Easy Frozen Garlic Bread in the Air Fryer (the Best!)

Cooking frozen garlic bread in the air fryer may become your new secret to speedy, multiple-course meals!

Air frying is a great way to prepare the perfect side dish in less time. Try this simple recipe as a quick snack or alongside something like tomato soup for your next meal!

As I’ve mentioned before, I love using an air fryer as a fast, mini oven. Whether you are just cooking for one or two, or if you’ve got multiple dishes already in your full size oven, you will appreciate the speed at which an air fryer will get your food ready!

And let’s face it: if you’re going to put in all the work to host, who doesn’t want their guests wildly impressed when the regular lasagna, the veggie lasagna, and the garlic bread are all magically done and hot at the exact same time?

This easy air fryer recipe is the best way to prepare this quick side dish- or at least the fastest!

It’s a great way to reclaim a little time back from cooking.

Do I need to preheat my air fryer?

No, it’s not necessary.

Air fryers typically only take about 1-4 minutes to heat up anyway.

That being said, many people prefer to pre-heat their air fryers (with the basket or tray inside) for maximum crispiness and to shave a minute or so off the cooking time.

If crunchiness is important to you, you may want to experiment with pre-heating (or just do it) to see if you get better results. It certainly won’t hurt!

This article has some great information about which types of food benefit from preheating your air fryer an which types do not.

Do I need to thaw the frozen garlic bread first?

Nope! No need to thaw to room temperature.

Cook straight from frozen to avoid any sogginess. As a bonus, this saves you extra time, too!

Can I use homemade garlic bread with this recipe?

Absolutely!

This recipe is designed for any kind of frozen garlic bread, including your own garlic bread.

If you pre-sliced your loaf, just compare the thickness to the photos in this post. If your slices are thinner than about an inch or so, just reduce the cooking time or check them early so they don’t burn.

Can I cook frozen garlic Texas toast in the air fryer?

Yes, you sure can!

Since frozen Texas toast garlic bread is made with thick slices of bread, the cooking instructions are identical.

Can I make cheesy garlic bread with this recipe?

Yes, absolutely!

Any frozen garlic bread, with or without cheese, will take about the same time to cook in an air fryer.

And who doesn’t love cheese bread?

Pin it for later!

How long should I cook frozen garlic bread in the air fryer?

5-10 minutes, depending on the type of air fryer you have and what different sizes of garlic bread you use. A good rule of thumb is half the cook time listed for baking in a full size oven, although of course air fryer temperatures can vary.

Check your garlic bread after 4-5 minutes to get a sense of how close it is to being ready.

In my air fryer (the combination air fryer/toaster oven type with a tray), 7 minutes was perfect for lightly toasted, golden brown garlic bread that was still chewy in the middle but crispy on the edges.

If you like your garlic bread crispy all the way through, try cooking for 2 additional minutes at a time until it reaches your desired level of crunchiness.

Personally, I don’t like feeling that all my garlic bread is wasted in crumbs, so I cooked mine less than I know some people would prefer.

Even if you cook yours longer, you still save time by not waiting for your full size oven to heat up.

After the first time you make this, you’ll know the perfect cooking time for your specific device.

How do I reheat leftovers?

Place any leftover garlic bread back in the air fryer basket and cook at 400°F for 1-2 minutes, or until heated through.

A note on the ingredients for this air fryer garlic bread recipe

I used a baguette-style loaf of frozen garlic bread, like a loaf of French bread, but you can easily substitute Texas toast or individual slices of garlic bread.

The important thing is that all the pieces are the same thickness so that they cook evenly.

Expert tips

Don’t over-crowd your air fryer basket. Create an even, single layer across the bottom of the air fryer basket, with a little bit of space between pieces for optimal heat circulation.

Check your bread earlier than you think you’ll need to in order to ensure the best results. You don’t want it to burn! This is the best tip as it’s such an easy way to get perfect results.

If you have a basket-style air fryer like a Ninja Foodi, your cooking time may be a little different, and you may need to slice your frozen garlic bread into smaller pieces.

There is no need to flip the bread partway through due to the hot air circulation.

Variations and substitutions for this quick and easy recipe, including cooking different types of frozen garlic bread in the air fryer

Try using:

• Garlic knots
• Frozen Texas toast
• Cheesy bread
• An Italian bread based garlic bread
• Buttery garlic bread with parmesan
• Garlic toast without cheese

Make air fryer frozen garlic bread into pizza

Take it out halfway through cooking (maybe after 2-3 minutes) and add marinara sauce, cheese, and your favorite pizza toppings. Then, return to the air fryer and cook until the cheese has melted.

