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Air Fryer Croutons are delightfully crunchy, flavorful, and ready in a flash. This version is seasoned with olive oil, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning, but you can easily swap out your favorite herbs and spices depending on your preferences and the salad you’re serving. These croutons are ready in 5 minutes or less!
Meggan’s notes
Like many recipes, an air fryer makes everything faster and easier. As a classically-trained chef and busy mom of three, I’m always looking for shortcuts! But just like store-bought salad dressing, I almost never buy croutons at the store. Some things are just better homemade.
Air fryer croutons are a great way to elevate your next salad or put leftover bread to work. We test a lot of bread recipes at Culinary Hill, so we’re always making croutons. You can easily customize them with your favorite herbs and spices or swap butter for the olive oil if you love the flavor. Grated cheese is tasty too: just sprinkle it over the cooked croutons after air-frying.
Salads are great on salads, of course, but I also love them on rich and creamy soups. They make a great impromptu snack, too! And with an air fryer in the mix, they’re ready even faster than the oven.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Bread: Sturdy breads with texture are best such as baguettes, country bread, or sourdough loaves. The denser the bread is, the harder the final croutons will be.
- Seasonings: Stir any wet seasonings such as minced fresh garlic, shallots, or lemon zest into the olive oil. For dry seasonings such as garlic powder, Parmesan cheese, dry ranch dressing mix, or Italian seasoning, sprinkle evenly over the oiled bread cubes and toss to coat.
Step-by-step instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt. Add bread pieces to a very large bowl and toss with olive oil mixture until well combined.
- Transfer bread cubes to air fryer basket.
- Cook for 4 minutes. Toss croutons and cook until golden brown, an additional 1 to 3 minutes more.
- Sprinkle with salt while warm, if desired.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes about 8 cups of croutons, enough for 16 (1/2-cup) servings.
- Storage: Store covered in a cool dark place for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 1 month.
- Cheesy: For cheese-flavored croutons like the Olive Garden has, sprinkle Parmesan cheese or grated Romano after cooking.
- Oven-baked croutons: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss bread cubes in olive oil and spices, then bake until golden brown with crispy edges, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Stove top: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat ¼ cup olive oil until shimmering. Add bread cubes to the skillet and fry, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crispy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and sprinkle with salt and any desired seasonings to taste.
Frequently Asked Questions
Be sure to store your croutons in an air-tight container and away from any moisture. If they start to get too chewy, reheat in the air fryer or in a pan to re-crisp, if desired.
Choose a sturdy bread with a tight crumb. I love sourdough bread, but a good French or Italian loaf can work, too.
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Air Fryer Croutons
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt to taste
- 1 loaf bread cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 pound, see note 1)
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt.
- Add bread pieces to a very large bowl and toss with olive oil mixture until well combined. Transfer bread cubes to air fryer basket.
- Cook for 4 minutes. Toss croutons and cook until golden brown, an additional 1 to 3 minutes more. Sprinkle with salt while warm, if desired.
Notes
- Bread: Sturdy breads with texture are best such as baguettes, country bread, or sourdough loaves. The denser the bread is, the harder the final croutons will be.
- Yield: This recipe makes about 8 cups of croutons, enough for 16 (1/2-cup) servings.
- Storage: Store covered in a cool dark place for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 1 month.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Love these croutons! So easy to make and delicious! Iโll never buy store brand croutons again! Thank you Meggan! Iโm making my second batch now!
You’re so welcome, Kaceey! I’m so glad you loved them! – Meggan