Air Fryer Garlic Knots (Crispy in 15 Minutes!)

Soft, buttery air fryer garlic knots ready in just 15 minutes. Made with pizza dough and coated in a rich garlic-parmesan butter, they’re crisp on the outside and light, fluffy, and tender inside.

These air fryer garlic knots are everything you love about your favorite pizzeria’s bread basket — soft, buttery, pull-apart pillows of dough drenched in garlic-parmesan butter — except they’re on your table in 15 minutes flat. No oven preheating. No yeast proofing. Just store-bought pizza dough, your air fryer, and a tiny bowl of melted garlic butter that you’ll want to drink with a spoon.

I’ve made this recipe dozens of times across three different air fryers (basket-style, oven-style, and a Ninja Foodi), and the version below is the one that delivers a golden, crackly outside and a cloud-soft middle every single time — no raw centers, no burnt garlic, no fuss.

⏱ Quick Stats • Prep: 8 minutes • Cook: 7 minutes • Total: 15 minutes • Yields 12 knots • Calories: ~95 per knot • Air fryer temp: 350°F • Dough: 1 lb pizza dougharmesan cheese, and parsley butter, but feel free to add all of your favorite spices.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Faster than the oven — no preheating a 425°F oven and heating up your whole kitchen.
• Foolproof for beginners — if you can tie a shoelace, you can shape these.
• Two-ingredient base — pizza dough + butter. Everything else is pantry staples.
• The “double-brush” technique — the secret to maximum garlic flavor without burning.
• Endlessly customizable — cheesy, stuffed, spicy, even dessert versions (see below).

Ingredients

You need just 6 simple ingredients for the best air fryer garlic knots:

• Pizza dough: Store-bought refrigerated dough (Pillsbury, Trader Joe’s, or your local pizzeria) or homemade. Let it sit at room temperature for 20–30 minutes before shaping so it stretches easily.
• Unsalted butter: Salted works too; just skip the added salt.
• Fresh garlic, finely minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder if you want zero risk of burning)
• Grated Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated melts into the butter beautifully; the green-can stuff works in a pinch.
• Fresh parsley, finely chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• Kosher salt
• Italian seasoning (optional but recommended)

Optional add-ins: red pepper flakes for heat, a squeeze of lemon for brightness, shredded mozzarella inside the knot for a stuffed version.

How to Make Air Fryer Garlic Knots (Step-by-Step)

Step 1 — Divide the dough

Place the pizza dough on a lightly floured surface. Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut it into 12 equal pieces (about 1.3 oz / 37 g each). The easiest way: halve the dough, halve each half, then cut each quarter into 3 strips.

Step 2 — Roll into ropes

Roll each piece between your palms and the counter into a 6-inch rope, about the thickness of your pinky finger. If the dough is springing back, let it rest for 2 minutes — it’ll relax and roll out easily.

Step 3 — Tie the knots

Take a rope, tie a simple overhand knot in the middle (just like tying a shoelace once), and tuck the two ends underneath the knot so they don’t unravel during cooking. Don’t pull tight — leave the knot loose so it has room to puff up.

🧠 Pro tip: Bigger ropes = bigger knots = more chance of raw centers. Stick to 12 pieces from a 1-lb ball.

Step 4 — Make the garlic butter

In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, minced garlic, Parmesan, parsley, salt, and Italian seasoning. Set it aside — we’re not brushing it on yet.

Step 5 — Air fry plain first (this is the trick!)

Lightly spray the air fryer basket with olive oil. Place the plain, unbuttered knots in a single layer with about ½ inch between them — work in batches if needed.

Air fry at 350°F (175°C) for 6–7 minutes, or until the tops are deep golden brown and the bottoms sound hollow when tapped.

🔥 Why not brush butter first? Fresh garlic burns and turns bitter at high heat. Cooking the knots plain, then drowning them in garlic butter when they come out, gives you that pizzeria flavor without the acrid taste.

Step 6 — Double-dunk in garlic butter

The second the knots come out of the air fryer, transfer them to a large bowl and pour half the garlic butter over the top. Toss gently to coat. Then brush or drizzle the remaining butter over the tops for that glossy, photo-worthy finish.

Step 7 — Finish and serve

Sprinkle with a little extra Parmesan and parsley. Serve immediately while warm and crispy, with marinara or your favorite dipping sauce.

The Right Temperature & Time (Don’t Skip This!)

This is where most recipes go wrong. After testing every common temperature, here’s what actually works:

Air Fryer Type	Temperature	Time
Basket-style (Cosori, Ninja, Instant Vortex)	350°F	6–7 minutes
Oven-style / toaster oven AF	340°F	7–8 minutes
Ninja Foodi (pressure cooker + AF)	350°F	6 minutes
Frozen store-bought garlic knots	360°F	5–6 minutes

Why not 325°F? It’s too low — the centers stay raw and gummy while the outside dries out. Why not 400°F? Too hot — the outside burns before the inside cooks through. 350°F is the sweet spot for golden tops and fluffy middles.

Common Problems (and How to Fix Them)

• “My garlic knots are raw in the middle” You either tied them too tight, made them too big, or your air fryer runs cool. Fix: cut the dough into 12 pieces (not 8), tie loosely, and add 1–2 minutes at 350°F. Tap the bottom — it should sound hollow.
• “The garlic tasted burned” You brushed garlic butter on before air frying. Always cook the knots plain and brush butter on after they come out.
• “They stuck to the basket” Spray the basket with oil before adding the knots, or use a perforated parchment liner designed for air fryers (regular parchment can block airflow).
• “They came out flat, not puffy” Either you knotted them too tightly, or your dough was cold straight from the fridge. Let dough rest at room temperature 20–30 minutes before shaping.

