satisfied with the color of the crust. There is a more detailed post on reheating pizza in air fryer.

Can you use the same dough to make pizza bites?

You can use the homemade pizza dough recipe I made above and make pizza bites.

Can you use pre-made dough?

Yes, you can use pre-made dough for this air fryer pizza recipe. Pre-made pizza dough is a convenient and time-saving option for making homemade pizza.

Pre-made pizza dough is found in many grocery stores’ refrigerated or frozen sections.

Common Mistakes out there…

1. First, cook the base side and crisp it up before flipping it and topping it with sauce, toppings, and cheese. The air fryer cooks whatever faces the fan, so if you skip this step, you will end up with a doughy crust, and you may have to cook it on a pan later as you cannot flip a pizza after you have toppings and cheese on it.

2. Do not overload the pizza with sauce, as that would make the pizza soggy. It will also get heavy and won’t be a great pizza.

3. Do not add too much cheese, which can make the pizza greasy. If you are using any high-moisture cheese like fresh mozzarella, then make sure to dry the mozzarella cheese before you go ahead and use it for cooking.

How to avoid soggy crust?

Soggy crust happens because of two reasons.

Too much Pizza Sauce: If you have too watery pizza sauce, cook it briefly to reduce moisture. Apply a moderate amount, thinly spreading it on the dough to ensure even cooking.

Too much Pizza sauce can make the pizza soggy.

Overloading Pizza with Toppings: Overloading pizza with toppings can cause the crust to be soggy, so limit the quantity of toppings to prevent excess moisture.

Maintain a balanced distribution for even cooking and a crisp crust.

How to get a crispy base?

Cook the base first to make it all crispy in the air fryer. You can cook the pizza base on a pan to get the crispy bottom crust.

Apart from the tip above, use a thin layer of sauce, limit toppings to avoid excess moisture, and bake in a hot oven until edges are golden.

What kind of cheese is best for pizza?

Mozzarella cheese tastes the best with pizza. I like using dry mozzarella in the air fryer since it is perfect for cooking a pizza at 200°C.

If you have an oven that gets hotter than that, then you can even go for fresh mozzarella. But, if you are cooking Pizza in an air fryer, you HAVE to dry out the mozzarella.

Another alternative is to mix dry mozzarella with some cheddar or provolone cheese and use it to top it on pizza to get a more complex set of flavors.

How much pizza sauce is too much?

If you feel the base getting heavy or taking a dip when you hold the edges of the pizza, then it means that you have overdone the pizza sauce.

I always try to go for not more than 2 tbsp for a 7-inch pizza, and you can go for more if you got a larger sized pizza, but don’t load it with pizza sauce.

It overpowers all the other flavors in a pizza, and you can end up with a soggy pizza.