One of my kids' favorite snacks is pizza bites, which are delicious little mini pizza pockets. And they love to share them with friends who come over. But when they wanted them, in the midst of a heat wave this summer, there was no way I was turning on the oven! So I made these air fryer pizza bites instead. Making frozen pizza bites in the air fryer is quick (about 10 minutes) and easy! I have also included an easy dipping sauce for these pizza rolls that uses ingredients you already have on hand.
Making pizza bites in the air fryer is an easy snack for kids and the ideal finger food for movie nights, as well as parties and gatherings. We always make them part of our New Years' eve finger food spread because of how quick and easy they are to make!
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🥘Ingredients
You only need 2 ingredients to make crispy air fryer pizza rolls and yes, one of them is spray oil (not PAM- see Top Tip for explanation).
Some people get air fryers and think they no longer need oil, but an air fryer doesn't eliminate the need for oil, just the need to use a lot of it. Spraying a little oil on your food will yield the best results because it prevents the food from getting dry and gives it a golden brown finish.
- frozen pizza bites
- spray oil
- Pizza Roll Dip ingredients (optional): sour cream, ranch dressing, parmesan cheese, green onion
*See recipe card for quantities.
🔪Instructions
How to cook pizza bites in the air fryer:
Spray a couple of pumps of spray oil on the air fryer tray to prevent sticking
Then place a single layer of pizza rolls in drawers or air fryer basket (depending on the type of air fryer you have.
*If you have a drawer-type air fryer and they are a little crowded, don't worry, as you will shake them after
Spray a few pumps of spray oil on top of pizza bites.
Set the air fryer to 360 degrees F (182 degrees C) and air fry pizza rolls for 4 minutes, then shake. *Remember to set "match cook" if you have a dual-drawer Ninja
Spray a couple more pumps of oil and cook for an additional 4 minutes, for a total of 8 minutes.
*Note: Cooking time can vary (as well as how much you can cook at once), depending on the type and size of air fryer you have, so you may need to cook them for a couple of extra minutes.
Dip: Mix dip ingredients together in a separate bowl and serve.
HINT: Remove with silicone-tipped tongs to avoid damaging the surface of your air fryer.
📖Variations & Substitutions.
- Spray oil - it's best to use avocado, canola, or olive oil spray because they have a high smoke point and neutral flavor.
- Pizza bites (aka pizza rolls) - you can use any brand of frozen pizza rolls that you prefer. You could also use homemade pizza rolls instead.
- Green onion - you can use chives instead of green onion
- Sour cream - you can use regular, light, or fat-free sour cream
- Ranch dressing - you can use Litehouse brand (which I use) or your favorite brand of ranch dressing (but don't use the packets of dry ranch dressing unless you add a lot more sour cream)
- Add-ins - add a little Italian seasoning, if you wish
- Spicy - if you want to spice up the dip, add a little sriracha sauce or crushed red pepper
🥗 What to serve with pizza bites
Pizza bites are a great snack on their own, but they go great with the dip included in this recipe (it's my favorite dipping sauce for these guys), or try them with Garlic Mayo Dipping Sauce, marinara sauce, or your favorite sauce. Then serve carrot sticks on the side! If you really want to indulge, serve these crispy pizza rolls with french fries or sweet potato fries.
🍽Equipment
Of course, you will need an air fryer for this pizza bite recipe. I did a lot of research before I bought my Ninja Foodi dual zone 2 basket 8 quart air fryer, (affiliate link)- 9 months to be exact. Yeah, I know, I could have had a baby in that amount of time, but I'm glad I researched it so thoroughly because I got the perfect air fryer for my family and my budget. It's the best countertop kitchen appliance I have ever owned! Some people like the basket-style air fryer, but I prefer the drawers because I can cook more than one thing at a time.
I also purchased stainless steel tongs with silicone tips (affiliate link) so I don't damage the non-stick coating on my air fryer when using it.
Lastly, I recommend everyone own an instant-read thermometer! (affiliate links). Internal temperature of food is the BEST way to check for doneness and you can use it for everything (pie, bread meat, etc) and even these pizza bites!
🌡️Storage
Store leftover pizza rolls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store the dip in a separate sealed container for up to days. These ingredients do not stand up well to freezing.
👪 Serving Size
This recipe makes 50 servings/pizza bites using the 693 g (1.5 lb) bag. However, you can half, double or triple the recipe by clicking on the blue serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust
💭Top tip
Spray your pizza bites (and anything you put in the air fryer) with a light spray of cooking oil, but do NOT use an aerosol cooking spray with propellants (like Pam). This can cause damage to the surface of your air fryer and cause the coating to flake off and potentially onto your food. *The label will tell you whether it has propellants or not
🦺Food safety
- Cook pizza bites to an internal minimum temperature of 160 °F (71 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
See more guidelines at USDA.gov and https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/general-food-safety-tips/safe-internal-cooking-temperatures.html
So if you are looking for an after school snack for kids or easy party food, making pizza bites in the air fryer is the best way to cook them, especially if it's hot or you need oven space!
📋Air Fryer Pizza Bites (with dipping sauce) Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb - package of frozen pizza bites * I use Pilsbury (693 g)
- 4-6 pumps spray oil * I use avocado
Dip for pizza rolls
- ½ cup sour cream *I use light
- ¼ cup ranch dressing * I use Litehouse
- 2 tablespoon parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoon green onions
Instructions
- Spray a couple of pumps of spray oil on the bottom of the air fryer drawer or basket to prevent stickingThen place pizza rolls in drawers or air fryer basket (depending on the type of air fryer you have.)
- Spray a few pumps of spray oil on top of pizza bites.
- Set air fryer to 360 degrees F ( 182 degrees C) and cook for 4 minutes, then shake.
- Spray a couple more pumps of oil and cook for an additional 4 minutes.
Dip
- Mix ingredients together in a bowl.
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