Yes, you can cook a small pizza in an air fryer if it fits flat in the basket and you cook it until the crust browns and the cheese bubbles.
If you love pizza and hate waiting for a full oven to preheat, the air fryer feels like a cheat code. A small pizza fits neatly in the basket, cooks from both top and bottom, and comes out with a crisp base and gooey cheese in minutes. The trick is matching the size of the pizza to your air fryer and using the right time and temperature.
Many people type “can i cook a small pizza in an air fryer?” into search because they want a straight answer, not a maze of guesses. You can do it. The rest of this article walks through safe temperatures, cook times for different pizza types, a step-by-step method, and fixes for common problems so your air fryer pizza turns out well on the first try.
Can I Cook A Small Pizza In An Air Fryer? Time And Temperature Basics
The short version: if the pizza fits in a single layer with a bit of space around the edges, your air fryer can handle it. For most small pizzas (5–8 inches), a temperature between 180–200 °C (350–400 °F) and a cook time between 6–12 minutes works well. Thin bases and light toppings sit at the lower end of that range; thicker crusts and loaded toppings need the upper end.
Safety matters too, especially when you cook leftover pizza or meat-topped slices. Food safety agencies treat leftover foods, including pizza, as items that should be reheated to 74 °C (165 °F) in the center so any lingering bacteria are knocked back before serving. The air fryer is handy for this because hot air circulates around the slice and warms it evenly.
Before anything goes in, check three basics:
- The pizza fits flat on the basket or tray and does not touch the heating element.
- You can slide the basket in and out without toppings scraping the top of the chamber.
- The base has some breathing room so air can flow around the edges.
Once those boxes are ticked, use preheating and the table below as a starting point. Expect to adjust by a minute or two based on your specific air fryer and how browned you like your cheese.
| Pizza Type (Small Size) | Suggested Temperature | Approximate Time |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh Dough, Thin Crust (6–7 inch) | 190 °C / 375 °F | 7–9 minutes |
| Fresh Dough, Regular Crust (6–8 inch) | 195 °C / 385 °F | 8–10 minutes |
| Prebaked Base (Pita, Naan, Flatbread) | 190 °C / 375 °F | 5–7 minutes |
| Refrigerated Store-Bought Small Pizza | 195 °C / 385 °F | 7–10 minutes |
| Frozen Personal Pizza (5–7 inch) | 200 °C / 400 °F | 8–12 minutes |
| Mini French Bread Or Baguette Pizza | 190 °C / 375 °F | 5–8 minutes |
| Leftover Slice On A Small Tray | 180 °C / 350 °F | 4–6 minutes |
Treat these numbers as a starting point. Peek through the basket window if you have one, or slide the basket out briefly near the end. When the cheese is melted, the edges of the crust are golden, and the base feels firm when lifted with tongs, your small pizza is ready.
Small Pizza In An Air Fryer Time And Temperature Guide
Basket size, wattage, and how crowded the toppings are all change the way a small pizza cooks in an air fryer. A compact 3.5 liter unit with a narrow basket cooks faster than a wide dual-zone model because the heating element sits closer to the food. That is why the first pizza you test matters; it gives you a baseline for your own appliance.
Fresh Dough Small Pizzas
With fresh dough, the base and toppings cook at the same time. Roll the dough a bit thinner than you would for an oven pizza so the center cooks through before the cheese darkens. A small base around 0.5 cm thick usually works well. Brush the base lightly with oil; this helps the crust crisp where it touches the basket or tray.
For most fresh small pizzas:
- Preheat to 190 °C / 375 °F for 3–5 minutes.
- Air fry for 7–9 minutes for a thin crust; 8–10 minutes for a slightly thicker base.
- Rotate the pizza halfway if your air fryer browns more on one side.
If the edges look perfect but the center feels soft, lower the temperature by about 10–15 °C (about 25 °F) and give it another 2–3 minutes. Lower heat slows browning on top and gives the dough more time to bake through.
