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This recipe crams a part-baked baguette with fresh and herby garlic butter and mozzarella cheese for a golden, melty, air fryer garlic bread baked to heavenly perfection. And it only takes 5 minutes to prepare and another 3 to bake in your air fryer!
I cannot say no to garlic bread with Italian dishes. Serve this super herby homemade baguette with a traditional spaghetti Bolognese or a comforting pasta e fagioli soup.
Homemade garlic bread
Better than any store-bought variety, once you’ve made your own homemade This is an affiliate link.air fryer garlic bread, I promise, there will be no turning back.
Not only can it be baked in less time than a regular frozen shop-bought garlic baguette, you have control over the filling. Personally, I like mine heavy with fresh parsley and garlic butter and generously stuffed with mozzarella cheese. I bake it for 3 minutes, so it’s golden and crunchy on the outside, but soft, moist, and gooey on the inside.
You can ramp up or dial down the garlic and herbs to your own taste. Add or omit the cheese. Play with the bake times for a crunchier or softer baked bread. Or take it one step further…
Flavour variations
I strongly believe there is a garlic bread out there to accompany any dish! Or you can make my garlic butter dinner rolls if you’ve got an hour to spare. Here are a few outside-the-box suggestions that are just as easy to put together and definitely deliver the wow! factor:
- Cheese and homemade basil pesto, not a million miles from the original and perfect with pasta.
- Brie and cranberry butter, for a Christmassy twist.
- Sun-dried tomato pesto, glorious in colour and suits chicken dishes like Provencal or classic chicken parmesan.
- Harissa or This is an affiliate link.za’atar spiced for a Middle Eastern feast with hummus and whipped feta dip.
- Miso butter with garlic… and cheese! Wild, I know. But this umami-rich riff on garlic bread is a blinding taste sensation. Try it with slow cooker Italian beef ragu, soups or saucy chicken dishes.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Bake-at-home (part-baked) baguettes are ideal for this job. Found in the bread section of most supermarkets, they come in a sealed plastic bag and look under baked.
- I buy the mini baguettes as they fit more easily into the air fryer.
- For cheesy garlic bread, use mozzarella. It’s the ultimate melter and gives that desirable cheese-pull when you tear the cooked baguette apart.
- I use easy-sprinkling grated mozzarella for a cheesy twist. But you could easily leave the cheese or mix up the flavours to match any dish. (See flavour variations.)
- No This is an affiliate link.air fryer? No problem! Follow the air fryer recipe but place your laden baguette on a baking sheet in your oven instead. Keep the temperature the same but bake for about 7-10 minutes.
- Keep an eye on your garlic bread, it may need a minute or two longer, or shorter, in the regular oven as they are all a little different. You’ll know when it’s done!
Storage and leftovers
With under 10 minutes start to finish, this cheesy garlic bread recipe is hardly a time-drain! However, if you want to get a head start on dinner, you can prep your bread by stuffing it with your flavoursome fillings a day or two before.
Wrap it tightly in foil and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Then follow the recipe cooking instructions.
Other side dishes to try
- Tuna Macaroni Salad
- Honey Garlic Roasted Parsnips
- Butternut Squash Casserole (Gratin)
- Parmesan Crusted Potatoes
Air Fryer Garlic Bread
Equipment
- This is an affiliate link.Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 2 small (bake at home) baguettes or 1 regular size
- 75g / 1/3 cup softened salted butter
- 6-8 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp parsley, minced
- 60g/1/4 cup grated mozzarella (for the cheesy version)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl combine the softened butter, minced garlic and finely chopped parsley and mix in grated cheese if using.
- With a sharp knife make slits in your baguette, which should be deep enough to be able to spread the garlic butter but not cut all the way through, keep the base intact.
- Spread the garlic butter inside the cuts. Don’t worry if the baguette tears a bit, the butter will be able to hold it together at this point.
- Preheat the air fryer to 200C/400F and place 1 baguette in the basket of the air fryer diagonally and bake for 3 minutes for a soft and gooey cheesy bread or 5 minutes for crispier garlic bread.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
