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Step aside frozen pizza, there’s a new guy in town. We’re talking about air fryer pizza! These perfectly crispy, easy-to-make, personal-sized pizzas are about to revolutionize pizza night. And with over 200 5-star reviews, you can rest assured this recipe is foolproof!
save this recipe!Recipe Improved
This recipe has been updated to fix the uncooked crust issue that many have commented on. Thank you everyone for your input. This community wouldn’t be the same without you!
After dozens of rounds testing different doughs, cheeses, temperatures, and cook times, we landed on this method that delivers a crispy, golden crust every single time (without overcooking the toppings).
The secret? A quick par-bake and a high-heat blast that mimics the effect of a pizza oven (without one).
Reader rating
“I’ve been craving a good pizza for so long. I gave up until now. Easy, breezy great tasting cheesy pizza in minutes.” —Winnie
Why You Will Love this Air Fryer Pizza Recipe
After testing this recipe to fix the undercooked crust issue that frustrated early readers, here is what makes this version reliable and worth making on repeat:
- No preheating a full oven, no pizza stone, no waiting 30 minutes for heat to build
- Personal-sized portions mean everyone gets exactly the toppings they want
- Works with store-bought dough, homemade dough, or naan as a shortcut
Key Ingredients
This is just an overview–jump to the recipe card for measurements and printable instructions!
- Pizza Dough: You can use store-bought or homemade pizza dough, rolled-out crescent rolls, or a tortilla.
- Buffalo Mozzarella Cheese: This type of mozzarella has a higher moisture content, meaning it stays soft and creamy even after baking (but shredded would also work!).
- Pizza Sauce: Store-bought tomato sauce is great to save time, but nothing beats homemade marinara sauce!
Dough Options
We’ve tried just about every dough out there in the air fryer. Here’s how they stack up:
- Tortillas: These cook up super thin and crispy (almost cracker-like), but burn fast, so keep a close eye on the cook time.
- Homemade pizza dough: Our go-to for chewy, restaurant-style crust. It crisps beautifully when par-baked and gives you full control over thickness and shape.
- Naan or pita bread: A foolproof shortcut that’s great for beginners or quick dinners. No rolling or rising; just add toppings and air fry.
Tips for Making Air Fry Pizza
Dry the mozzarella every time. Buffalo mozzarella is packed in water. Skipping the paper towel step is the single biggest cause of a wet, soft crust. Press firmly and blot until no more moisture comes out.
Don’t overload with sauce. A thin, even layer is all you need. Too much sauce adds moisture that the short cook time can’t evaporate, which keeps the crust from crisping properly.
Pre-cook the crust before adding toppings. This is non-negotiable. The dough needs a head start to cook through before the toppings go on. Skip this step and the bottom will be pale and doughy.
Check your air fryer model. Air fryers vary in power, so the first time you make this, check at the 5-minute mark. The pizza is done when the crust edge is golden and the cheese has bubbled and started to brown in spots.
Pizza In Air Fryer Recipe Variations
Naan pizza. Swap homemade or store-bought dough for naan bread. It already has structure and a slightly crispy base, which means you can skip the pre-cook step and go straight to toppings. This naan pizza recipe is a great starting point.
White pizza. Skip the tomato sauce and brush the pre-cooked crust with garlic olive oil instead. Top with ricotta, mozzarella, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Bruschetta pizza. Top with mozzarella during cooking, then finish with a generous spoonful of fresh tomato bruschetta and a drizzle of olive oil right before serving.
Pesto base. Swap the tomato sauce for a thin layer of pesto, then top with mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, and Parmesan.
Loaded veggie. Add roasted vegetables to the top after the sauce and cheese. Thin slices of zucchini, bell pepper, or mushroom work well since they cook quickly at high heat.
Air Fry Pizza Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions
Make ahead. You can prepare individual pizza dough portions ahead of time and store them in the fridge for up to 2 days, covered in plastic wrap or in a zip-lock bag. When ready to cook, let the dough come to room temperature for about 15 minutes before rolling and cooking.
Storing leftovers. Leftover cooked pizza keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, put it back in the air fryer at 350°F for 2 to 3 minutes. This restores the crust crispiness in a way the microwave never will.
Freezing. Cooked pizza slices freeze well for up to 2 months. Wrap individual slices in parchment paper, then store in a freezer bag. Reheat from frozen in the air fryer at 350°F for 4 to 6 minutes, checking at the halfway point.