Frozen And Store-Bought Personal Pizzas
Frozen personal pizzas are built for convenience, and they behave predictably in an air fryer. Most brands designed for a regular oven at 220 °C / 425 °F cook nicely at 195–200 °C (385–400 °F) in an air fryer. Because the air fryer moves hot air directly over the surface, you usually shorten the time listed on the box.
A good pattern for frozen small pizzas is:
- Preheat to 200 °C / 400 °F.
- Place the frozen pizza directly on the basket or a perforated tray.
- Cook for 6 minutes, check, then add 1–3 minutes until the cheese is fully melted and the base feels crisp.
If toppings include raw sausage or other raw meats, follow the package directions closely and use an instant-read thermometer in the center of a topping piece to be sure it reaches a safe internal temperature. A government safe minimum internal temperature chart lists 74 °C (165 °F) as the minimum for leftovers and casseroles that contain meat or poultry, which is a handy comparison point for heavily loaded slices.
Leftover Slices And Toppings Safety
Leftover pizza slices reheat beautifully in an air fryer. They come out with a crisped base and revived cheese instead of that floppy microwave texture. Set the air fryer to 175–180 °C (345–350 °F) and warm slices for 4–6 minutes, checking after 3–4 minutes so nothing dries out too much.
Food safety rules treat leftovers as perishable items. The United States Department of Agriculture explains that leftovers should be reheated until the center reaches at least 74 °C (165 °F) and should not sit in the 4–60 °C (40–140 °F) “danger zone” for long periods. Their leftovers and food safety guidance is worth a glance if you often save pizza for the next day.
For home cooking, that means you should store leftover pizza in the fridge within two hours of serving, then reheat in the air fryer until the center of the slice is steaming hot. When in doubt, throw a doubtful slice away rather than risking foodborne illness.
Step By Step Method For Cooking A Small Pizza In An Air Fryer
Now let us walk through a simple method you can use for almost any small pizza. The exact timing shifts a little between fresh, refrigerated, and frozen bases, but the steps stay the same. If you follow this process once or twice, your air fryer pizza routine will feel easy.
Prepare The Pizza And Basket
Start by checking the basket. If it tends to stick, line it with a perforated air fryer liner or cut a piece of baking paper that leaves gaps around the edges for airflow. Avoid solid liners that block air vents. A quick spritz of oil on the liner or basket grid also helps.
Build or unwrap your small pizza:
- For fresh dough, roll or stretch the base to fit the basket with 1–2 cm space around the edges.
- For a prebaked base, spread sauce in a thin layer so the center does not stay soggy.
- Keep toppings reasonably light; thick piles of cheese or meat slow down heat reaching the base.
While you prepare the pizza, preheat the air fryer for 3–5 minutes at your chosen cooking temperature. Preheating helps the base crisp from the moment it hits the basket, rather than steaming in a lukewarm chamber.
Cook The Pizza In Stages
Slide the pizza into the hot basket. If the pizza is fresh or refrigerated, start near 190 °C / 375 °F. If it is fully frozen, start at 200 °C / 400 °F. Use this simple pattern:
- Stage one: Cook for 4 minutes without opening the basket.
- Stage two: Check the top. If cheese is barely melted, give it another 2–3 minutes.
- Stage three: When the cheese looks close to done, lift an edge of the pizza with tongs and peek under the base.
If the base is pale while the top looks done, lower the temperature by about 10–15 °C and cook for another 2–3 minutes. If the base looks good but the cheese still needs time, you can keep the same temperature and give it short bursts of 1–2 minutes until you like the color.
Check For Doneness Safely
The best doneness checks rely on your senses and, when needed, a thermometer. Use these cues:
- The cheese is fully melted and bubbling, with small browned spots if you prefer that style.
- The crust is golden on the edges, not pale and doughy.
- The base feels firm when lifted; it should not droop limply in the center.
