Garlic Bread in Air Fryer: Super Easy How-To Guide

Everyone in my household loves garlic bread, and who could blame us? Garlic bread is buttery, salty, flavorful, and of course BREAD, making it great as an appetizer or side dish. And fortunately you can make garlic bread in an air fryer.

I’ve even used garlic bread to make the most incredible grilled cheese sandwiches ever. While there are plenty of recipes like our Rosemary Roasted Garlic Bread that already contains garlic, I usually opt for a simpler garlic bread with a premade bread as a base and a butter mixture on top.

I typically cook my garlic bread in the oven, but garlic bread can be cooked many other ways. One of the more popular ways to cook food fast — and keep it healthier — is using an air fryer.

Not sold on breaking out of your routine? Maybe we can convince you.

Why We Love Garlic Bread Made in an Air Fryer

Here are the Top 4 reasons why we love making garlic bread in an air fryer, particularly when compared to a traditional oven:

• Quick: This takes only a fraction of the time that baking a loaf of garlic bread in an oven would. Ready in minutes!
• Easy: Even beginners can make this recipe. Make it with the kids in your life!
• Works fresh or frozen: Frozen garlic bread in air fryers? How much easier could this get! You can easily whip up last minute garlic bread using fresh or frozen bread.
• Makes for the perfect side: Garlic bread is not only good with pasta, but also works well with soups and meat dishes. It’s also a base for yummy make-your-own pizzas, bread for sandwiches, or even a filling snack.

Tip: Did you know you can make potato chips in an air fryer?

Best Recipe for Garlic Bread in Air Fryers

Looking for a simple recipe for making garlic bread in the air fryer? Fresh garlic bread from the air fryer is delicious, perfectly cooked, and easily customizable.

Here are the best ingredients for a simple, easy garlic bread that you can air fry:

• Baguette: French baguette is a typical option for making garlic bread, but you can also use French bread, ciabatta, Texas toast, or Italian bread.
• Salted butter: We recommend salted butter for additional flavor. Good quality, real butter will make your air fryer garlic bread simply irresistible! You can also use unsalted butter, of course. Start with room temperature butter for smoother mixing.
• Garlic cloves: Freshly minced garlic has the most flavor, but minced garlic in a jar will also work. You can also crush your garlic.
• Fresh parsley: Finely chopped fresh parsley is best for adding a rich flavor and aroma to your bread. Maybe you have some left from this herbed horseradish salad?
• Parmesan cheese: Cheese is optional, but I’ll argue with you any day that a good topping of cheese on garlic bread is pretty much essential. Isn't cheesy garlic bread the whole point?

Now that you’ve gathered your ingredients, here’s how to air fry garlic bread — this easy garlic bread recipe will amaze you with its simplicity and deliciousness!

1. Cut your bread. Slice baguette or your choice of bread into slices approximately 2 inches thick.

2. Make garlic butter. Your air fryer garlic bread butter mix will consist of:

• ½ cup softened butter
• ¼ cup minced garlic
• 1 tsp finely chopped fresh parsley
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese (optional)

Combine the above ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until combined.

3. Prepare your bread. Spread a generous amount of your garlic butter mixture on each slice of bread.

4. Preheat the air fryer to 350°F. Generously grease an air fryer basket to prevent sticking. If your air fryer is not basket-style, just skip this step.

5. Air fry the garlic bread for 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown. In a preheated air fryer, frozen garlic bread will take 7-8 minutes to cook.

It’s that simple to get your first batch of easy air fryer garlic bread ready to make!

Some people also add garlic powder or garlic salt, but we’d argue you don’t need either if you follow the steps above. Sprinkling a little Italian seasoning on at the end is a great way to add a little something — red pepper flakes is another popular choice.

You may want to let the easy side dish stand for 1-2 minutes to cool after cooking, but because the warmth and crispiness are kind of the best part, don't wait more than 2-3 minutes to start enjoying your buttery garlic bread!

Related: Can you put a plate in the air fryer? Find out now!

This recipe works for any form of cooking the garlic bread, but if you’re wondering how long to cook garlic bread in a toaster oven or conventional oven, we’ve got you covered:

Using the recipe above to prepare your garlic bread, you can then bake them in a preheated oven or toaster oven at 350°F for around 8 minutes, or until golden brown. From frozen, check every minute beginning at the 8-minute mark, until done.

Top Tips for Air Frying Garlic Bread

Follow these 4 tips to make the best possible bread in your air fryer:

• Don’t stack your slices: Allow for air to move freely in the air fryer to help cook your garlic bread, whether fresh or frozen. Cook garlic bread slices in smaller batches in order to keep them in a single layer and achieve the best results. This may depend on the size of your air fryer and may mean a traditional oven makes more sense for preparing a large batch of this perfect side dish.
• Save any leftover butter in the fridge: You can reuse the garlic butter to make garlic toast in your air fryer, or delicious garlic butter breadsticks! Just modify the timing to make sure you don’t burn the bread.
• Add aluminum foil or parchment paper to the air fryer: If you want your garlic bread to be crunchy but not crispy, add aluminum foil or parchment paper to the base of the air fryer. This also makes cleanup a breeze!
• Play around with ingredients: Trying different types of cheese or throwing in some additional fresh herbs or spices will mix up the results and give you new breads to try — and to fall in love with! And you can experiment with pairings too, be it a small bowl of tomato soup or your own personal preference.

Tip: Did you know you can reheat a burrito in the air fryer? Learn how.

How to Store Garlic Bread

Not going to eat it all the same day? No problem. Use this simple guide to get the most out of your garlic bread:

For use within 4-5 days

Store leftover garlic bread in the refrigerator in an airtight container or sealed plastic bag.

For later use

Freeze your room temperature garlic bread in a zippered storage bag for up to two months.

Need an air fryer? You could go with a more affordable mini air fryer from Cosori, or opt for the much larger (but also more expensive) Ninja 2-basket air fryer, which has more than 20,000 ratings and an almost-perfect 5-star score.