If you haven’t made Air fryer croutons with cubed bread and your favorite seasonings you’re in for a treat! It is the best crispy salad topping that can be crushed to make homemade seasoned breadcrumbs too!
If you love salads for lunch or dinner, you’ll love making your own crunchy air fryer croutons now! So much better than bagged from the store and only takes 15 minutes to make from start to finish. Made with everytihng bagel seasoning this easy air fryer recipe is great with soups too.
I have to admit I have 3 different hot air machines at home. This white one lives on my countertop all the time but I also have a Cosori and Foodi tucked away. Many times I will use more than one to make dinner, my oven hasn’t been used in quite some time now.
After we made a few mini loaves of air fryer bread this thought came to mind. Once they were “day old” they’d be better seasoned and made into these babies. They turned out great.
Beyond that you just need some oil and seasonings of your choice. Toss everything together and you’re set to go. A lot easier than heating up your oven, lining a baking sheet and baking.
Ingredient Notes
You will want to start with a few sandwich bread slices or a whole loaf of bread cubes with crust left on for this. The amount you use depends on how much you want to make. I will say they are best fresh right out of the basket and can be saved but the texture will change so it is best to make right when you’re about to serve them.
Olive oil or avocado oil is fantastic, I’ve never used melted butter but I imagine that would work too. This will allow each piece to get crisp and that golden brown color you want.
Use the Seasonings of your choice but everything bagel mix is great, Italian seasoning would be good to add lots of flavor.
You’ll want a mixing bowl to coat all the pieces too and a spoon or just toss it y’all, it will work. 😉
Variations
Love garlic?? You can really do them well this way. You will still need the oil so everything sticks but you could add diced air fryer garlic into the mix with 1 tbsp garlic salt and onion powder or garlic powder. A sprinkle of regular salt and pepper never hurt these either.
Texas Toast Croutons in Air Fryer
You really can use any kind of loaf but French bread is best. Day old is better. Just a little bit stale in the center but not so hard it is difficult to slice is just right. For Texas Toast you would want to bake as directed on the back of the box, cool, slice and continue with these directions below.
Always use a sharpened serrated knife so you don’t smash your pieces. 3/4 of an inch for each cubed piece is the best size I found.
Since salad is typically a bit bland you really need to amp it up with something(s). You can use any sort of bread you want to as well. Gluten free works, cubed leftover cornbread or Sourdough Croutons have an added tang.
These are not just great on top of salads though. If you love any or all of our Ninja Foodi soup recipes I love them on top of those as well. Adds a bit of texture to each bite, and flavor too.
How long do you toast bread to make croutons?
5 minute cooking time is all you really need. Of course there is a slight variance to this depending on how large each piece is, the amount of oil on each cube and how much you’re making. You could easily double or triple this but don’t overload the basket with each load.
You don’t want them to overlap too much but a little is okay. Make sure you toss them so every piece gets really crisp on all the edges. If you just want a little crunch aim for 4 minutes instead. You get my drift.
There is a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post with nutritional information listed. Specific calories, saturated fat, etc. will vary depending on the bread you choose.
Air Fryer Croutons Recipe
Equipment
- 1 air fryer
- 1 knife
Ingredients
- 3 cups bread, cubed
- 2 tbsp avocado oil, or olive oil
- 2 tbsp everything bagel seasoning, optional
Instructions
- French bread is ideal but you could use thick sliced sandwich bread. Cut into 3/4" cubes. Add into a bowl and preheat air fryer to 370 degrees F for 5 minutes.
- Drizzle oil on bread and toss together with seasoning.
- Pour bread into basket and cook for about 5 minutes tossing halfway thru until as crispy as you'd like.
- Serve on top of salad and soups.
Video
Notes
Ninja Foodi Croutons
You will follow the directions above using the lid that is attached, the round basket with holes at the bottom to set inside and air crisp button on the front.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How long do homemade croutons last?
If you keep them in an airtight container they will stay crunchy for a good 2 weeks. Make sure all the air is eliminated out of the bag every time you take some out or they may get stale. Keep them out of the refrigerator too or the condensation will make them moist and won’t last more than a day.
