Air Fryer Pizza Rolls: Discover the Crispy Delight!

Okay, so here’s the thing—I’ve been making air fryer pizza rolls for about six months now, and I honestly can’t believe I used to microwave these things. Like, what was I even thinking? The microwave makes them weird and soggy on one end, weirdly exploded on the other. Total disaster.

My kids asked for pizza rolls last Thursday, and I threw them in the air fryer without really thinking about it. Best decision ever. Now they won’t eat them any other way, and honestly? I get it.

Why Air Fryer Pizza Rolls Changed Everything

Look, I’m gonna be honest with you. I was skeptical at first. I mean, pizza rolls are already pretty convenient, right? Microwave for 2 minutes, done. But then my neighbor Sarah (who’s basically obsessed with her air fryer) convinced me to try it her way. And wow. WOW. The difference is insane.

The outside gets actually crispy. Not fake crispy. Real crispy. The kind of crispy where you bite into it and it makes that satisfying crunch sound. And the inside? Still perfectly melted and gooey without being lava-hot in some spots and frozen in others. You know exactly what I’m talking about.

I burned my first batch because I wasn’t paying attention—got distracted scrolling through my phone and forgot to set a timer. They came out basically charcoal. My 11-year-old just looked at me like I’d committed a crime. Lesson learned the hard way.

What You’ll Need for Air Fryer Pizza Rolls

Here’s what you need, and trust me, it’s not complicated:

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of frozen pizza rolls (I use Totino’s usually, but Pillsbury works great too)
• Cooking spray (the olive oil kind if you’re fancy, regular if you’re normal like me)
• Optional: garlic powder, Italian seasoning, parmesan cheese for sprinkling

That’s it. Seriously. Three ingredients, one of which is optional.

Equipment:

• Air fryer (I have a Ninja, but literally any air fryer works)
• Tongs or a spatula
• A plate

Don’t overthink this. I’ve seen people online talking about preheating and lining the basket with parchment paper and all this stuff. You don’t need it. Just… don’t.

How Long to Cook Pizza Rolls in Air Fryer at 400°F

Okay, so the key is—oh wait, I forgot to mention—you actually want to preheat your air fryer. I know I just said don’t overthink it, but this part matters. Just set it to 380°F for like 3 minutes while you’re getting everything ready.

Step-by-Step (The Real Version):

1. Preheat your air fryer to 380°F. Not 400, despite what everyone online says. I tried 400 the first time and they got too dark on the outside while staying cold inside. 380 is the sweet spot. (Trust me on this one.)
2. Spray the basket with cooking spray. Don’t skip this unless you enjoy scraping melted cheese off your air fryer basket at 10 PM. Been there. It’s awful.
3. Place frozen pizza rolls in a single layer. And I mean SINGLE layer. Don’t stack them. I know you’re tempted because you want to cook more at once. Don’t do it. They’ll stick together and cook unevenly and you’ll be mad at yourself. For my Ninja air fryer, I can fit about 15-20 rolls comfortably. Sometimes I sneak in 22 if I’m feeling rebellious.
4. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray. This is what makes them extra crispy. Actually, you know what? This step is optional, but it really does make a difference.
5. Cook for 6-8 minutes, shaking halfway through. Set a timer for 4 minutes first. When it goes off, shake the basket (or use tongs to flip them around). Then cook for another 3-4 minutes. The total time really depends on your air fryer. Mine takes exactly 7 minutes. My mom’s takes 8. Sarah’s takes 6. You’ll figure out your air fryer’s personality after the first batch.
6. Let them cool for at least 2 minutes before eating. I cannot stress this enough. The filling is MOLTEN LAVA hot. My husband bit into one after 30 seconds once and legitimately couldn’t taste anything for like an hour. Don’t be like my husband.

Air Fryer Pizza Rolls Time and Temp (The Real Numbers)

Here’s what I’ve learned through way too much trial and error:

Best Temperature: 380°F

• 6 minutes for slightly softer texture
• 7 minutes for perfectly crispy (my favorite)
• 8 minutes for extra crispy (borders on too dark, but some people love it)

Why not 400°F? Everyone online says 400, but I think that’s too hot. The outside gets done way before the inside heats through. At 380, everything cooks more evenly. Am I the only one who thinks this? Let me know in the comments because I’m curious.

