This Air Fryer Garlic Bread is the best and the easiest garlic bread you can make at home! Smeared with garlic butter and topped with cheese (or served plain), it's best enjoyed warm!

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 5 minutes
  • Total time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 6
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup salted butter (1 stick, at room temperature. It needs to be super soft.)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (use light olive oil and not extra-virgin)
  • 3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 2-3 tablespoons chopped parsley (+ more to sprinkle at the end)
  • 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
  • 1 & 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (from 7 to 8 large garlic cloves)
  • 1 French loaf/baguette (11.5 oz/326 grams)
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded, you can add more to taste)

Method

  1. Take 1 stick (1/2 cup) of super soft salted butter in a large bowl and start mashing it with a fork. The butter needs to be really soft and you should ideally take it out of the refrigerator and put it on the counter for 2 to 3 hours before using. Although this time may vary a lot depending on how hot or cold it is where you live. Keep mashing until the butter is really smooth.
  2. Add in 1 tablespoon olive oil.
  3. Then add the Italian seasoning, chopped parsley, salt (to taste) and black pepper. Yes we are adding salt even when using salted butter.
  4. Add the minced garlic. I added around 1 & 1/2 tablespoons of minced garlic here (from 7 to 8 large garlic cloves). If this is a lot of garlic for you, cut it down. I really like extra garlic in my garlic bread.
  5. Now using the same fork, mix until everything is well combined. Your garlic butter spread is now ready. Set this aside.
  6. Take the French loaf and slice it in half lengthwise. Then cut it into 2 parts from the center, so you have 4 slices now.
  7. Apply the prepared garlic butter generously on each of the cut 4 slices. Then top with mozzarella cheese. I used around 1 cup of shredded cheese for the 4 slices. Skip adding the cheese if you want to make plain garlic bread.
  8. Pre-heat your air fryer according to manufacturer's instructions. Place the prepared slices into the air fryer. I used a parchment paper below (which has holes and is especially made for air fryer), if you do not have this, spray the bottom with some oil spray so that the bread doesn't stick. I had to cut each slice further into 2 parts to fit into the air fryer (so I had total of 8 slices to air fry). I placed 3 cut slices into the air fryer at one time. Do not overcrowd the air fryer and place the slices in a single layer.
  9. Air fry at 350 F degrees for 4 to 6 minutes until the cheese melts and the edges of the bread become crispy. You can add extra minute or two for crispier bread. Time may vary depending on the brand and model of air fryer. Remove from air fryer carefully and place on serving board. Air fry remaining slices similarly. The first batch take more time but the next batches cook faster as the air fryer is really heated up. Wait for 3 to 4 minutes and then you can slice them into even smaller pieces before serving. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve warm.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.