There are many ways to cook pizza and ovens or grills are not the only cookware that you can use to do so. That is why we are here to help you know how to make a frozen pizza in an air fryer.

Frozen pizza is often looked down upon because critics say that it is not authentic or it is not as good as fresh ones. While some may be true, there is still a lot of positive feedback about it.

It still has the same flavor as a fresh pizza. It also packs the same nutrients and the benefits with frozen pizzas include the shortened time to prepare and cook the pizza.

Ovens and grills are also the most common cookware to be used in cooking pizza. However, that does not mean that you are limited to those two, you can be creative and cook pizza in an air fryer.

Air fryers produce a lot of heat that is needed for most pizzas. So they are capable of producing the same results as ovens and grills whether the pizza is freshly made or frozen.

The challenge of cooking a frozen pizza in an air fryer is mostly about the size. The size of pizza that you are going to bake and the size of your air fryer will be the defining factors for the time and temperature.

There are also some different styles of air fryer so they will cook differently. This guide will be applicable to most air fryers so you do not have to worry about the type of air fryer that you have.

So, if you are done with work and you are trying to make a frozen pizza in your air fryer, follow this guide and enjoy your meal while you relax and watch your favorite show.

 

Frozen Pizza In An Air Fryer

 

Ingredients

– 1 frozen pizza of your favorite brand

– Oil spray

– Parmesan cheese and basil for optional toppings.

 

Preheating the Air Fryer

This is a pretty easy job to do. All you need is to plug the air fryer in and then set it to 400 degrees Fahrenheit which will take around 5 minutes for the air fryer.

It is important to do this first because you will need to get the air fryer as hot as possible. This will allow the air to heat up as well as the parts of the air fryer that will have contact with the pizza.

 

Unwrap The Pizza

Remove the plastic wrap off the pizza. If the pizza is thick and is truly frozen, let it rest on a table until it reaches room temperature or until the air fryer has preheated to the desired temperature.

Letting the frozen pizza rest is important. The resting period does not do the same effects with fresh pizza like letting the rise but it will cook the frozen pizza far better and more evenly.

See, when the pizza is frozen, the outer parts of the crust and the toppings will be cooked first but the middle of the pizza will still be cold when it is finished.

That is why you need to let the pizza reach room temperature so the heat will travel evenly from the sides and outer parts to the center of the pizza.

 

Cook

Once the air fryer has reached the desired temperature, spray a little bit of olive oil on the fryer basket. This will prevent the pizza from sticking to the metal parts of the air fryer.

Then, place the pizza on the center of the fryer basket and spray the toppings with oil. You need to do this to make sure that the pizza and its toppings will not get burned in the process.

Close the lid of the air fryer and then let the pizza cook for 8 minutes. Usually, most recipes will advise you to put it longer in the air fryer but there is a reason for letting it cook for just 8 minutes.

The 8-minute long cooking process will usually finish the pizza if it is thin. So in order to prevent overcooking, look into the air fryer after 8 minutes to make sure that the pizza is still unburnt.

This leeway will let you know if you still need to cook the pizza even more. If it still needs to be cooked more, then close the lid again and then let it cook for another 4 minutes.

 

Serve

Once you are satisfied with how the pizza turned out, remove it from the air fryer, and then turn it off. Let the pizza rest for a minute or so until it is warm to touch.

Slice the pizza and then put it on a plate to serve! You can also add some additional toppings if you want more cheese or fresh leaves.

 

Notes

 

Thawing Is Optional

The recipe that we have just introduced requires you to thaw the pizza first. This will be beneficial for thicker pizzas to even out the cooking process.

However, if you have a thinner pizza, you can just remove the plastic wrapper and then bake it while it is frozen. This will create a better finish for most pizza in an air fryer.

See, a thin pizza surrounded by hot air will be cooked all the way through in just a few minutes. Letting it cook while frozen will give the pizza a crispier crust and chewy interior.

So unless you are cooking a deep-dish frozen pizza, you can just go ahead and preheat your air fryer, prepare the pizza, and then let it cook for an average of 10 minutes.

 

8-minute Rule

This recipe is timed based on a non-preheated air fryer. So if you are planning to cook multiple pizzas, then the timing for each pizza will be different.

That is why we recommend that you look into the air fryer after 8 minutes to make sure that the pizza is not burned. This will give you a more even cooking on all the pizzas that you will cook.

See, once an air fryer is preheated, it will retain the temperature. So if you cook another pizza, then it might take a shorter amount of time for it to finish cooking than the first one.

 

Time and Temperature

As we have said earlier, the time and temperature required for cooking a frozen pizza will depend on some factors. These include the size and thickness of the pizza and the type of air fryer.

In order to set the temperature and the timer at a more accurate reading, read the box of the frozen pizza as they usually include a guide behind the box for the cooking time and temperature.

That is also why we recommend starting with the 8-minute rule and then adding some more time for the pizza to cook if it still needs it to prevent burning the toppings.

Spraying a thin layer of oil on the toppings of the frozen pizza will also prevent burning the toppings. This will protect toppings that cook faster than the crust.

If you have a large air fryer, the cooking time should also be adjusted. See, since larger air fryers produce more heat, you will need to lessen the time of cooking for the pizza.

 

Conclusion

If you are trying to find more ways to cook a frozen pizza instead of just the grill or oven, or if you only have an air fryer available, then this recipe is the perfect one for you.

It is quick and easy to do so you do not have to go through the hassle of making your own pizza dough or cutting up some toppings while you are already starving.

The key here in this recipe is to find the right time and temperature for the thickness of your frozen pizza. Just set up your air fryer and get the frozen pizza and you are good to go.

This might not be the best option for making a pizza but a lot of us lack the time for making a fresh one. Since air fryers heat up fast and frozen pizzas contain the ingredients, this is a reasonable choice.

You can just finish your work and then let the pizza cook. The preparation and the mess that you will make is lessened and the pizza will be cooked in less than 20 minutes from preheating to serving it!

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