Frozen Pizza in an Air Fryer Toaster Oven: Crispy, Fast, and Better Than the Oven

Let’s be honest with ourselves for a moment.
Frozen pizza has saved countless evenings. Long workdays, lazy weekends, unexpected hunger attacks. We’ve all been there.

And lately, one question keeps popping up more and more often:
Can we make frozen pizza in an air fryer toaster oven?

Short answer? Yes. And it’s actually amazing.

Long answer? Let’s walk through it step by step, like seasoned bloggers who’ve tested it, burned a few slices, and figured out what really works.

Traditional ovens do the job, sure. But they’re slow.
Microwaves are fast, but… let’s not pretend that soggy pizza is acceptable.

This is where the air fryer toaster oven truly shines.

Here’s why we keep coming back to it:

• Faster preheating than a regular oven

• Crispier crust, even on cheaper frozen pizzas

• Even cooking thanks to circulating hot air

• Perfect for small kitchens or quick meals

And honestly? Once we tried it, going back felt unnecessary.

Before we dive deeper, let’s clear something up.

An air fryer toaster oven is basically:

• a toaster oven

• combined with air fryer technology

• using powerful convection fans

This means hot air moves all around the pizza, not just from the bottom or top.

The result?
A crust that’s crispy on the outside, soft inside, and toppings that don’t turn rubbery.

Absolutely.
But – and this is important – not all frozen pizzas behave the same.

Thin crust, thick crust, rising crust, mini pizzas… each one needs a slightly different approach. Don’t worry though, we’ll cover that.

The good news:
Most frozen pizza brands work better in an air fryer toaster oven than in a conventional oven.

Before throwing that pizza in and pressing random buttons, let’s agree on a few basics.

1. Always remove the cardboard

Yes, this sounds obvious.
Still worth saying.

2. No plastic wrap, ever

Even if it says “microwave safe”.
This is not a microwave.

3. Use the middle rack

This gives the best balance between:

• crispy bottom

• evenly melted cheese

Let’s get practical. This is the method we use most often.

Step-by-step basics

• Preheat the air fryer toaster oven to 375°F (190°C)

• Place the frozen pizza directly on the rack or on a perforated tray

• Cook for 8–12 minutes, depending on thickness

• Check at the 6–7 minute mark

• Rotate if needed for even browning

That’s it.
No flipping. No magic tricks.

Here’s where things get really useful.

Thin crust frozen pizza

• Temperature: 375°F

• Time: 7–9 minutes

• Result: extra crispy edges, fast cook

Regular crust frozen pizza

• Temperature: 375–380°F

• Time: 9–11 minutes

• Result: balanced crunch and softness

Rising crust or thick crust

• Temperature: 360–370°F

• Time: 11–13 minutes

• Tip: lower heat helps the inside cook fully

Mini or personal frozen pizzas

• Temperature: 375°F

• Time: 5–7 minutes

• Perfect for quick lunches

This is one of the most common questions.

Our honest answer:
Use Air Fry mode if your oven has one.

Why?

• Stronger airflow

• Better browning

• Crispier crust

However, Bake mode still works well if:

• your pizza is very thick

• you prefer softer crust

We personally use Air Fry mode 90% of the time.

Both options work.
But they give slightly different results.

Directly on the rack

• Crispier bottom

• Faster cooking

• Slightly messier if cheese drips

On a perforated tray

• Easier cleanup

• Slightly softer bottom

• Still nicely browned

Our preference?
Directly on the rack, every time.

If you love crunchy pizza edges as much as we do, try these tricks:

• Preheat fully – don’t rush it

• Light spray of oil on the crust edge

• Finish with 1 extra minute at higher heat

• Avoid overcrowding – one pizza at a time

Small changes. Big difference.

Let’s save you some disappointment.

Mistake #1: Too high temperature

This burns the cheese before the crust is ready.

Mistake #2: Not checking early

Air fryer toaster ovens cook faster than you think.

Mistake #3: Stacking pizzas

Airflow matters. Stack = soggy pizza.

Yes.
But be smart about it.

Best extra toppings

• Pre-cooked meats

• Thinly sliced veggies

• Extra shredded cheese (not too much)

Avoid

• Raw thick vegetables

• Wet ingredients like fresh tomatoes

Pro tip:
Add extra toppings after 4–5 minutes, not at the start.

In most cases?

Yes. Without question.

Here’s why:

• Faster cooking

• Less energy used

• Better texture

• No heating up the whole kitchen

Once we switched, we stopped using the big oven for frozen pizza entirely.

This depends on your model, but generally:

• Personal pizzas: perfect fit

• 10–11 inch pizzas: usually fine

• Large family pizzas: may need slicing

If it doesn’t fit flat, cut it in half. It still cooks beautifully.

Another big win.

• Let the oven cool

• Wipe crumbs from the bottom tray

• Clean rack if cheese dripped

No baked-on mess like traditional ovens.

Making frozen pizza in an air fryer toaster oven is one of those small kitchen upgrades that genuinely improves everyday life.

It’s faster.
It’s crispier.
And honestly… it just feels smarter.

Once we dialed in the timing and temperature, every frozen pizza became better. Even the cheap ones.

If you haven’t tried it yet, this is your sign.
Your future self – holding a perfectly crispy slice – will thank you.