This cheesy, buttery air fryer garlic bread is crispy outside, soft inside, and ready in 7 minutes at 350°F. Made with fresh garlic, herbs, and parmesan, it's the easiest side for pasta night, soups, or any weeknight dinner.
Air Fryer Garlic Bread At A Glance
- ✅ Recipe Name: Air Fryer Garlic Bread (7 Minutes!)
- 🔥 Temp and Time: 350°F for 5 to 7 minutes
- 🕒 Total Time: 10 minutes (3 prep, 7 cook)
- 👪 Serves: 10 pieces (easy to scale)
- 🍽 Calories: ~120 per piece
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Baguette or French bread, butter, fresh garlic, parmesan, parsley, salt
- 🍞 Works With: Baguette, ciabatta, rolls, sandwich bread, or frozen garlic bread
- 📖 Dietary Info: Vegetarian, easily made gluten-free or dairy-free
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: Crispy edges, melty parmesan, and no oven preheat. Faster than the oven and better than store-bought.
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
I bought my first air fryer for chicken and ended up rewiring how I cook everything else. It started with crispy air fryer chicken thighs, then air fryer smashed potatoes, and eventually I stopped turning the oven on for anything under 20 minutes. Garlic bread was the last holdout because I assumed it would dry out.
It does the opposite. The circulating air pulls moisture off the surface fast while the inside stays soft, which is the exact texture split you're chasing with garlic bread and the thing an oven is worst at. My oven takes 20 minutes just to preheat. The air fryer is done before that.
My first attempts had burnt edges and a pale middle because I cut the baguette into thick rounds and crowded the basket. Now I halve the loaf lengthwise, cut it into quarters that fit flat with space between them, and drop to 3 to 5 minutes when I use sandwich bread instead.
Now it's what I make when dinner's almost ready, and I've forgotten the bread. Pasta, soup, healthy cottage cheese lasagna, zucchini turkey meatballs, or nothing at all.
Jump to:
- Air Fryer Garlic Bread At A Glance
- Can You Cook Garlic Bread in the Air Fryer?
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients You'll Need
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Garlic Bread in the Air Fryer (Step-by-Step)
- Video Tutorial (Step-by-Step)
- My Top Tips for Air Frying Garlic Bread
- Air Fryer Time and Temperature by Bread Type
- Can I Cook Frozen Garlic Bread in the Air Fryer?
- What to Serve with Garlic Bread
- How to Store, Make Ahead, and Freeze
- Air Fryer Garlic Bread FAQs
- More Air Fryer Recipes You'll Love
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Can You Cook Garlic Bread in the Air Fryer?
Yes. Garlic bread cooks in an air fryer at 350°F in 5 to 7 minutes, and it comes out crispier than it does in the oven. This works for homemade garlic bread, store-bought loaves, and frozen garlic bread, though the timing shifts depending on which one you're using.
The one thing to watch is the fan. Air fryers move a lot of air, so loose toppings like shredded cheese or dried herbs can blow around before the butter sets. Press them into the butter, or add cheese during the last 1 to 2 minutes.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Crispier than the oven: Circulating air dries the surface fast while the inside stays soft. An oven heats the whole loaf evenly, so it tends to go uniformly dry.
- No preheat wait: About 3 minutes to preheat versus 20 for my oven.
- Works with any bread: Baguette, ciabatta, rolls, sandwich bread, or frozen. Times below adjust for each.
- Fits a full dinner: Pasta, soup, or a side salad. I make it most with my dairy-free tomato soup.
- Almost no cleanup: One bowl and a basket that wipes clean. No sheet pan, no parchment, no greasy foil.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Made this tonight and it was amazing! The garlic butter was perfect, and the bread came out super crispy in the air fryer. Took no time at all and was honestly better than takeout garlic bread.
- Jenna
Ingredients You'll Need
- Bread: Baguette or French bread is my default. Ciabatta, rolls, and sandwich bread all work, and the times below adjust for each.
- Butter: Unsalted, softened to room temperature so it spreads instead of tearing the bread.
- Salt: A pinch, if you're using unsalted butter. A reader flagged that the garlic falls flat without it, and she was right.
- Garlic: Fresh, minced. Garlic powder works in a pinch, but you lose the caramelized flavor that makes this worth doing.
