Air Fryer Pizza Bagels

Quick, easy and incredibly delicious, these Air Fryer Pizza Bagels are easily customisable and ready to eat in just a few minutes. They will become your new favourite lunch in no time!

WHY USE AN AIR FRYER AND NOT AN OVEN?

Air fryers cook food quicker than a standard convection oven which is great for saving energy and pennies but also for busy families that want to be able to cook food quickly.

Another advantage is that air fryers are smaller than ovens and grills so you’re not heating up a full-sized oven and instead a smaller air fryer. This means you’re using less energy because you’re heating up a smaller appliance as well as cooking the food faster.

These pizza bagels are so quick to cook that if you were to use an oven, it would probably take as long to preheat as it would to actually cook the bagels. Air fryers are definitely the quickest and most effective method for cooking them.

which bagels are best to use?

I have made these pizza bagels with both standard bagels and bagel thins. Both take the same amount of time to cook despite the slight difference in thickness.

Which you decide to use is completely up to you. If you prefer thin, crisp pizzas I would recommend using bagel thins. But if you usually opt for thick crust pizza, use standard bagels.

Obviously I would avoid any sweet flavoured bagels like cinnamon and raisin. But you could use sesame, onion, brioche or wholemeal bagels.

If you live in the US, you could use mini bagels. These would be fantastic for buffets or parties where you want smaller portions.

Do you have to use bagels?

No, absolutely not. Pretty much any bread products could be used as a base for a pizza. I always have bagels in my house so they tend to be my go-to.

You could use flatbreads, crumpets, sourdough, baguettes – the list is literally endless. You may need to adjust the cooking time depending on the thickness of your bread.

For example if you are using a tortilla as your base, it is significantly thinner so won’t need as long to cook. You will basically just be waiting for your cheese to melt.

You could also make my Air Fryer Pizza Fries for a delicious pizza inspired meal.

which toppings should you use?

When it comes to Air Fryer Pizza Bagels you can be as creative as you like! Use whichever toppings you would usually put on your pizza.

My one word of advice is to try to not pile too many ingredients on top so you don’t make the bagel soggy.

I am a huge fan of pineapple on pizza and I have absolutely no shame in admitting that. If you do want to add it to your pizza bagel, make sure you have drained off any excess moisture the best you can.

pizza sauce

Treat these pizza bagels just like a standard pizza. The bagel is the pizza base so on top of that, you need pizza sauce.

I love the Mutti pizza sauce which is Italian tomatoes combined with herbs and is the perfect spreading consistency.

Other good options would be passata which you could add some additional herbs to or marinara sauce. Basically whatever you would use when making a pizza at home will work for these bagels.

If you don’t mind a stronger tomato flavour you can use tomato puree. For ease you can also use ketchup. These pizza bagels are meant to be super quick so use what you have to hand.

You can of course make your own pizza sauce which would be a delicious option.

Dried herbs

Although the pizza sauce I like to use includes herbs, I like to add an additional sprinkle of dried oregano. Personally I don’t think you should skip the oregano because it really does elevate the flavour.

If you don’t have dried oregano you could use basil or mixed herbs. You could also rip up some fresh basil leaves to scatter over the sauce too.

cheese

Cheese is essential when it comes to pizza bagels. You don’t really need to weigh it out, just add as much as you feel is needed.

I like to use grated mozzarella with any pizza type recipes. I don’t usually buy any pre grated cheese but grated mozzarella is dusted with potato starch which makes it drier than fresh mozzarella. This helps keep the bagels nice and crisp.

I have also used slices of mozzarella and torn them up to fit them around the bagel. This works really well.

You can use a combination of mozzarella and cheddar, or just cheddar. If you want to make the pizza fries vegan, use your favourite dairy free cheese that melts well.

additional toppings

You could just leave the pizza bagels with the tomato sauce and cheese if you wanted a simple vegetarian option. I do however like to add some additional toppings.

I more often than not choose to use just pepperoni. Nice and simple but very tasty. You could add some leftover roast chicken, ham or any other cooked meats.

I have used ham before and I would recommend keeping an eye on it as if it is quite thin, it can catch slightly at the edges.

can you use an air fryer liner?

Air fryer liners are a great time saving addition because they are usually easier to wash than the basket of your air fryer.

For these Air Fryer Pizza Bagels, I wouldn’t recommend using a liner because apart from a stray piece of cheese there won’t be any mess.

I’ve written a whole post on whether you should use an air fryer liner, check it out for more information.

How to serve Air Fryer Bagel Pizzas

These pizza bagels have become one of my favourite lunches. They’re so quick and easy and you can use whatever toppings you have in your fridge. There are unlimited options so you won’t get bored of them easily!

They would also make a great addition to a buffet or party. Add some Air Fryer Sausage Rolls and Air Fryer Potato Skins for a real spread!

If you want to make these pizza bagels more of a substantial meal, you could serve them with Coleslaw, Pear & Rocket Salad or Greek Style Salad. You could also add some Air Fryer Garlic Bread.

However you decide to serve them, ranch dip is an absolute must!

Other recipes you might like

• Bacon Wrapped Halloumi
• Cheese & Bacon Loaded Fries
• Loaded Tater Tots
• Chorizo & Cheese Pinwheels
• Grilled Peaches & Prosciutto on Sourdough

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