Freezing uncooked dough. If you want to get further ahead, freeze portioned raw dough balls for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bring to room temperature before rolling and cooking.
Try These Pizza Toppings
Three Cheese Roasted Grape Pizza
30 minutes
Easy Roasted Veggie Pizza
40 minutes
Black Truffle And Mushroom Pizza
30 minutes
How to Air Fry Pizza
Ingredients
- buffalo mozzarella
- pizza dough, 1 12-inch dough will make 2 personal sized pizzas
- olive oil
- tomato sauce
- Optional toppings to finish: fresh basil, Parmesan cheese, pepper flakes
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat air fryer to 375°F (190°C). Spray air fryer basket well with oil. Pat buffalo mozzarella dry with paper towels (to prevent a soggy pizza).
- Cook Crust: Roll out pizza dough to the size of your air fryer basket. Carefully transfer it to the air fryer, then brush lightly with a teaspoon or so of olive oil and prick in a few places with a fork. Cook for 3 minutes, then flip the dough over.
- Assemble: To the precooked crust, spoon on a light layer of tomato sauce and sprinkle with chunks of mozzarella.
- Air fry for about 7 minutes until crust is crispy and cheese has melted. Optionally top with basil, grated Parmesan, and pepper flakes just before serving.
Notes
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
You will end up with raw dough using this “recipe”. It’s a waste of ingredients, unfortunately.
Thank you for this recipe. I’ve been craving a good pizza for so long I gave up until now. Easy, breezy great tasting cheesy pizza in minutes.
Great recipes shared it twice already total perfection with nan bread and premade individual pizza crust. Phenomenal
So happy to hear it! 😀
Great recipe, although for our air fryer (gourmia) we had to cook the dough on either side for 5ish min each (until it was golden brown) then add the toppings and cook for another 4ish minutes. This ensured the dough was cooked to perfection and crispy. Thanks!
Tried it 3 times tonight and found we needed 4 minutes at 400 for the crust. Flipping the crust at this point before adding toppings is a great idea. Onei’s toppings went on, we cooked for an additional 10 mins. I used an insert that is is like mesh and stands a couple inches off the bottom of the tray. A little sprinkle of garlic powder was an ice touch.
Nice BUT, I THINK MOST already knew about cooking the crust first,for home made. BUT, theres still NO WAY to cook a frozen pizza that has the bottom of the crust brown. I have a $180.00 air fryer,grill combo. , a GOOD, POWERFUL one. Top of pizza is great, bottom still white and mushy. No crisp at all. Ive tried every setting i could, no good,. Surely theres SOMETHING out there to put the pizza on that help cook the bottom? I called the maker of my unit [ overseas ] their answer was [ ready ? ] put pizza in upside down,, I just hung up. I mean, come on, can put man on moon, but cant brown a pizza ???
And that my friend, is because they never did put a man on moon 👀
So how do you get your pizza crust crispy if you are cooking a pre-made frozen pizza so far every pizza that we have cooked the crust is soft in the middle
You could try lowering the temperature to give the crust more time to cook through before the toppings burn 😀
I’ve been doing this a while… I always cook the crust until its browned, then flip it, now the bottom is browned and the new top can cook with the toppings on it. Make sure y’all get a cold fermenting dough recipe and keep it in the fridge overnight for that authentic pizzeria flavor. We make several batches of dough in the bread machine and keep it all in a bag with some olive oil in there to keep it from sticking to the bag. Pizza sauce is much cheaper by the gallon too if you can find it.
My favorite thing to do now is sprinkle some everything seasoning on the crust before the first cook, so its all across the bottom of the pizza when its done 🙂
I’ve been making this recipe once a week now for the family, everyone loves the personal pan sized pizzas. The only change I do is add a pan that fits in the air fryer, cook the crust for 3 minutes, then flip and cook the backside for another 3 minutes. Then add the toppings, and 7 minutes with the toppings on. Usually add stuffed crust as well!
I’m so happy to hear it’s a hit in your house! Happy cooking! 😀
I use flat breads, pitta breads or Greek style flat breads and it’s perfect every time.
Followed directions exactly with Rhodes frozen yeast rolls. Best ever
So happy to hear it! Enjoy! 😀