• “Tops browned but bottoms didn’t” Flip them halfway through (around minute 4). Some air fryers have weaker bottom heat.

Recipe Variations

🧀 Cheesy stuffed garlic knots — Before tying, press a small cube of mozzarella into the center of each rope, then tie around it. Add 1 extra minute of cook time.

🌶 Spicy garlic knots — Add ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes and a pinch of cayenne to the butter mixture.

🥬 Vegan air fryer garlic knots — Swap butter for extra virgin olive oil and skip the Parmesan (or use nutritional yeast). Make sure your pizza dough is dairy-free.

🌾 Gluten-free — Use a gluten-free pizza dough like Caputo Fioreglut or Bob’s Red Mill. Cook for 1–2 extra minutes since GF dough takes longer to set.

🍫 Dessert “garlic” knots — Skip the garlic and herbs entirely. Brush with butter, toss in cinnamon sugar after air frying, and drizzle with icing.

🥖 Garlic knot breadsticks — Skip the knot-tying step entirely. Roll into 6-inch logs, brush with butter, and air fry the same way.

What to Serve with Air Fryer Garlic Knots

Garlic knots are a side-dish chameleon. Try them with:

• As a side for Caesar salad or a hearty chopped Italian salad
• Marinara or pizza sauce for classic dipping
• Ranch or garlic-parmesan dressing for a pizzeria-style move
• Beer cheese or queso for game day
• A bowl of tomato basil soup or minestrone
• Alongside spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna, or chicken parmesan

Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheating

• Make ahead: Shape the raw knots, arrange them on a parchment-lined plate, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate up to 24 hours before cooking. Add 1 minute to the cook time straight from the fridge.
• Freezing raw knots: Shape the knots, flash-freeze on a tray for 1 hour, then transfer to a freezer bag. Freeze up to 3 months. Cook from frozen at 340°F for 9–10 minutes.
• Freezing cooked knots: Cool completely, then freeze in a single layer before bagging. Reheat at 350°F for 3–4 minutes — they’ll taste freshly made.
• Storing leftovers: Room temperature in an airtight container for 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Don’t refrigerate them in a Ziploc — the trapped steam makes them gummy.
• Reheating: The air fryer is the best reheat method: 325°F for 2–3 minutes brings back the crisp exterior. Skip the microwave — it makes them rubbery.

How to Air Fry Frozen Store-Bought Garlic Knots

Got a bag of frozen knots from Aldi, Publix, Trader Joe’s, or Marketside? Here’s the universal method:

1. Place frozen knots in a single layer in the basket (no thawing needed).
2. Air fry at 360°F for 5–6 minutes, shaking the basket once halfway through.
3. Check for an internal temperature of 190°F if you’re unsure, or until the centers are hot and the tops are golden.

For brands with extra-large knots (like New York Bakery), add 1–2 minutes.

Air Fryer Garlic Knots FAQ

What temperature do you cook garlic knots in an air fryer? 350°F (175°C) is the ideal temperature for homemade air fryer garlic knots made from pizza dough. For frozen store-bought knots, use 360°F. Lower temperatures (like 325°F) often leave the centers raw, while higher temperatures (400°F+) brown the outside before the inside cooks through.

How long do you air fry garlic knots? Fresh homemade garlic knots take 6–7 minutes at 350°F. Frozen garlic knots take 5–6 minutes at 360°F. Always check at the earlier mark — air fryers vary in power.

Do I need to preheat the air fryer? A 2-minute preheat at 350°F helps the knots puff up immediately and prevents soggy bottoms. If your air fryer doesn’t have a preheat function, just run it empty for 2 minutes before adding the dough.

Can I use canned biscuit or crescent dough? Yes! Pillsbury Grands biscuits, refrigerated crescent dough, or breadstick dough all work. Cooking time stays about the same (6–7 minutes at 350°F), but crescent dough will give you flakier, more pastry-like knots rather than chewy ones.

Can I make garlic knots without pizza dough? Absolutely — refrigerated biscuit dough, crescent rolls, or even homemade no-rise pizza dough all work. Just keep the dough portions to about 1.3 oz per knot.

Why did my garlic knots come out raw in the middle? Most likely the knots were too large, tied too tightly, or the temperature was set too low (325°F is a common culprit). Cut the dough into 12 pieces, tie loosely, and use 350°F.

Should I line the air fryer basket with parchment paper? A perforated air fryer parchment liner is fine, but regular parchment paper blocks airflow and can cause uneven cooking — or even catch fire. Spraying the basket with oil is the safest option.

Can I use fresh garlic without it burning? Yes! The trick is to mix fresh minced garlic into melted butter and brush it on after the knots come out of the air fryer. Never put fresh garlic on raw dough going into the air fryer — it’ll scorch.

Are air fryer garlic knots healthier than baked? Slightly. The air fryer uses less oil for the same crispness, but the dough and butter are the same. Each knot lands around 95–110 calories depending on size and how much butter you use.

How do I know when garlic knots are done? The tops should be deep golden brown, the bottoms should sound hollow when tapped, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 190–200°F.

More Easy Air Fryer Bread & Appetizer Recipes

• Air Fryer Garlic Bread
• Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks
• Air Fryer Pizza Rolls
• Air Fryer Buttermilk Biscuits
• Air Fryer Pretzel Bites
• Air Fryer Cheese Bread

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