Reheating pizza in an air fryer is a total game changer! No more soggy, left over pizza. Just a few minutes in your air fryer and you’ll be enjoying the best next day pizza slices that you’ve ever had! Once you realize how amazing the air fryer is at reheating pizza and other items, there is no going back! No more soggy pizza! While microwaves do reheat pizza, they tend to leave it soggy and even greasy. Dry pizza will be a thing of the past! Ovens also reheat pizza, but really tend to dry it out. It’s fast! Don’t worry about preheating, just pop a slice in the air fryer and you’re good to go! Keep your kitchen cool! No reason to heat up the oven, and your kitchen, when your mighty air fryer can do the job… and do it better! Once you try it, I am confident you’ll agree that the air fryer really is the best way to reheat pizza. That leftover pizza we used to put in the fridge and then toss out…
So, why does an air fryer work so well for reheating pizza? It’s all about the technology. Air fryers use rapid hot air circulation, which mimics a mini convection oven, to evenly heat food. This means your pizza gets crispy on the outside while staying soft and cheesy inside. Unlike a microwave, which can make the crust soggy due to uneven heating, or a traditional oven, which takes forever to preheat and can dry out toppings, the air fryer strikes the perfect balance. The hot air crisps up the crust, melts the cheese, and revitalizes toppings in just a few minutes. For example, Allrecipes explains that the air fryer’s fan and heating element create a high-speed heat transfer, drying the surface just enough to restore that fresh-baked texture.
Let’s break down how to do it right. Start with your leftover pizza—whether it’s thin-crust, deep-dish, or somewhere in between. If it’s been in the fridge, you don’t need to let it sit out; cold pizza reheats just fine. Place the slices in a single layer in the air fryer basket, making sure they don’t overlap. Overlapping can lead to uneven cooking and a cheesy mess. If you’re worried about cheese dripping, you can line the basket with perforated parchment paper or aluminum foil with holes punched in it to allow air circulation. Set the air fryer to 350°F. For thin-crust pizza, 2-3 minutes is usually enough. Regular or thick-crust slices might need 3-5 minutes, while deep-dish could take 5-7 minutes at a slightly lower 300°F to heat through without burning the top. Check the pizza after 2 minutes to avoid overcooking, especially if your air fryer runs hot. Use tongs to remove the slices, let them cool for a moment, and dig in.
Different pizzas require slight tweaks. Thin-crust pizza, like a New York-style slice, reheats quickly but can burn if you’re not careful. Keep an eye on it and consider lowering the temperature to 325°F if it’s browning too fast. Deep-dish or Chicago-style pizza, with its thick layers, needs a lower temperature and longer time to warm the center without charring the cheese. For frozen pizza slices, add an extra 1-2 minutes to the cooking time, but don’t crank up the heat—350°F still works. If you’re reheating multiple batches, the air fryer will already be hot, so subsequent slices may need a minute less. A tip from Live Eat Learn: if your pizza has a lot of cheese, place parchment paper with small holes under the crust to catch drips without blocking airflow.
What if your air fryer is small? Most basket-style air fryers can fit only 1-2 slices at a time, while oven-style models with trays can handle more. If you’re feeding a crowd, you’ll need to work in batches, but the process is so quick it’s not a big hassle. To keep slices warm while reheating others, place them on a baking sheet in a low oven (about 200°F). Another pro tip: if your toppings look like they might dry out, lightly mist them with cooking spray before air frying. This works especially well for veggie-heavy pizzas, where ingredients like broccoli can release moisture and make the crust soggy if not handled properly.
Compared to other methods, the air fryer is hard to beat. Microwaves are fast but leave you with a rubbery crust—nobody wants that. Ovens are great for reheating whole pizzas but overkill for a single slice, plus they use more energy and heat up your kitchen. A stovetop with a covered pan can crisp the crust, but the toppings often stay lukewarm unless you babysit the process. The air fryer combines speed, ease, and quality. It’s also versatile: you can use it to reheat other leftovers like fries or wings, making it a kitchen MVP. For more air fryer tips, check out The Pioneer Woman.
Are there any downsides? Not many, but it’s worth noting that air fryer sizes vary, so you might be limited by how many slices you can reheat at once. Also, every air fryer cooks slightly differently, so you may need to experiment with timing and temperature for your specific model. If you’re new to air frying, don’t be discouraged if your first slice isn’t perfect—just adjust and try again. Finally, avoid using the air fryer’s preset “pizza” button, as it’s often calibrated for cooking frozen pizzas from scratch, not reheating, and could overcook your leftovers.
It couldn’t be easier to reheat your pizza in the air fryer. Simply place a few slices into the air fryer basket and heat at 350 for approximately five minutes. Make sure not to overlap your slices or you’ll end up with a bit of a cheesy mess. Depending on the size of your air fryer, and the size/style of your pizza, you might need slightly more or less time. Also if you are heating in batches, after the first batch you may need less time as the air fryer will be preheated. Look how perfect the pizza turns out! I think this truly is the best way to reheat pizza! Check out all of my Air Fryer Recipes! While you have that air fryer out, here are some other great recipes to check out!
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