For pizzas with meat toppings or thick layers of cheese, slide an instant-read thermometer into the center of the topping layer. Leftover or fully cooked items should reach at least 74 °C (165 °F). That quick check lets you relax and enjoy the slice without worry.
Once the pizza passes these checks, transfer it to a cutting board and let it rest for 1–2 minutes. This short pause lets the cheese settle so it does not slide off when you cut it.
Troubleshooting Small Air Fryer Pizza Problems
Even when the basic steps are right, a small pizza in an air fryer can misbehave. Cheese burns before the base cooks, the center stays soggy, or the crust comes out tougher than you like. A few small tweaks usually fix things on the next batch.
Use the table below as a quick problem-and-fix reference when your pizza does not look the way you hoped.
| Problem | Likely Cause | Simple Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Cheese Browning Too Fast | Temperature set too high or pizza too close to heater | Drop heat by 10–20 °C and move pizza lower if possible |
| Soggy Center, Crisp Edges | Base too thick or heavy toppings blocking heat | Roll dough thinner and use less sauce and cheese |
| Pale Base, Dark Top | Short cook time with strong top heating | Cook longer at slightly lower temperature |
| Dry Or Tough Crust | Cooked too long or no oil on the base | Shorten time next round and brush the base lightly with oil |
| Toppings Blow Around | Fan too strong for loose toppings | Press toppings gently into cheese or add grated cheese on top |
| Cheese Leaking Over The Sides | Pizza too large for basket or toppings piled high | Make a slightly smaller pizza or reduce topping load |
| Uneven Browning | Hot spot near one side of the basket | Rotate the pizza halfway through cooking |
If one brand of frozen pizza still gives you trouble after a few tries, treat its box directions as a loose suggestion, not a rule. Use the pattern from a brand that works well in your air fryer and apply similar time and temperature, then keep records in a note on your phone so you do not have to guess next time.
Reheating A Small Pizza In An Air Fryer
Reheating leftover pizza might be where the air fryer shines the most. The base regains its crunch, the cheese softens again, and you skip the soggy microwave texture. A gentle heat setting helps warm the slice through without drying the edges.
A simple reheating method looks like this:
- Preheat the air fryer to 175–180 °C (345–350 °F).
- Place slices in a single layer, leaving gaps between them.
- Air fry for 3–4 minutes, then check.
- Add 1–3 minutes more until the cheese melts and the base feels crisp again.
If the toppings include meat, treat the slice like any other leftover meal. Aim for an internal temperature of at least 74 °C (165 °F) in the thickest part of the topping layer. That same target appears in many food safety resources for leftovers, so it is a simple number to remember for pizza night too.
Of course, you still need to respect storage times. Refrigerated pizza is best within three to four days. If a slice smells off, looks strange, or has sat out on the counter for hours, throwing it away is the safer call.
Quick Reference For Small Pizza In An Air Fryer
If you still wonder “can i cook a small pizza in an air fryer?” during a busy weeknight, use this quick list next to your air fryer. It bundles the main points into a simple run-through you can follow without digging through the full article.
Core Rules For Small Air Fryer Pizzas
- Size check: the pizza must fit flat in the basket with space around the edges.
- Preheat: warm the air fryer for 3–5 minutes at your chosen temperature.
- Temperature: use 180–200 °C (350–400 °F) for most small pizzas.
- Time: start with 6–8 minutes, then add short bursts until done.
- Safety: for leftovers or meat-heavy toppings, aim for 74 °C (165 °F) in the center.
Fast Patterns You Can Trust
- Fresh thin crust small pizza: 190 °C / 375 °F for 7–9 minutes.
- Frozen personal pizza: 200 °C / 400 °F for 8–12 minutes.
- Leftover slices: 180 °C / 350 °F for 4–6 minutes.
If you like, jot your own tested times for favorite brands on a sticky note and tape it inside a cupboard door near the air fryer. After a week or two of practice, “can i cook a small pizza in an air fryer?” turns from a question into your go-to solution when you crave pizza and do not want to heat the whole kitchen.