Can you cook frozen mini pizza in air fryer? Absolutely! Cooking small frozen pizza in the air fryer is easier than you might think! These air fryer English muffin pizzas are perfect for portion control, and EVERYONE loves them! When you want an easy dinner that’s a hit with toddlers, college kids, seniors, and everyone in between, try this frozen mini pizza air fryer recipe!
Have you tried making pizza with English muffins yet? I feel like most of us in the U.S. who grew up in the late 80s and early 90s enjoyed this one.
If this whole English muffin pizza thing is new to you, no worries. I’m going to give you step-by-step directions on how to make pizza with English muffins.
This recipe is different from how we did things a few decades ago, however. Now we can use an air fryer to cook mini pizzas. Putting your English muffin pizza in the air fryer makes things SO much easier.
Why? Well, a critical step of making English muffin pizzas is toasting each English muffin before topping. This prevents the English muffins from getting soggy.
Back in the “old” days, we had to toast the English muffin halves two at a time. It took FOREVER if you were making mini pizzas for the whole family.
With an air fryer, I can toast enough English muffins for everyone all at once. I can seriously fit around 10 English muffin halves in my air fryer oven. It is pretty great.
So, while this air fryer English muffin pepperoni pizza recipe reminds me of my childhood years, it’s had an upgrade. You’re getting English muffin pizza series 2.0. Haha
Jump to:
📋 What are the calories, net carbs, and protein?
Each air fryer frozen mini pizza provides 172 calories, 13.7 grams net carbs, and 12.2 grams of protein per serving. (Of course, very few of us will eat just one!)
⭐ Benefits
Why make frozen mini pizzas in the air fryer? Here are a few reasons you’ll love this easy snack:
- Portion control: English muffin pizzas are automatically portion controlled and under 200 calories each. Using English muffins as a pizza base is actually a lighter option than making pizza bagels. (Unless you use mini bagels to make your pizzas, but then you get smaller pizzas.)
- Quick and easy: The meal prep time for these small pizzas is pretty minimal. It’s an easy dinner entrée for busy parents, college students, or anyone else who is short on time.
- Loved by kids and toddlers: The small portions are perfect for young kids and toddlers. Once you have these in the freezer, older kids can air fry frozen mini pizzas for an afterschool snack.
- Customizable: Frozen pizza minis can be topped however you wish. This makes them more appealing to picky eaters. I have lots of additional ideas on ways to top your mini pizzas below!
- Healthy: Believe it or not, if you use whole grain English muffins, this recipe is considered pretty nutritious by some standards. You’ve got the fiber-rich English muffins, protein and calcium-packed cheeses, plus some phytonutrient-loaded veggies. Not bad for such a simple and crowd-pleasing dish!
- Delicious: Hey, pizza would not be so popular if it did not taste good, right? That’s why so many of us keep returning to these flavors again and again in our menus.
🥘 Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make English muffin pizzas in the air fryer:
- Whole grain English muffins
- Marinara sauce (or your favorite pizza sauce)
- Dried basil
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Grated Parmesan-Romano cheese
- Turkey pepperoni
- Finely chopped green peppers
I used Food for Life English muffins for this recipe. These are my favorite store-bought English muffins because they are made with sprouted whole grains. Aside from being rich in fiber, they’re an excellent source of zinc, selenium, and manganese.
You are welcome to use Thomas English muffins, Trader Joe's British muffins, or your favorite English muffins instead. I also tested this recipe with some homemade English muffins and it turned out perfectly.
As you can see, you don’t need much to make frozen mini pizzas from scratch. You can also use the air fryer to heat any of your favorite store-bought frozen pizzas. Celeste, DiGiorno, Ellio’s, Red Baron, Stouffer’s, Totinos, or the store brand frozen pizzas are all game!
(By the way, you can also make frozen personal pizza in an air fryer, French bread pizza, and other types of pizza. Check out my post on air fryer frozen pizza to learn the best frozen pizza for air frying. We did some tests and shared the results!)
