These air fryer cheesy garlic breadsticks are one of the easiest snacks you can make. Golden, buttery, and loaded with melted cheese – they come out perfect every time.
If you have pizza dough and a few basic ingredients, you’re already halfway there. No need to heat up your oven or wait forever for them to bake.
The air fryer gets them crispy on the outside and soft on the inside in under 10 minutes. Then you add the cheese and let it melt into bubbly perfection.
They’re great as a side dish, a snack, or honestly just something to munch on while watching a movie. Dip them in some warm marinara sauce and you’re set.
Let me walk you through how to make them step by step.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Irresistibly Cheesy and Gooey – The double layer of melted mozzarella and parmesan creates a stretchy bubbly cheese pull that makes every single bite absolutely addictive.
Crispy Outside and Soft Inside – The air fryer gives these breadsticks a perfectly golden crust while keeping the inside pillowy soft and fluffy.
That Garlic Butter Is Next Level – Brushing real melted garlic butter twice on the dough gives these breadsticks a rich savory flavor that store-bought ones simply cannot match.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Pizza Dough, room temperature
- 3 tbsp Butter, melted
- 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 1/2 cups Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
- 2 tbsp Fresh Parsley, chopped
- 1 cup Marinara Sauce, for dipping
How To Make
Step 1
Roll out pizza dough into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 12 even strips using a pizza cutter.
Step 2
Mix melted butter with minced garlic and Italian seasoning. Brush half of the mixture over the dough strips.
Step 3
Preheat air fryer to 350°F. Place breadsticks in the air fryer basket in a single layer, leaving space between each. Cook in batches for 6-7 minutes until golden brown.
Step 4
Remove breadsticks and immediately brush with remaining garlic butter. Sprinkle generously with mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Step 5
Return to air fryer for 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with warm marinara sauce.
Tips
Let the Dough Warm Up First
If your pizza dough is cold from the fridge, it will fight you when you try to roll it out. It’ll keep shrinking back and won’t hold its shape.
Take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you start. Room temperature dough stretches easily and stays where you put it.
If it still springs back when you roll it, let it rest for another 5-10 minutes. The gluten relaxes and it becomes much easier to work with.
Don’t Crowd the Air Fryer Basket
You’ll probably need to cook these in 2-3 batches depending on your air fryer size. Each breadstick needs space around it so the hot air can circulate and crisp up all the sides evenly.
If you stack them or squeeze them all in at once, the dough won’t cook through in the middle. You’ll get soft, pale spots instead of that golden brown outside you want.
It takes a little more time to do batches, but it’s worth it for breadsticks that are actually crispy.
Brush the Garlic Butter While They’re Hot
As soon as the breadsticks come out after that first cook, brush on the remaining garlic butter right away. The hot dough soaks it up instantly and you get way more flavor in every bite.
If you wait too long and the breadsticks cool down, the butter just sits on top instead of absorbing in. That makes a big difference in how these taste.
Related Recipes
- Air Fryer Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Bread
- Air Fryer Garlic Knots
- Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks
- Air Fryer Frozen Breadsticks
- Air Fryer Texas Toast
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I keep the breadsticks from sticking to the air fryer basket?
The easiest way is to lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray or brush it with a thin layer of oil before placing the dough strips in. You can also use a piece of parchment paper with holes in it, which is made specifically for air fryers.
Avoid using regular parchment paper without holes because it can block the airflow and your breadsticks won’t cook as evenly. The perforated air fryer liners are cheap and make cleanup so much easier too.
Air Fryer Cheesy Garlic Breadsticks
- Pizza Cutter
- 1 lb Pizza Dough, room temperature
- 3 tbsp Butter, melted
- 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 1/2 cups Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
- 2 tbsp Fresh Parsley, chopped
- 1 cup Marinara Sauce, for dipping
- Roll out pizza dough into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 12 even strips using a pizza cutter.
- Mix melted butter with minced garlic and Italian seasoning. Brush half of the mixture over the dough strips.
- Preheat air fryer to 350°F. Place breadsticks in the air fryer basket in a single layer, leaving space between each. Cook in batches for 6-7 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove breadsticks and immediately brush with remaining garlic butter. Sprinkle generously with mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- Return to air fryer for 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with warm marinara sauce.