Air fryer garlic bread: your favorite Italian side dish in a fraction of the time! Hot and crunchy bread is on the table in just 10 minutes and has all the cheesy garlicky flavor you know and love.
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Do you already love your air fryer? Well, you haven't seen anything yet!
Air fryer garlic bread will make even the most loyal air fryer fans recommit their undying devotion to their favorite appliance. This crunchy, savory, buttery, and cheesy bread is easy to make, ready in less than 10 minutes, and able to make fans out of the even most pickiest of eaters.
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Air fryer garlic bread is...
- Crunchy
- Crispy
- Cheesy
- Garlicky
And everything you've come to know and love in this Italian-American appetizer or side dish!
Ingredients:
- Bread - baguettes, ciabatta bread, french bread, and even Texas toast bread works in this garlic bread air fryer recipe!
- Unsalted butter
- Olive oil
- Parmesan cheese - grated is best but shredded parmesan cheese also works
- Mozzarella cheese - part skim shredded cheese makes the garlic bread butter nice and cheesy. Expect beautiful cheese pulls when you break into this bread!
- Garlic - fresh minced garlic is the best for this recipe.
- Salt
- Fresh curly parsley - minced flat leaf parsley can substitute in a pinch, but curly parsley is best!
Let's talk more about that bread:
Really, you can use almost any type of bread to make this recipe. Sandwich bread, pitas, homemade bread, and even bagels. Just watch the cooking time if using smaller or thinner cut pieces of bread. Conversely, add on more time if needed for thicker pieces of bread (like bagels).
How to make garlic bread in the air fryer:
For the complete recipe and measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- In a small mixing bowl, mix together the softened butter, olive oil, garlic, salt, parsley, parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese until combined.
- Lightly brush the bottom sides of the bread with olive oil.
- Spread the garlic bread cheese mixture on the top side of each slice of bread to cover.
- Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees. Add the slices of buttered bread to the air fryer racks or basket, leaving at least ½ inch of space between the pieces of bread.
- Air fry the garlic bread until the bread is crispy and the cheese mixture is golden brown and bubbly. Serve the bread hot!
Recipe pro-tips:
- Used softened butter. It spreads the easiest and melts the quickest on the bread.
- Cut the bread uniformly. This will help the bread to toast evenly and get nice and crispy.
- Don't crowd the bread in the air fryer. We need room for the hot air to circulate around the bread so it can evenly heat and crisp up.
- Air frying racks vs. baskets - if you have a rack for your air fryer, they are the best to use, as they allow the most even air flow around the bread. If you don't have a rack, baskets also work. Just keep an eye on the bread to ensure that the bread evenly crisps up. For my recommendations on the best air fryers with racks, see the "tools needed to make this recipe" section below.
- Air frying in batches. If the air fryer doesn't accommodate all the bread, air fry the bread in batches.
- Uneven air frying. If your air fryer doesn't fry evenly and one of the racks of bread crisps up before the other does, start the first rack of bread and air fry for 2 minutes and then add in the second rack of bread and air fry for 4-5 minutes more, or until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
Recipe FAQs:
Fresh (not frozen) garlic bread only needs 4-5 minutes to cook in the air fryer.
Yes, you certainly can reheat bread in the air fryer. Just reheat it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 2-3 minutes, or until warmed through and crisp.
Serving suggestions:
Garlic bread is delicious any time the craving strikes! It is traditionally served here in the States with Italian red pasta sauce dishes, like spaghetti and meatballs or bolognese sauce, or pasta bakes. It's also delicious with my zucchini lasagna recipe!
Storage directions:
This garlic bread is best served fresh-- it's crispy, crunchy, and melty straight out of the air fryer! Therefore, I don't recommend storing leftovers.
If you don't plan on eating all of the garlic bread in one sitting, I recommend just making the amount you plan on eating and storing the bread and garlic bread cheese spread separately until the next time you make it.
Store the sliced bread in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months (to defrost it, just place the bread on the counter for 10-15 minutes). The cheese spread can last covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. For best results, let the cheese spread soften on the counter for 15-30 minutes before using.
Dietary adaptations:
Make gluten-free garlic bread with this recipe simply by substitution thick sliced gluten-free bread for the traditional wheat bread and following the instructions as listed. Easy peasy!
Tools needed to make this recipe:
- Air Fryers -- an air fryer that has a rack, like the Instant Pot Duo Crisp or the Ninja Foodi Tendercrisp are great! I have both and love them for this recipe.
- Cutting board
- Chef knife
- Bread knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Small mixing bowl
- Silicone spatula or fork
More bread recipes:
More Air Fryer Recipes:
- Air Fryer Frozen Egg Rolls
- Air Fryer Frozen Sweet Potato Fries
- Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes
- Air Fryer Turkey Burgers
- Air Fryer Tater Tots
- Air Fryer Beer Brats
If you made and liked this recipe, don't forget to rate the recipe and let me know how it went for you in the comments! It always makes my day to hear from you!
Garlic Bread in the Air Fryer
Email FacebookIngredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil DIVIDED
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 2-4 cloves or 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons minced curly parsley
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1, 11-14 oz. loaf of Italian French, ciabatta, or baguette bread; cut into 1-inch thick slices
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, mix together the softened butter, 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, salt, parsley, parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese until combined.
- Lightly brush the bottom sides of the bread with the remaining tablespoon olive oil.
- Spread 1-2 tablespoons of the garlic bread cheese mixture on the top side of each slice of bread, or enough to cover the bread with ⅛-inch of the mixture. This might be more or less, depending on how wide your pieces of bread are.
- Preheat the air fryer with the air frying racks installed to 375 degrees. If you do not have air frying racks, heat up the air fryer with the basket installed. Add the slices of buttered bread to the air fryer racks or basket, leaving at least ½ inch of space between the bread.
- Air fry the garlic bread for 4-5 minutes, or until the bread is crispy and the cheese mixture is golden brown and bubbly. Serve the bread hot!
Notes
- This garlic bread is best served fresh- it's crispy, crunchy, cheesy, and melty straight out of the air fryer! Therefore, I don't recommend storing leftovers. If you don't plan on eating all of the garlic bread in one sitting, I recommend just making the amount you plan on eating and storing the bread and garlic bread cheese spread separately until the next time you make it. Store the sliced bread in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months (to defrost it, just place the bread on the counter for 10-15 minutes). The cheese spread can last covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. For best results, let the cheese spread soften on the counter for 15-30 minutes before using.
- Types of bread - you can use almost any type of bread to make this recipe. Sandwich bread, pitas, homemade bread, and even bagels. Just watch the cooking time if using smaller or thinner cut pieces of bread. Conversely, add on more time if needed for thicker pieces of bread (like bagels).
- Air frying in batches. If the air fryer doesn't accommodate all the bread, air fry the bread in batches.
- Uneven air frying. If your air fryer doesn't fry evenly and one rack of the bread crisps up before the other does, start the first rack of bread and air fry for 2 minutes and then add in the second rack of bread and air fry for 4-5 minutes more, or until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
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