Air Fryer Calzone

These air fryer calzones are crispy on the outside, stuffed with melty cheese and meat on the inside, and ready in under 15 minutes.

If you’ve never made calzones at home before, you’ll be surprised at how simple it is. Store-bought pizza dough does most of the work for you.

The filling is a mix of three cheeses, pepperoni, and Italian sausage. It’s basically everything you love on a pizza, but folded up into a golden pocket.

The air fryer gets them perfectly crispy without all the oil you’d need for deep frying. And you don’t have to wait for your oven to heat up either.

Dip them in some warm marinara sauce and you’ve got yourself a seriously good meal.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Crispy Outside and Melty Inside – The air fryer gives these calzones a deep golden crust while the three-cheese filling melts perfectly inside.

Uses Store-Bought Dough – Starting with pre-made pizza dough cuts out all the hard work so you skip straight to the fun part.

Triple Cheese Filling – Ricotta and mozzarella and parmesan together create a rich creamy filling that rivals any pizzeria calzone.

Ingredients

• 1 lb Store-Bought Pizza Dough
• 1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese
• 1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1/2 cup Pepperoni Slices
• 1/4 cup Diced Cooked Italian Sausage
• 1/4 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 large Egg, beaten (for egg wash)
• Cooking Spray
• Marinara Sauce, for dipping

How To Make

Step 1

In a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, pepperoni, cooked italian sausage, italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Stir until well mixed.

Step 2

Divide the pizza dough into 4 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into an oval or circle about 6 to 7 inches across and about 1/4 inch thick.

Step 3

Spoon about 1/4 of the filling onto one half of each dough circle, leaving a 1/2 inch border around the edge. Fold the other half of the dough over the filling and press the edges together firmly.

Step 4

Use a fork to crimp and seal the edges completely so no filling leaks out during cooking.

Step 5

Brush the tops of each calzone with the beaten egg wash and cut 2 to 3 small slits on top to let steam escape.

Step 6

Preheat the air fryer to 350°F (175°C) for 3 minutes. Spray the basket with cooking spray.

Step 7

Place 2 calzones in the air fryer basket, making sure they are not touching. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray. Air fry at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes, flipping halfway through, until deep golden brown and the dough is cooked through.

Step 8

Repeat with the remaining calzones. Let them cool for 3 to 4 minutes before cutting open. Serve with warm marinara sauce for dipping.

Tips

Let the Dough Come to Room Temperature

Take the pizza dough out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you start working with it. Cold dough is stiff and fights back when you try to roll it out, so it keeps shrinking on you.

Room temperature dough stretches easily and stays in the shape you roll it into. This makes it way easier to get that even 1/4 inch thickness without the dough bouncing back.

Don’t Overfill Them

It’s really tempting to stuff as much filling as you can into each calzone, but overfilling is the number one reason they burst open in the air fryer. Stick to about 1/4 of the filling per calzone and keep it away from the edges.

You need that 1/2 inch border of clean dough so the edges can seal properly. If filling gets on the edges, the dough won’t stick to itself and you’ll have cheese leaking everywhere in your air fryer basket.

Drain the Ricotta if It’s Watery

Some brands of ricotta cheese have a lot of liquid in them. If yours looks wet or runny, spoon it into a fine mesh strainer and let it sit over a bowl for about 10 minutes before mixing it into the filling.

Too much moisture in the filling turns the inside of the calzone soggy and can also make the bottom dough stay undercooked. A quick drain fixes that completely.

Related Recipes

• Air Fryer Pepperoni Pizza Rolls
• Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks
• Air Fryer Cheesy Garlic Breadsticks
• Air Fryer Beef Empanadas
• Air Fryer Pizza Dough Knots with Garlic Butter

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use homemade pizza dough instead of store-bought?

Absolutely, homemade pizza dough works great for these calzones. Just make sure you let it rest and come to room temperature before rolling it out so it’s easier to shape and doesn’t spring back on you.

The thickness and size should be about the same as the recipe says – around 6 to 7 inches across and 1/4 inch thick – so the cooking time stays the same at 350 degrees.