🍽 Equipment
The three main things you need to make this recipe are a good knife, a baking tray, and an air fryer. The baking tray is used as a flat surface for freezing the pizzas. No parchment is needed under the mini pizzas in the air fryer, they don’t stick!
You should be able to use whatever air fryer or air fryer oven you have for this recipe. Your Ninja Foodi, Philips, Air Fryer 360, Cosori, Nuwave, Breville, or whatever brand you have should work here. If you have a small air fryer basket, you’ll need to make this recipe in several batches.
It's important to keep a close eye on the food the first time you try a new air fryer recipe. Some air fryers cook a little more quickly than others.
I use a 10-Quart Kalorik Digital Air Fryer Oven for most of my air fryer recipes. It comes with two air fryer trays, and I’m using them both here.
If your air fryer only has one tray, the cooking times may be shorter. This is because the food spends the entire time in the closest position to the heating element.
🔪 How to Cook Frozen Mini Pizza in Air Fryer
Let’s make some mini pizzas for the air fryer! This one is easy enough for kids to make. If you’re using frozen English muffins (such as the Food for Life ones) start by thawing them overnight in the fridge.
Start by cutting your English muffins in half with a knife (or by fork splitting them). Lay the muffins, cut sides up, in a single layer on two air fryer trays.
Air fry the English muffins for 3 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Then switch the position of the trays in the air fryer and air fry an additional 3 minutes at 400F. Voila- toasted English muffins!
Now it’s time to get topping! Spread the marinara sauce on the cut tops of the English muffins, and sprinkle with the dried basil. Then add the mozzarella and Parm on top.
Finally, add whatever other toppings you dig on pizza. I used turkey pepperoni and chopped green peppers. I have a whole list of yummy mini pizza topping ideas below if those don’t work for you.
Line a large baking tray with freezer paper (optional, but helps to catch mess). Put the English muffin pizzas in a single layer on the tray. Freeze them overnight.
The next day, they’ll be ready to air fry. Just cook what you need!
Any pizzas that won’t be cooked soon after freezing should be wrapped individually in plastic wrap and stored in a freezer bag. This will help prevent freezer burn.
⏲️ Cooking Time and Temperature
How long do frozen mini pizzas take in an air fryer? These frozen English muffin pizzas took a total of 14 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Put the pizzas that you will be air frying on your air fryer trays in a single layer. Only cook what you need! If you’ll only be making one tray of pizzas, keep in mind that the cooking times will be shorter.
Start by air frying the pizzas for 8 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Then switch the position of the trays in the air fryer and cook for 6 more minutes at 325F.
Let them cool a bit before enjoying. Bon appetit!
️👪 English Muffin Pizza Toppings
Wondering how to top English muffin pizzas? This recipe is so versatile; it can definitely be modified to fit your preferences. Here are some additional pizza topping ideas for you:
- English muffin breakfast pizza: sausage, scrambled eggs, shredded cheddar, and salsa
- Hawaiian mini pizza: pineapple, ham, tomato sauce, and cheese
- Mexican pizza: refried beans, pepper jack cheese, and corn (plus add salsa and chopped avocado after air frying)
- Bacon
- Caramelized onions
- Mushrooms
- Anchovies
- Shredded chicken with Buffalo sauce or BBQ sauce
- Ground beef or meatball pieces
- Sliced olives
- Sliced green peppers
- Roasted red peppers
- Mini pepperoni
- Pesto
Some pizza toppings are best to put on after the pizza has finished cooking. Some examples include:
- Fresh basil and other fresh herbs
- Arugula leaves (AKA rocket)
You could also take inspiration from your favorite restaurant or international cuisines. For example, once we had a delicious pierogi pizza with mashed potatoes, cheese, caramelized onions, and kielbasa pieces.
💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
This is a level 3 recipe (weight maintenance and active lifestyles). This recipe gets the bump to level 3 because it uses flour. That said, it’s pretty easy to make this one into a fairly filling meal in the 500-600 calorie range.
What I usually do is serve 3 mini pizzas with a big side salad packed with non-starchy veggies. I often keep it simple with just lettuce and tomatoes, but feel free to add cucumbers, onions, or whatever sounds good. Drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of light dressing on the salad for a high volume, low calorie meal.