If you only have temperature settings in 25-degree increments, use 375°F and add an extra minute to the cooking time.

Tips I Learned the Hard Way

Don’t Overcrowd: I mentioned this already, but seriously. I tried cooking a whole bag once because we had friends over. Huge mistake. The ones in the middle were still frozen while the outside ones were overdone. Just do multiple batches. It only takes 7 minutes anyway.

The Shake is Important: Halfway through, you gotta shake or flip them. Otherwise one side stays pale and sad while the other side gets all the color. It’s weird, but it happens.

Fresh vs. Frozen: Only use frozen pizza rolls. Don’t thaw them first. I tried that once thinking it would help them cook faster. Nope. They just became a weird, soggy mess. Keep them frozen until they go straight into the air fryer.

Leftover Pizza Rolls: Ha. Like those exist in my house. But if you somehow have leftovers, you can reheat them in the air fryer at 350°F for about 2-3 minutes. They’re almost as good as fresh.

The Cheese Explosion Problem: Sometimes a pizza roll will burst open and cheese will leak out. It happens. Don’t panic. Just let it cool and the cheese will solidify, then you can peel it off the basket. Or, you know, eat it. It’s basically a cheese crisp at that point.

Making Them Even Better (Optional But Amazing)

So, um, basically what I discovered by accident—I was seasoning some fries and had leftover garlic powder on my hands, and I touched a pizza roll, and it was AMAZING. Now I do this on purpose:

Right after they come out of the air fryer, while they’re still hot, sprinkle them with:

• Garlic powder
• Italian seasoning
• Grated parmesan cheese

The heat makes the parmesan stick and get a little melty, and it’s honestly better than it has any right to be. My kids think I’m a genius. I’m not gonna tell them it was an accident.

Dipping Sauces (Because Why Not):

• Marinara sauce (the obvious choice)
• Ranch dressing (my daughter’s obsession)
• Garlic butter (just microwave some butter with garlic powder—fancy!)
• Buffalo sauce mixed with ranch (my husband’s weird creation that’s actually good?)

Different Brands, Same Method

I’ve tried this with basically every brand of pizza rolls I could find:

Totino’s Pizza Rolls: The classic. Always consistent. These are my go-to. They have the most filling and the crispiest outside texture.

Pillsbury Pizza Rolls: Honestly can’t tell much difference from Totino’s. Same cooking time works perfectly.

Store Brand (whatever your grocery store has): Usually cheaper and taste… fine? A little less filling, but they still get crispy and delicious in the air fryer.

Bagel Bites: Wait, these aren’t pizza rolls, but I cook them the same way at 380°F for about 8 minutes. Just in case you were wondering. (You probably weren’t, but now you know.)

When Things Go Wrong (Troubleshooting)

They’re burning on the outside but cold inside: Temperature is too high. Drop it to 370°F and cook a minute longer.

They’re not crispy enough: You need to spray them with oil. Or your air fryer might be overcrowded.

They’re sticking to the basket: You forgot to spray the basket first. (We’ve all been there.) Try using parchment paper next time, but make sure it’s air fryer-safe with holes in it.

They’re exploding: This just happens sometimes. It’s not you. Pizza rolls are chaotic. Roll with it. (Pun intended.)

They taste weird: Check the expiration date on your pizza rolls. I found a forgotten bag in the back of my freezer once that was… old. Really old. Yeah.

The Verdict: Are Air Fryer Pizza Rolls Worth It?

Look, if you’re still microwaving your pizza rolls, I’m not judging you. Okay, maybe I’m judging you a little. But only because I KNOW how much better they can be.

The air fryer adds maybe 5 extra minutes to your cooking time compared to the microwave. But the texture difference is insane. Crispy on the outside, perfectly melted inside, no weird hot/cold spots. My teenagers literally won’t eat microwave pizza rolls anymore. I’ve created monsters.

Is it life-changing? No. It’s pizza rolls. But is it the BEST way to make pizza rolls? Absolutely yes.

Now I’m craving these again. Thanks a lot, brain.

Try this and seriously let me know how yours turn out! Especially if you find a better temperature/time combo than mine because I’m always looking to improve. And if you have any weird dipping sauce combinations, drop them in the comments. I’m weirdly obsessed with finding new sauce pairings.

Happy air frying! (And may your pizza rolls never explode all over your basket.) 🍕✨