• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Dash for Dinner
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • Dinner
  • Slow Cooker
  • Instant Pot
  • Air Fryer
  • About
  • Disclaimer
    • Privacy Policy
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • Dinner
    • Slow Cooker
    • Instant Pot
    • Air Fryer
    • About
    • Disclaimer
      • Privacy Policy
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Air Fryer Recipes

    Air Fryer English Muffin Pizzas

    Published: Sep 27, 2021 · Modified: Oct 21, 2023 by Dorothy Bigelow · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    • Facebook12
    • Twitter
    • Email
    • Print
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Get dinner on the table in less than 15 minutes! These air fryer english muffin pizzas are simple to make, using just 4 ingredients. They cook in less than 10 minutes, and are picky eater approved. What more could you want in a weeknight dinner recipe!?

    Please note that some of my blog posts here at Dash for Dinner may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. Please see my Disclaimer for more information.

    Pin it for Later

    It's 5 o' clock, the whole family just walked through the door, and you've been crazy busy all day long. Suddenly, you realize you forgot to take something out for dinner! Oh no, looks like it's going to be take out for the third time this week!

    But it doesn't have to be like that if you have an easy recipe like these Air Fryer English Muffin Pizzas in your back pocket. If you have english muffins, cheese, canned pizza sauce, and some toppings, you've got dinner on the table! This recipe is perfect for those busy weeknights, or for those jam packed weekends. Serve alongside a quick garden salad and you have an easy dinner. Or, serve as is for a quick and filling lunch!

    English muffin pizzas on a plate, with pizza sauce on the side.

    Last Minute Meals

    There are a few pantry staples I keep on hand for emergency meals. English muffins are one of them! English muffins freeze great, and thaw quickly. You can even use frozen english muffins if you toast them just slightly first.

    Another easy meal I make in the air fryer are these amazing Salmon Patties that use canned salmon. I love keeping canned salmon on hand because it's healthy, and I never have to worry about remembering to take it out to thaw!

    Ingredients

    The ingredients needed to make air fryer english muffin pizzas.
    • English muffins: Use your favorite brand of english muffins, or day old homemade english muffins.
    • Pizza sauce: You will need about 6oz (¾ cup) of pizza sauce. Canned pizza sauce works great for an easy recipe like this one, but you can use homemade if desired.
    • Shredded cheese: You will need about 3 cups of shredded cheese. Both pre-shredded and freshly grated cheeses work for this recipe. Freshly grated cheese does melt better, although it's negligible.
    • Sliced pepperoni (optional): This is for those that like a classic pepperoni and cheese pizza. These taste great both with and without the optional pepperoni slices. We used regular sized pepperoni slices, but I think mini slices would be adorable.
    • Favorite toppings (optional): If you'd like to load up your mini pizzas with your favorite toppings, feel free to do so! Keep in mind that the fan inside the air fryer can blow toppings around quite a bit, so be prudent with the extra toppings and press them into the melted cheese when adding them to the hot pizzas.

    Instructions

    Preheat your air fryer to 350 for at least 3 minutes, or according to your manufacturers instructions.

    Split the english muffins using a fork or a butter knife, and place them, cut sides up, on a baking sheet or plate. Only prepare as many english muffin pizzas as you can fit in the air fryer at once. This will help the pizza stay crispy, preventing them from sitting too long with the moist ingredients.

    Spoon 1-2 tablespoons of pizza sauce onto each english muffin half. Use the back of the spoon to spread it evenly over the bread.

    Top each half with a small portion of shredded cheese, about ¼ cup.

    Place the prepared english muffin pizzas into the air fryer and cook at 350F for 4-6 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the bread is toasted.

    Top with 2-3 slices of pepperoni and return to the air fryer for 1-2 minutes.

    Remove the air fryer basket and quickly adjust any pepperoni slices that have flown off of the pizzas. If you would like to add any other toppings, do so at the same time you add the pepperoni.

    Remove the pizzas from the air fryer and let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Repeat the process with the remaining english muffins, working in batches until all of the muffins have been used up.

    English muffin pizzas being lifted with a spatula.

    Topping Suggestions

    Meat Toppings

    • Pepperoni
    • Salami
    • Bacon bits
    • Crumbled cooked sausage
    • Crumbled cooked beef
    • Cooked and shredded chicken

    Vegetable Toppings

    • Diced bell peppers
    • Sliced jalapeno peppers
    • Black olives
    • Green olives
    • Sundried tomatoes
    • Minced garlic
    • Roasted garlic (try this easy Air Fryer method!)
    A stack of three english muffin pizzas.

    Tips for Success

    Pepperoni:

    • The pepperoni will fly around quite a bit in the air fryer. I tested several methods for including the pepperoni, and adding them during the last 1-2 minutes of cooking is what works the best AND has the best taste.
    • If you want to keep your pepperoni slices in place, you can add the slices in between the pizza sauce and the cheese. I find the result is not as good when you use this method, and there is very little crunch, but they do stay in place.
    • Alternately, you can omit the pepperoni or top with cold pepperoni slices.

    Toppings:

    • If you want to add your favorite toppings, do so during the last 1-2 minutes of cooking (at the same time you would add the pepperoni). Keep in mind that the fan of the air fryer can cause your toppings to fly around quite a bit. If you like meat toppings, ensure you use fully cooked meat since 1-2 minutes is not long enough to cook any raw meats. Crumbled beef or sausage, bacon bits, and cured meats are all great options.

    Excess Grease:

    • If you find your English muffin pizzas to have a significant amount of grease on top, simply dab them with a paper towel to absorb the excess grease.