- Parmesan: Freshly grated, not the shaker kind. Pre-grated has anti-caking agents that keep it from melting. Asiago or Romano works too.
- Herbs: Fresh parsley or basil, or dried oregano or Italian seasoning at about a third the amount.
Scroll down to the recipe card for the exact quantities of all ingredients.
Substitutions & Variations
- Make it gluten-free: A gluten-free baguette or rolls crisp up the same way. Watch it a minute early, since GF bread browns faster.
- Make it dairy-free: Vegan butter or olive oil in place of butter, and skip the parmesan or use a vegan hard cheese.
- Use different cheeses: Mozzarella melts more softly, cheddar browns more firmly, and a mix of mozzarella and parmesan gives you both.
- Roasted garlic: Milder and slightly sweet. Good if raw garlic is too sharp for you.
- Make it spicy: Red pepper flakes in the butter, or a pinch of cayenne.
- Add extra herbs: Add finely chopped fresh thyme or rosemary to the butter.
Need to substitute an ingredient?
Ask AI for suggestions on how to substitute the particular ingredient.
How to Make Garlic Bread in the Air Fryer (Step-by-Step)
Garlic bread takes 5 to 7 minutes at 350°F in the air fryer. Here's how it comes together:
- Step 1: Mix the garlic butter. Combine softened butter, minced garlic, half the parmesan, parsley, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl.
- Step 2: Cut and spread. Halve the baguette lengthwise, cut into quarters, and spread the butter mixture on each piece.
- Step 3: Add to the basket. Place the bread in the air fryer and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan.
- Step 4: Air Fry. Air fry at 350°F for 5-7 minutes until golden and crispy. Garnish with parsley, slice, and enjoy!
Video Tutorial (Step-by-Step)
My Top Tips for Air Frying Garlic Bread
- Cut flat, not thick: Thick rounds burn on the edges before the center heats. Halve the loaf lengthwise so the surface sits flat against the air.
- Give each piece space: Crowding blocks airflow, and you get steam instead of crisp. Cook in two batches if you have to.
- Press the cheese into the butter: Loose shredded cheese blows around in the fan. Pressing it in, or adding it in the last 2 minutes, keeps it on the bread.
- Soften the butter fully: An hour at room temperature. Cold butter tears the bread instead of spreading over it.
- Serve straight from the basket: The crisp edge softens within a few minutes as steam escapes.
Air Fryer Time and Temperature by Bread Type
Garlic bread cooks at 350°F in an air fryer, but the time depends on how thick the bread is. Here's what I use:
| Bread | Temp | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Baguette or French bread, halved | 350°F | 5 to 7 min |
| Ciabatta or rolls | 350°F | 6 to 8 min |
| Sandwich or sliced bread | 350°F | 3 to 5 min |
| Frozen garlic bread | 340°F | 8 to 10 min |
| Reheating leftovers | 350°F | 2 min |
Check at the halfway mark the first time. Basket size and model change the timing.
Can I Cook Frozen Garlic Bread in the Air Fryer?
Yes, and you shouldn't thaw it first. Cook frozen garlic bread at 340°F for 8 to 10 minutes, straight from the freezer. The lower temperature gives the center time to heat through before the edges brown.
Thawing works against you here. The butter melts into the bread before the surface has a chance to crisp, leaving a soggy middle. Frozen Texas toast is thinner and needs about 5 to 6 minutes, with a flip halfway through.
What to Serve with Garlic Bread
This air fryer garlic bread is a great side dish that goes with so many meals. Here are some tasty ideas:
- Chili: Garlic bread goes perfectly with healthy turkey chili!
- Pasta: Perfect with spaghetti, healthy chicken bolognese, lemon caper pasta, or this chicken pasta bake.
- Meatballs: These juicy air fryer turkey meatballs are a classic combo.
- Soup: Great with this dairy-free tomato soup or this one-pot lasagna soup.
- Chicken: Pairs super well with these crispy air fryer chicken thighs or this balsamic feta stuffed chicken.
- Seafood: Great with shrimp scampi, oven-baked shrimp skewers, crab cakes, or grilled fish.
- Salads: blackened salmon Caesar salad or healthy chicken Caesar pasta salad if you want something lighter alongside.
