I’ve worked out two easy to make perfect fried bread in the air fryer! A proper English breakfast isn’t complete without a fried slice so don’t miss these simple step by step instructions for How to Air Fry “Fried” Bread!
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I don’t eat fried bread every day and I don’t feel too judgemental suggesting that you might not want to either. But life without the good stuff isn’t worth bothering with. And so in the spirit of “everything in moderation”, lets make air fryer fried bread!
I mentioned I’d worked out two ways to make it… The first is to cook the fried slice simultaneously underneath cooking sausages or bacon. The fat from the cooking meat drips into the bottom tray and in this case can be mopped up by the bread.
The second way is to cook the bread on it’s own using meat drippings or oil/butter. This gets spread onto both sides of the bread and then cooked on the crisper plate. Both ways give perfect golden brown, super tasty results and importantly leaves your stovetop and pan free to make your eggs at the same time.
How to Serve
I’ll be honest and say that with a full cooked breakfast is the only way I’ve ever eaten fried bread. Or with a pared down version at least – think bacon and egg on fried bread with a side of beans for dunking.
Combine with any of my other air fried breakfast recipes and don’t forget the extras:
- Fried, Scrambled or Poached Eggs
- Baked Beans
Air Fryer Full English Breakfast Recipes
Find all of my air fried breakfast recipes in on place. Mix and match to your hearts desire or just go for it and make them all!
Featuring thick and thin back bacon, tasty sausages, simple hash browns, delicious mushrooms and grilled tomatoes.
This is the section of the post when I usually try and suggest a whole bunch of ways that you could use and serve it. If you’ve found this post with the intention of making fried bread to serve with something other than bacon, sausage, eggs, beans etc etc, please let me know in the comments.
All that really remains for me to say is that fried bread really wants to be served hot – cold and congealed fried slice isn’t going to do it for anyone.
Ingredients
Bread
Cheap white sliced bread is the order of the day here. Medium sliced is good, thick sliced is better. Thin sliced doesn’t have enough body to soak up the fat and get crispy and extra thick won’t get crispy in the middle and require far too much fat.
A toastie loaf is ideal if you’re using a square basket as the slices fit in very neatly when cut in half diagonally.
You can use other fancy breads if you want to but you are starting to stray into fancy lands where I can’t relate. You may need to adjust the cooking times a little too depending on the bread.
Fat/Drippings
You have several options here. If you are making a breakfast that includes bacon and/or sausages, you can either tip the fatty drippings out the pan or air fryer and baste the bread with them. Or you can cook the bread directly underneath them at the same time.
If you don’t want to make fried bread very often but cook bacon/sausages more often, you can consider collecting drippings over time and storing them in a sealed container in the fridge.
If you don’t have drippings or want to keep the fried bread veggie friendly, you can use vegetable oil or butter. Or better, a combination of the two. Just using oil can be a little tasteless but using all butter can be a little overly prone to catching and burning.
Allergen Information
This recipe is free from egg, dairy and nuts with some caveats…
Dairy Free Fried Bread: If you use meat drippings or vegetable oil, this fried bread is dairy free (rogue bread ingredients aside). If you want to use butter, choose a dairy free alternative.
Egg & Nut Free Fried Bread: You must check the ingredients list of the bread you are using to ensure that it doesn’t contain any egg or nut traces.
Gluten Free Fried Bread: You can make this recipe using gluten free bread. GF bread can often be smaller slices than regular bread so you may need to use new slices.
Please note that this recipe may contain other allergens not referred to above and any variations suggested have not been tested unless otherwise stated. For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.
How Long to Air Fry “Fried” Bread
How long the slices take to cook will depend on how you are planning on cooking it.
When cooking under sausages for example, I cook them for 4 minutes in the bottom of the air fryer while the sausages finish cooking and then a further 2 minutes on top of the rack.
If cooking after basting the bread with drippings or fat, I cook them for 4 minutes on one side then turn and cook for a further 2.
Leftovers – Storage & Reheating
Fried bread keeps and then reheats surprisingly well. It will keep in the fridge for a day or two. Make sure it is well wrapped or covered otherwise it will absorb smells from the fridge.
It will also freeze. Again you will need to wrap it well and ideally in individual slices.
To reheat simply air fry until piping hot all the way through. This will take around 3 minutes from fresh or 5 minutes from frozen.
Common Air Fryer Questions – A Brief Guide to Air Frying
- What exactly is an air fryer?
- What are the benefits of using an air fryer?
- Are all air fryers the same?
- Is an air fryer always better to use than an oven?
- Do air fryers need to be pre-heated?
- What is the best temperature to air fry at?
- What setting is best to use? Air fry, bake, dehydrate, etc…
- Can food be cooked from frozen in an air fryer?