    Cheese:

    • You can use any type of shredded cheese you have on hand, but mozzarella and cheddar tend to work best.
    • If possible, use freshly shredded cheese, since it melts better, but pre-shredded cheese is fine too.
    • If using pre-shredded cheese, pizza style and italian style blends work best for these air fryer english muffin pizzas.
    A plate of english muffin pizzas, with a prepared baking sheet full in the background.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How do you make english muffin pizzas crispy, rather than soggy?

    The best way to prevent the english muffin pizzas from getting soggy, is by preparing them just before they are ready to go into the oven or air fryer. Additionally, ensure your oven or air fryer is preheated. If you can, toast the english muffins for 1-2 minutes before adding the pizza sauce and cheese. This results in an extra sturdy base, which makes for a crispy result.

    What are the best toppings for english muffin pizzas?

    Since english muffin pizzas are small, you want to keep the size and quantity of toppings on the small side to ensure for even cooking. Diced bell peppers, sliced jalapenos, olives, and cooked and crumbled meats are the best toppings for these easy mini pizzas.

    I don't have an air fryer, can I make english muffin pizzas in the oven?

    Yes! Preheat the oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the prepared english muffin pizzas on the baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. If you want your pizzas to be crispy, toast the english muffins for 1-2 minutes before topping with sauce and cheese. Then, return to the oven and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes.

    What to Serve With English Muffin Pizzas

    • Garden salad
    • Steamed vegetables
    • Raw vegetables and dip
    • Sweet potato fries
    • French fries
    • Caesar salad
    An air fryer with english muffin pizzas in the basket.

    Air Fryer English Muffin Pizzas

    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Air Fryer Recipes
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 8 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 13 minutes minutes
    Servings: 12 pizza rounds
    Calories: 214kcal
    Author: Dorothy Bigelow

    Ingredients

    • 6 english muffins split in half
    • 1 6oz can pizza sauce (¾ cup)
    • 3 cups shredded cheese
    • 36 slices pepperoni optional
    • Optional toppings: chopped peppers mushrooms, sausage crumbles, bacon bits, etc.

    Instructions

    • Preheat your air fryer to 350 for at least 3 minutes, or according to your manufacturers instructions.
    • Split the english muffins using a fork or a butter knife, and place them, cut sides up, on a baking sheet or plate. Only prepare as many english muffin pizzas as you can fit in the air fryer at once. This will help the pizza stay crispy, preventing them from sitting too long with the moist ingredients.
    • Spoon 1-2 tablespoons of pizza sauce onto each english muffin half. Use the back of the spoon to spread it evenly over the bread.
    • Top each half with a small portion of shredded cheese, about ¼ cup.
    • Place the prepared english muffin pizzas into the air fryer and cook at 350F for 4-6 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the bread is toasted.
    • Top with 2-3 slices of pepperoni and return to the air fryer for 1-2 minutes. Remove the air fryer basket and quickly adjust any pepperoni slices that have flown off of the pizzas. If you would like to add any other toppings, do so at the same time you add the pepperoni.
    • Remove the pizzas from the air fryer and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
    • Repeat the process with the remaining english muffins, working in batches until all of the muffins have been used up.
    Did you try this recipe?Tag me at @dashfordinner and share your photos!

    Notes

    Oven Instructions:
    Preheat the oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the prepared english muffin pizzas on the baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. If you want your pizzas to be crispy, toast the english muffins for 1-2 minutes before topping with sauce and cheese. Then, return to the oven and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes.
    Pepperoni:
    The pepperoni will fly around quite a bit in the air fryer. I tested several methods for including the pepperoni, and adding them during the last 1-2 minutes of cooking is what works the best AND has the best taste.
    If you want to keep your pepperoni slices in place, you can add the slices in between the pizza sauce and the cheese. I find the result is not as good when you use this method, and there is very little crunch, but they do stay in place.
    Alternately, you can omit the pepperoni or top with cold pepperoni slices.
    Toppings:
    If you want to add your favorite toppings, do so during the last 1-2 minutes of cooking (at the same time you would add the pepperoni). Keep in mind that the fan of the air fryer can cause your toppings to fly around quite a bit. If you like meat toppings, ensure you use fully cooked meat since 1-2 minutes is not long enough to cook any raw meats. Crumbled beef or sausage, bacon bits, and cured meats are all great options.
    Excess Grease:
    If you find your English muffin pizzas to have a significant amount of grease on top, simply dab them with a paper towel to absorb the excess grease.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Pizza | Calories: 214kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 430mg | Fiber: 1g

    Pin it for Later

    Air Fryer English Muffin Pizzas

    Resources

    • Homemade English Muffins - Bigger Bolder Baking
    • Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce - Joy Food Sunshine

    More Air Fryer Recipes

    • A platter full of twisted bacon/bacon twists, garnished with fresh raspberries.
      Bacon Twists
    • Two crisp chicken thighs on a bed of mashed potatoes.
      Air Fryer Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
    • Two cooked salmon fillets in a black air fryer basket.
      Air Fryer Frozen Salmon
    • A stack of glazed bacon slices piled on top of a wire rack.
      Air Fryer Candied Bacon

    Reader Interactions

    5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Dorothy!

    Dash for Dinner was started when I had my first child, as an effort to help other families who were struggling with cooking delicious meals while balancing it all. 

    Our recipes are quick, easy, and created with the busy home cook in mind.

    Read more about me →

    Trending Recipes

    • A chip being dipped into a cold salsa and cream cheese taco dip.
      Layered Cream Cheese and Salsa Dip
    • A bowl filled with cabbage and ground beef stir fry.
      Inside Out Egg Roll
    • A hand holding a halved baby potato encrusted with parmesan cheese.
      Parmesan Crusted Potatoes
    • A bowl of maple glazed carrots, with a large serving spoon taking a portion out.
      Slow Cooker Maple & Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021-2023 Dash for Dinner on the Feast Plugin

    • 12

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.