How to Store, Make Ahead, and Freeze
- Storing: Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Skip the fridge; it dries the bread out fast.
- Make ahead: Mix the garlic butter up to 3 days in advance and keep it covered in the fridge. Let it come back to room temperature before spreading, or it will tear the bread.
- Freezing: Spread the garlic butter on the cut bread, freeze flat in a single layer until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 1 month. Air fry straight from frozen, no thawing.
- Reheating: Air fry at 350°F for about 2 minutes, until the edges crisp back up. Don't microwave it; the crust goes soft immediately.
Air Fryer Garlic Bread FAQs
350°F. Higher browns the edges before the center heats through, and lower doesn't crisp the surface.
5 to 7 minutes for a baguette, 3 to 5 for sandwich bread, and 8 to 10 from frozen. Check at the halfway mark the first time.
Yes, I would! Preheating gives you an even crisp from the first minute. Some models, like the Cosori, don't require it.
No, and I'd skip it. Foil blocks airflow underneath, so the bottom steams instead of crisping.
Not for buttered-side-up bread. Frozen Texas toast is the exception; flip that one halfway.
Yes. Olive oil or vegan butter both work and still crisp well. Garlic-infused olive oil adds a bit more flavor.
A crusty baguette or ciabatta. Sourdough, sandwich bread, and gluten-free all work; just adjust the time for thickness.
Don't crowd the basket. Steam gets trapped between pieces and softens the crust. Spread the butter evenly rather than soaking it in one spot.
More Air Fryer Recipes You'll Love
If you loved this crispy air fryer garlic bread, here's what to make next:
Did you make this recipe?
If you make this recipe, be sure to comment and rate it down below. Also, don't forget to tag me @healthfulblondie on Instagram and use the hashtag #healthfulblondie so I can see your delicious creation and share it with my followers!
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Garlic Bread
Video
Ingredients
- 4 - 5 tablespoon salted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 - 5 large garlic cloves, minced
- ⅓ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, more if desired
- 2 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
- 1 baguette, French bread or ciabatta
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 350°F.
- Make the garlic butter: In a small bowl, mix together the softened butter, minced garlic, half of the parmesan, parsley, and a pinch of salt.
- Cut the bread: Cut the loaf in half lengthwise. Depending on the size of your air fryer, cut the baguette into quarters or a size that will fit flat in the basket. Avoid thick rounds, which brown at the edges before the center heats through.
- Spread and top: Spread butter mixture over each piece of bread, place them in the air fryer in a single layer, and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese on top.
- Air fry: Air fry for 5 to 7 minutes, until golden and the cheese is slightly crispy on top. Sandwich bread needs 3 to 5 minutes.
- Serve: Garnish with extra parsley, cut into individually sized pieces (if desired), and serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe tested and developed by Tati Chermayeff, creator of Healthful Blondie. A former Division I rower, Ironman triathlete, and recipe developer based in Austin, TX, Tati creates air fryer and healthy recipes that actually taste like the real thing.
Rhiannon H says
This was good. I used it on leftover dinner rolls from Thanksgiving. I missed the salt as I didn’t see that in the ingredient list. That’s the one thing I noticed it needed, since I used unsalted butter. I only saw the mention of the salt in the recipe notes after the fact. Would use this recipe again.
Tati Chermayeff says
Rhiannon, thank you so much for trying it! Leftover dinner rolls is such a good idea 🤎 And great catch on the salt. You were right, so I've added a pinch to the ingredient list. Unsalted butter definitely needs it. So happy you'd make it again!
Jenna says
Made this tonight and it was *amazing*! The garlic butter was perfect and the bread came out super crispy in the air fryer. Took no time at all and honestly better than takeout garlic bread.
Rhiannon H says
This was good. I used it on leftover dinner rolls from Thanksgiving. I missed the salt as I didn’t see that in the ingredient list. That’s the one thing I noticed it needed, since I used unsalted butter. I only saw the mention of the salt in the recipe notes after the fact. Would use this recipe again.
Tati Chermayeff says
Jenna, this made my day! "Better than takeout" is exactly what I was going for when I stopped making it in the oven. So glad the garlic butter worked out for you, and thank you for coming back to rate it!