- Can I reheat food in an air fryer?
- Are air fryer liners a good idea?
The Air Fried Feast Community
Come on over to Facebook and join my community discussing all things air fryer. Get involved in sharing your experiences and trials, help out others and find out what wonderful things everyone is cooking in their air fryers!
What Exactly is an Air Fryer?
Very simply, an air fryer is a small convection (fan) oven. The benefit is that the hot air is circulated all around the food being cooked which speeds up the cooking time and cooks the food more evenly.
What are the Benefits of Using an Air Fryer?
Size, time and energy usage. Air fryers are ideal for cooking smaller quantities. Heating up a space that the food just fits into requires less energy and means that the heat source is much closer to the food. Combining these two things can speed up the cooking time.
Are all air fryers the same?
Nope! The term air fryer is now used very broadly. I consider there to be 4 main types:
Basket Air Fryers
These are what I would consider to be the most common, especially in the UK. A boxy type unit has a pull out drawer/basket. Food isn’t usually visible whilst cooking.
Some larger models have two drawers so different items can be cooked at different temperatures or for different times.
This is the type that you’ll see in the images in this recipe. I mostly use a Cosori Lite 3.8L (CAF-LI401S) with a 3.8 litre capacity. The square(ish) shaped basket is 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal. It isn’t an overly expensive or fancy model.
I’ve also recommended to several friends and family the model with a slightly larger basket. This is the Cosori 4.7L (CAF-L501) with a 4.7 litre basket. The unit is no larger than the 3.8 litre model on the outside but does have a larger internal basket capacity. I’ve since bought this version to use for some recipes where my smaller model was just too small. I’ll always note this in the recipe.
Rotary Air Fryers
Round air fryers with a paddle in the centre that rotates to move the food. This is the type I used for years – the most common is a Tefal Actifry.
Rotary types are not usually good for recipes where the food is breaded, glazed, likely to break up or in a tray/container. They do however make the best chips and roasted veg.
My 2 in 1 version like the one I’ve linked also has a rotating tray for things that could be broken up by a paddle, but the height clearance with the lid isn’t deep enough to use it to cook some items like sausage rolls. I’ve now actually retired by Actifry in favour of having my two basket type fryers.
Mini Oven Air Fryers
These usually have a glass door, shelves and overall are really quite large. You can cook quite a decent quantity of food in them so are best if regularly cooking for multiple people. They often come with extra features like a rotisserie spit or kebab skewers.
Multicookers with Air Fryer Functions
Some like Ninja 11 in 1 and some of the earlier versions with a few less functions, have an air fryer option. They mostly operate the same as a basket fryer but the basket drops in the top rather than sliding in like a drawer.
Some electric pressure cookers like Instant Pots can also air fry when used with a specific lid.
Is an air fryer always better to use than an oven?
As much as I do love air frying, the honest answer to this is no. And the more detailed answer is that it will always depend on what you’re cooking, how much of it you’re cooking and what type and size of air fryer you have.
Once you need to cook in more than 2 batches, it often makes more sense to use an oven. If you already have the oven on to cook other items, it may make more sense to throw one more item in rather than using an additional appliance.
I don’t think either method is often necessarily better than the other. The important point to note is that there is absolutely no difference in the finished product.
Do Air Fryers Need to Be Pre-Heated?
The answer to this is rather annoying – it depends. It depends entirely on your model and type of air fryer. The best advice I can offer is to check your manual and follow their guidance. My Cosori models have a preheat function. I press a button and it heats at 205c/400f for 4 minutes.
It’s also worth noting that regardless of whether you are supposed to pre-heat or not, if you are cooking in batches, it is quite likely that anything after the first batch will cook a little quicker because of the retained heat. It is best to check on them before the cooking time is completed.
What is the best temperature to Air Fry at?
It will always depend on what you are cooking and from what state. All of my air fryer recipes don’t use temperatures above 200c/390f because many of the most common fryers in the UK don’t go above this. Mine goes to 230c/450f and I use this temperature a lot but it is no help for me to share recipes which many people can’t use.
What setting is best to use? Air fry, bake, dehydrate, etc…
Not all air fryers have different settings like this. When they do it usually relates to the fan speed. The default setting to use will always be “air fry” so unless something else is specifically stated in the recipe, always use the air fry option.
There are other air fryers that have an additional heating element which cooks from underneath rather than just the top. Just as with the other settings, unless you are using a recipe which states to use a second heating element, stick with just using the top down air fry option.
Of course if and when you become more confident with air frying, using recipes and the settings of your air fryer, you can start adapting them to suit.
Can Food Be Cooked From Frozen In An Air Fryer?
Absolutely! To cook from frozen you usually will need to reduce the cooking temperature and increase the time to make sure your food is cooked right through to the middle.
