How do you cook frozen pizza? This is a question many pizza lovers have as they ponder the next move to do with their favorite frozen food. Let it thaw? No, that is not a good move as the pizza will be soggy, especially on the crust, and the toppings may lose their flavor.
However, not all hope is lost of you have an air fryer. It is one of the kitchen gadgets getting immense popularity due to its oil-less nature of cooking. With the air fryer in the equation, the query is how to cook frozen pizza in air fryer?
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What is an air fryer?
The air fryer has been getting many mentions lately, and you may be curious to know what it is and how it functions. Its mode of operation is almost similar to that of conventional microwaves, where it uses hot air currents to cook your food.
An amazing thing about the air fryer is that it does not need oil to prepare your food, though it still ensures the crispiness and wonderful aroma. The oil-less nature of food preparation makes it a darling to many, more so those who are watching their weight with healthy living goals.
The air fryer can perfectly prepare your frozen pizza, rejuvenating the crispiness and ensuring the toppings come back to life. Let us look at the steps to follow in cooking frozen food in an air fryer.
Cooking frozen pizza in an air fryer
Remove your pizza from the fridge and remove its wrapping. Ensure that it is fit for consumption without any molds or unusual scents. You should not store pizza in the fridge for long as it will go stale.
For the next step, you should preheat the air fryer. Let it warm up to 200-degrees Celsius for 2-3 minutes. This makes it ready for the meal you are going to cook, promoting its consistency.
To thaw or not to thaw? This is one step you should look at carefully before putting the bread into the oven. If you decide to thaw the pizza, put it on a tray and let it rest for five to seven minutes. If it stays for long, there are chances that it will be soggy and even lose its taste.
If it has not frozen that much, then there is no need to thaw it.
Add extra toppings on the pizza if you want to improve its flavor and texture. You can bring in shredded cheddar cheese, some sausage slices or fried onion rings depending on your tastes.
Place the frozen pizza on the air fryers tray, careful not to be messy, especially with the toppings. Cook it for around 6-8 minutes till it achieves a golden-brown color. You can also notice the scent of freshly baked bread coming from the fryer. Do not forget to apply cooking spray on the pan before putting the pizza to prevent it from sticking.
Remove the pizza from the oven and let it cool for around five minutes, then serve. You may throw in some basil leaves or parsley shavings to improve its taste.
Benefits of using an air fryer for cooking pizza
The following are some of the benefits you get from using an air fryer for cooking your frozen pizza.
Fast preparation speeds compared to your standard cooker. In less than ten minutes, your frozen pizza will be ready for the table.
The air fryer is easy to use. If you have a user manual, you get the instructions to follow, ensuring you have a well-prepared meal.
The pizza will achieve uniform consistency when you cook it, making it tasty. You may notice it from the golden-brown color and delicious aroma.
Are there health concerns when using an air fryer for cooking frozen pizza?
The use of electrical kitchen utilities comes with a lot of scrutiny, especially in the face of health conditions such as cancer. There are reports that the radiation from cooking equipment may contribute to cancers and other diseases.
It brings us to the question, is cooking frozen pizza on air fryer dangerous to your health? No, the air fryer is among the safest cookers you can come across. It uses convectional air currents to prepare your pizza, using its residual fats to cook it instead of using more oil.
The radiation levels are very low to bring about any health problems. There is the slight issue of acrylamide production when you cook starchy foods at high temperatures for long.
To keep you in the know, acrylamide is a by-product that comes from cooking starchy foods at high temperatures, and it can cause cancer. It is not an issue to worry you, as the air fryer cooks the pizza in moderate heat for a short time.
Other health concerns might come about due to hygiene of the for the state of the pizza. They are things you should pay attention to, to keep stomach upsets at bay.
What you should know when cooking frozen pizza in an air fryer
How long should pizza stay in the fridge?
When reheating your frozen pizza, you should know how long it has been in the fridge. If your pizza has meat or cheese, it should not surpass three days, especially if you did not freeze it 2 hours after preparation.
If it goes past three days, bacteria may start growing on it and lead to stomach problems. Immediately you remove it from the fridge; you have to inspect it for anomalies such as smell, color and texture. If anything seems abnormal, you discard it.
Cleanliness of the fryer
The air fryer should be clean before you cook your pizza or any food. Clear up any food remnants to ensure the incoming meals will be well-prepared without any strange taste or smell. While cleaning might be quite difficult, when looking at the air fryer’s configuration, you have to do it for your health.
The use of aluminum foil
Aluminum foil is one of the most common wrapping materials you will find in the kitchen. You use it in several scenarios, such as storing your foods, preserving heat and many more. In the air fryer, you may use it to prevent the pan from getting messy. However, is the use of aluminum safe?
It is safe to use the foil, so long as you keep up with precautionary measures. For example, you have to look out for edges sticking out, which may cause a fire or electrical hazard. Additionally, beware when using acidic toppings as they may cause the aluminum to leach into your food.
High levels of aluminum may make you prone to issues like Alzheimer’s and infertility. However, most of the time, it is safe to use this wrapping and comes in handy when you want to secure your toppings in place.
Optionally, you may use baking paper in place of the foil.
Use of additional toppings
The good thing with reheating your frozen pizza is that you have freedom with your creativity when it comes to the toppings. A layer of pizza sauce can do the trick, topped up with shredded cheese. Mushrooms and chopped
pepper can do, with a little garnish of paprika.
Be careful not to overdo the toppings, lest it affects your meal’s taste due to it being so overwhelming for the crust.
Do not forget to use cooking spray
Cooking spray is one of the must-haves in your kitchen, primarily if you are heating frozen foods. The frozen foods’ moisture content may make them stick to the pan, and the cooking may be uneven.
The solution is to spray a decent amount of cooking spray on the pan before you put your pizza. This way, the pizza will cook well, with minimal chances of its sticking, and subsequently burning away the crust.
Air fryer vs. other cookers in cooking frozen pizza
How does the air fryer fare against other cookers such as the microwave in cooking frozen pizza? The air fryer takes the lead in cooking time and the pizza’s consistency, giving it a nice coloration. The microwave will beat the air fryer mostly in versatility, as it can accommodate large-size pizzas.
Some microwaves also come with dedicated pizza-cooking modes, making the reheating process more efficient. Both of them bring their best in cooking, and you can pick the one you prefer the most.
Final word
Dealing with frozen pizza can be quite a hurdle of you do not know how to go about it. This article comes to your aid to deal with this hurdle if you have an air fryer in your kitchen. The outlined procedure is simple, and in less than ten minutes, you will have your bread ready for the table.
There are key things to keep up when using the air fryer, such as making sure it is clean. The same applies to the pizza, where it should be fresh, to keep off stomach upsets. The bottom line is that the air fryer is easy to use and is one of the best ways to prepare frozen pizza. Try it out and see the results.