This air fryer garlic bread is crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and packed with buttery garlic flavor. Ready in just minutes with simple ingredients, it's an easy side dish for pasta, soups, salads, and weeknight dinners. If you enjoy quick air fryer recipes, be sure to try my Air Fryer Zucchini for another easy side that pairs well with almost any meal.
This air fryer garlic bread delivers a crispy golden crust, a soft buttery center, and plenty of garlic flavor in just minutes. It's an easy side dish that pairs perfectly with pasta, soups, salads, and family dinners while using less time than oven-baked garlic bread.
Quick Look: Air Fryer Garlic Bread
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 5 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 15 minutes
- 🍞 Servings: 8 slices
- 🔥 Calories: 191.6 kcal per slice
- 🧄 Flavor Profile: Buttery, garlicky, cheesy, and savory.
- 🥖 Texture: Crispy and golden on the outside, soft and buttery on the inside.
- 🧩 Difficulty: Easy.
- ⚡ Best For: Pasta dinners, soups, salads, quick snacks, and budget-friendly sides.
- 🍳 Cooking Method: Air Fryer.
- 🛒 Key Ingredients: French bread, butter, garlic, mozzarella cheese, and parsley.
- 📦 Make-Ahead Friendly: Yes, the garlic butter mixture can be prepared ahead and refrigerated.
- 💰 Budget Friendly: Yes, costing about $0.30 per serving.
- 🧪 Why This Recipe Works: The air fryer quickly crisps the bread while keeping the inside soft and buttery, creating garlic bread with a cheesy golden crust in a fraction of the time required by a conventional oven.
- 💡 Chef's Tip: For the crispiest results, avoid overcrowding the air fryer basket and cook the bread in a single layer. If you love easy homemade breads that don't require a lot of time or effort, you'll also enjoy my easy naan without yeast, made with simple ingredients and no rising time.
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Ingredients
- Baguette or French Bread: A baguette creates crispy edges and a soft center, making it ideal for air fryer garlic bread. French bread is a great substitute if you prefer a slightly softer texture.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic provides the bold flavor that makes garlic bread irresistible. Mashing the minced garlic with a pinch of salt helps create a paste that distributes evenly throughout the butter mixture.
- Butter: Butter adds richness and helps create the soft, flavorful interior while promoting browning and crispness during cooking.
- Olive Oil: A small amount of olive oil helps the garlic spread more easily and contributes extra flavor while helping the bread crisp up beautifully in the air fryer.
- Parmesan Cheese: Parmesan adds a savory, nutty flavor that complements the garlic and herbs. Freshly grated Parmesan typically melts and browns better than pre-grated varieties.
- Mozzarella Cheese: Mozzarella creates the cheesy topping and provides the gooey, melty texture that makes this garlic bread extra satisfying.
- Parsley and Italian Seasoning: These herbs add freshness and classic Italian-inspired flavor that balances the richness of the butter and cheese. Looking for another classic bread recipe? My popovers are buttery, hollow rolls with a crisp crust and a soft, airy center.
How to Make Air Fryer Garlic Bread
- Step 1: Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees F (180º C). In a medium bowl, add the butter and smash with a fork. Then add and mix together all the other ingredients for the garlic bread spread until becoming spreadable.
- Step 2: Slice the bread crosswise into 4 equal parts and then cut each in half lengthwise. Reserve!
- Step 3: Using a spoon, spread 1-2 tablespoon of the garlic spread on top of each slice of bread and then top with extra mozzarella cheese, about 2-4 tablespoon for each slice.
- Step 4: Depending on the size of your air fryer basket, carefully place 2 slices of bread into the basket in one single layer (without any overlapping). Cook for 5-6 minutes, or until becoming golden brown on top and crispy on the bottom.
Remove the bread from the basket using tongs and sprinkle extra chopped parsley on top. Serve while they are still hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Assemble the garlic bread with the butter mixture and cheese, then refrigerate or freeze it until you're ready to cook. Air fry just before serving for the best texture and flavor. French bread and baguettes are the most popular choices because they crisp beautifully while remaining soft inside. Italian bread, ciabatta, and sourdough also work well. Looking for another crowd-pleasing bread recipe? My Brazilian cheese bread is crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and always disappears fast.
Absolutely. Substitute the butter with vegan butter or olive oil and use your favorite dairy-free melting cheese, or simply omit the cheese altogether.
French bread and baguettes are the most popular choices because they crisp beautifully while remaining soft inside. Italian bread, ciabatta, and sourdough also work well depending on your preferred texture.
Preheat your air fryer only if your model recommends it. There's no need to grease the basket because the butter and cheese provide enough fat to prevent sticking.
Yes. Air fryer garlic bread can be cooked directly from frozen. Add a few extra minutes to the cooking time and check frequently toward the end since cooking times vary by air fryer model.
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Air Fryer Garlic Bread
Equipment
- 1 tongs
- 1 cutting board
- 1 Bread knife
- 1 medium bowl
- 1 fork
- 1 spoon
Ingredients
- 1 baguette cut into 5-6-inch slices -- It will yield about 8 slices (You can use French bread if you prefer)
For the Garlic bread spread:
- 4 tablespoon salted butter at room temperature or softened
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or simply olive oil
- 2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese or shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 4 garlic cloves minced (After mincing, add a pinch of salt on top and mash to turn it into a paste)
- 2 tablespoon chopped parsley plus more for garnishing, or another Italian herb such as basil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella plus more for topping, or another melting cheese of choice
Instructions
- AIR FRYER METHOD: Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees F (180º C).
- Slice the bread crosswise into 4 equal parts and then cut each in half lengthwise. Reserve!
- In a medium bowl, add the butter and smash with a fork. Then add and mix together all the other ingredients for the garlic bread spread until becoming spreadable.
- Using a spoon, spread 1-2 tablespoon of the garlic spread on top of each slice of bread and then top with extra mozzarella cheese, about 2-4 tablespoon for each slice.
- Depending on the size of your air fryer basket, carefully place 2 slices of bread into the basket in one single layer (without any overlapping). Cook for 5-6 minutes, or until becoming golden brown on top and crispy on the bottom.
- Remove the bread from the basket using tongs and sprinkle extra chopped parsley on top. Serve while they are still hot.
- OVEN METHOD: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Follow all the steps above and bake the garlic bread in the oven, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, for about 10-15 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- Let the garlic butter mixture rest for 5–10 minutes before spreading it on the bread. This allows the garlic to infuse the butter and olive oil, creating a richer garlic flavor.
- For the most even coverage, spread the garlic mixture all the way to the edges of the bread so every bite is flavorful.
- If serving for a party, cook the bread just until the cheese melts and finish with fresh parsley immediately before serving for the freshest appearance.
- A combination of Parmesan and mozzarella creates the ideal balance of flavor and meltability—Parmesan adds savory depth while mozzarella provides the gooey texture.
Nutrition
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
This air fryer garlic bread has become one of my favorite quick side dishes. The combination of garlic, butter, Parmesan, and mozzarella creates incredible flavor in just minutes. My best advice is to let the garlic butter mixture sit for a few minutes before spreading it on the bread—it makes a noticeable difference in the final flavor. – Valentina, Easy & Delish