It is best to check my individual recipes for cooking from frozen advice as some items are a little different. And there are occasionally exceptions to the rule.
Can I Reheat Food In An Air Fryer?
Yes. As a general rule I reheat food for roughly 1/3 of the original cooking time at the same temperature. Or at 10 degrees lower for half the time for larger items.
Are Air Fryer Liners a Good Idea?
Unless otherwise stated, I do not use liners when air frying. Basket and rotary type air fryers are designed to be used without liners. Mini oven types will generally require some kind of tray like with a regular large oven although most come with crisper racks to use.
There are many air fryer liners available including quite thick silicone ones. These will affect the cooking times and possibly temperatures of your cooking/baking. I also don’t like how cooking juices are prevented from dripping through the basket rack. This can stop food from crisping all the way around.
When I do want to collect the juices, I mostly use some foil, or occasionally a foil tray which can be washed and reused.
If you do prefer to use them, once you have got a feel for how they affect your cooking and baking, you may need to make adjustments to the recipe accordingly.
More Air Fryer Recipes
All my recipes with instructions for how to cook or bake them in the air fryer can be found in my Air Fryer Recipe Index.
Don’t forget to let me know in the comments if you try making this recipe – I want to know what you think and if you made any substitutions, how did it turn out?
Still Have Questions?
Simple! Just contact me and I will do my best to help as quickly as I am able. Head over to my Contact Me page, any of my social media channels or post a comment at the bottom of this page and I’ll see what I can do.
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The Recipe
How to Air Fry “Fried” Bread (Fried Slice)
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl – Small heat/microwave-proof
Ingredients
- 2 slices Thick White Sliced Bread
- 3 tbsp Fat - ideally sausage and/or bacon grease, otherwise vegetable oil or butter
Instructions
- If your air fryer requires pre-heating, start this setting now.
- Cut 2 slices Thick White Sliced Bread in half on the diagonal. If you are only making 1 slice, you can leave it whole if you prefer.
To Cook Separately
- Measure roughly 3 tbsp Fat into a small bowl.
- Microwave for 30 seconds or until fully melted. If you are using liquid fat, it is still a good idea to warm it slightly so it spreads more easily.
- Use a pastry brush to brush the fat evenly over the bread triangles. Start by only brushing a little onto each slice and then you can go back and be more generous. You don't want to overly soak one triangle and not have enough for another.
- Make sure you brush right to the edges and on both sides. And use up all the fat.
- Place the slices onto the grill rack of the air fryer basket. Use tongs if the air fryer is preheated. You may have to do a little jigsaw to make them fit. If there is a little overlap it isn't the end of the world.
- Cook for 4 minutes at 200c/390f then turn each slice over.
- Cook for a further 2 minutes at 200c/390f.
- Serve!
To Cook With Sausages or Bacon
- When your sausages or bacon are around 4 minutes away from finishing being cooked, carefully remove them to a plate and remove the grill rack.
- Take your bread slice or triangles and place them into the bottom of the basket. Allow them to soak up some of the fat then turn and soak the second side too. Use tongs as the fat will be hot.
- Replace the grill rack over the top of the bread.
- Replace the sausages and continue to cook for 4 minutes at 200c/390f.
- Once the sausages are cooked, remove them and the grid and take out the bread.
- Put the grid back in and lay the bread back on top this time.
- Cook for a further 4 minutes at 200c/390f. It shouldn't need turning again during cooking but if you find you often need to turn food for even cooking, give it a turn after 2 minutes.
- Serve!
Notes
- This recipe is tested in a Cosori Lite (CAF-LI401S) with a 3.8 litre capacity. The square(ish) shaped basket is 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal.
- Not all models advise preheating is required. Please follow the recommended instructions for your model. Mine has a specific preheat setting which is 4 minutes at 205c.
- For this recipe, I can comfortably cook 1 whole slice of bread or 2 slices of bread cut in half diagonally in the basket at one time.
- As all air fryer models are a little different, you may find that you can fit more or less in at a time. Some models include stacking shelves which will increase capacity.
- Required cooking times and temperatures can also vary between models and brands. If you know that your air fryer runs a little hotter than most recipes suggest, use a lower temperature. And vice versa. Equally if you find that food cooks more quickly in your machine than instructions usually state, reduce the cooking time (or check it earlier) and vice versa.
Cat says
I hadn’t had fried bread in ages but as soon as I saw this I had to try it. It was so delicious, air frying works so well!
Shirley says
This is so clever and made such delicious fried bread.
Janice says
I hadn’t had fried bread for years , but I tried your recipe in the air fryer and it was delicious with my bacon and eggs.
Lesley says
The bread was delicious and so easy to make. I’m going to save some bacon fat for next time!