This is an easy method to turn a quick side into a full meal!

How to make frozen garlic bread taste better

With a recipe this simple, you don’t need to change much. However, feel free to add cheese and/or fresh herbs on top of the bread for even fancier garlic bread.

For extra garlic flavor, add some fresh garlic. In addition, you could make some extra garlic butter mixture with softened butter, fresh garlic, and Italian seasoning to really amp up the flavor.

Serve your frozen garlic bread in air fryer with a dipping sauce

Common favorites include marinara sauce and ranch dressing.

Prep, Storage, and Reheating Questions

Prep – none required! To meal prep, just make sure you have some frozen garlic bread ready in your freezer.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days.

To reheat, simply air fry leftovers again for a few minutes until heated through.

I would not recommend re-freezing leftovers. You can always make less than you think you might need, and then if necessary make another batch. Air frying really is a quick way to prepare this delicious garlic bread!

Do we spray air fryer baskets with oil before cooking?

No need! The oil from the garlic butter spread is sufficient once it circulates.

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What to eat with garlic bread

While you can serve this easy side dish with just about anything, here are some serving suggestions:

Your favorite pasta dishes

• Pomodorini penne
• Lemon pepper pasta
• Aurora sauce and broccoli pasta bake
• Hearty marinara sauce
• Instant pot spaghetti

Soups and chilis

• Butternut squash rosemary soup
• Mediterranean soup
• Irish vegetable soup
• German potato soup
• Green goddess soup
• Tomato soup

Salads

• Taboule
• Arabic salad
• Spicy cashew dressing

What’s the best frozen garlic bread?

Of course, any discussion of the best bread is a matter of personal preference. That being said, some popular brands include Pepperidge Farms and New York Bakery.

Where can I buy frozen garlic bread?

Your favorite grocery store will likely have some options for you to choose from until you find your favorite brand. The freezer aisles these days are full of all kinds of things I wouldn’t necessarily expect to find there.

How to make frozen garlic bread

If you like controlling your own ingredients, you can follow this vegan garlic bread recipe (you can use regular butter if preferred) up until the last step.

Simply use a fork to mix fresh garlic cloves, fresh herbs like parsley, salt, pepper, and optionally parmesan cheese into some butter, then spread the mixture on a baguette loaf of bread sliced lengthwise or into individual garlic bread slices.

Instead of baking (don’t bother pre-heating your oven!), wrap the bread up in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container and throw it in the freezer to air fry later.

This is a great shortcut to homemade garlic bread, and you can prep it way ahead of time!

How long will frozen garlic bread last in the freezer?

3-6 months is a good estimate. After that it may develop freezer burn, so don’t over-shop.

You can always use a marker to write the date on the plastic bag to help you keep track of your freezer rotation.

Can I put the bag in the air fryer with the frozen garlic bread?

No, remove the plastic bag before cooking.

Related air fryer recipes you may enjoy

Try these easy recipes next time you need a delicious side dish:

• Frozen bread sticks in air fryer
• Frozen broccoli in air fryer
• Quesadilla in air fryer
• Air fryer popcorn
• Air fryer radishes

Not an air fryer recipe, but you may also enjoy my vegan garlic bread!

Frozen garlic bread in air fryer ingredients/ingredients to air fry garlic bread

EDIBLE INGREDIENTS

Before you begin, you will need the following ingredients:

• One loaf (or more) of frozen garlic bread
• Optional: any dipping sauce of your choice, like marinara or ranch

(You can find the nutritional information for the Safeway Signature Select loaf I used at the bottom of the recipe card below. The complete list of ingredients is also on their website.)

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

• An air fryer
• A good bread knife
• A cutting board
• Potholders
• Optional: aluminum foil or parchment paper to cover the bottom of your air fryer pan and make clean up easier (NOTE: do not pre-heat parchment paper in the air fryer with nothing to weigh it down – it could blow around and burn against the heating element.)

How to make frozen garlic bread in the air fryer/air fryer Texas toast

1. First, remove the frozen garlic bread from the plastic bag or wrap it came in and place it on your cutting board.
2. Then, using a sharp bread knife, cut the loaf in half or into whatever size pieces will fit in your air fryer basket.
3. After that, pry apart the loaf so the garlic butter side is up when you place the bread in an even layer in the basket.
4. Then, air fry for approximately 7 minutes at 400°F, checking it at about 5 minutes in case your air fryer runs hotter than mine. For crispier garlic bread, add a couple additional minutes.
5. Finally, serve hot and enjoy!

If you try this recipe, I’d appreciate you giving it a star rating!

I hope you enjoyed this easy frozen garlic bread in air fryer recipe!