If you have kids, letting them top their own pizzas is a great idea. They might be more likely to eat dinner if they got to make it themselves. (Or at least make part of it themselves.)
If you didn’t want to use these English muffin pizzas as an entrée, they’re also great for snacks. Having a bag of these in the freezer means you’ll have some nutrient-rich snacks at the ready. You (or your kids) can air fry what you need in a few short minutes whenever you want them.
As much as I love to cook, sometimes I just want an easy meal option that tastes good. Simple recipes like this are mainstays that help me to maintain a healthy diet when life gets busy.
FAQs
I don’t preheat the air fryer to cook English muffin pizzas. There are other recipes where I do prefer to preheat the air fryer, like when cooking full-size air fryer frozen pizzas.
For frozen pizza that has been cooked and refrigerated, air fry in a preheated air fryer at 350F for 2-3 minutes. If the pizza is frozen and not cooked, follow the directions in the recipe card below. I think you’ll like reheating mini pizza in the air fryer much more than in the microwave. Air fryers do a great job crisping the pizza’s crust, where microwaving can leave it a bit soggy.
To make keto air fryer frozen mini pizza, you need to ensure that the pizza crust is very low in carbs. I’ve heard that these keto pizza crusts are very good. An alternative is to make your own low carb pizza crust using Fathead dough or your favorite keto dough.
To make gluten free frozen mini pizza, the crust and toppings all need to have no gluten. You could try the Food for Life gluten free English muffins. Unfortunately, they get mixed reviews on Amazon and are not made in a facility that is gluten-free. Katz Gluten Free English muffins and Glutino Gluten Free English muffins are two alternatives that are certified gluten-free.
If you use whole grain English muffins, English muffin pizzas are a whole food option that could be considered nutritious. You've got the lycopene-rich tomato sauce, fiber from whole grains, and calcium and protein from cheeses. Not bad for such a simple entrée!
👩🏻🍳 Other Frozen Food Air Fryer Recipes
Are you looking for more frozen foods to make in the air fryer? After you make these air fryer frozen mini pizzas, here are some other recipes you may enjoy:
- Air Fryer Frozen Pizza Rolls
- Air Fryer Frozen Mozzarella Sticks
- Frozen Meatballs in Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets
Don't forget to subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter to be kept up-to-date on all of the latest and greatest recipes!
The Disclaimer…
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don't sweat the numbers too much.
For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to my overnight oats no sugar post. Let's get cooking!
📖 Recipe
Frozen Mini Pizza in Air Fryer (English Muffin Pizzas)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 whole grain English muffins (thawed if frozen)
- 1¼ cup marinara sauce (or your favorite pizza sauce)
- ½ tablespoon dried basil
- 4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (113 grams or 1 cup)
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan-Romano cheese
- 20 slices turkey pepperoni
- 6 tablespoons finely chopped green peppers
Instructions
- Cut the English muffins in half. Lay them, cut side up, in a single layer on two air fryer trays.
- Air fry the English muffins for 3 minutes at 400°F (200°C). Then switch the position of the trays in the air fryer and air fry an additional 3 minutes at 400°F (200°C).
- Spread the marinara sauce on the cut tops of the English muffins, and sprinkle with the dried basil. Then add the cheeses on top.
- Finish topping the pizzas with the pepperoni and chopped bell peppers.
- Line a large baking tray with freezer paper. Put the English muffin pizzas in a single layer on the tray. Freeze them overnight.
- Note: Any pizzas that won’t be cooked soon after freezing overnight should be wrapped individually in plastic wrap and stored in a freezer bag. This will help to prevent freezer burn.
- The next day, put the pizzas that you will be air frying on your air fryer trays in a single layer. Only cook what you need! If you’ll only be making one tray of pizzas, keep in mind that the cooking times will be shorter.
- Air fry the pizzas for 8 minutes at 325°F (163°C). Then switch the position of the trays in the air fryer and cook for 6 more minutes at 325°F (163°C).
- Let them cool a little before eating. Enjoy!
Leave a Comment