How long to cook biscuits in an air fryer

At-a-glance cooking parameters

Temperature

330 °F

165 °C

Total time

10 min

per single layer

Flipping

Not needed

Internal temp

—

use visual cue

Refrigerator-tube biscuits (Pillsbury Grands! Buttermilk is the high-volume default) bake in 10 minutes at 330 °F (165 °C), no flip — the convection air delivers a deeper golden top and crisper sides than the oven version, in roughly half the time. Single-layer on parchment with 1 inch between biscuits (they double in width during cook). Brush melted butter on the tops at 7 minutes for the bakery-shop finish. The flaky-layer pull-apart that the tube promises actually shows up here, where the high-velocity heat sets the butter layers fast instead of melting them flat. Pair with sausage gravy, jam, or split for a fried-chicken sandwich.

Per serving

Approximate values for a single portion of biscuits (USDA baseline, cooked, includes light air-fryer oil spray).

Calories

180 kcal

Protein

3 g

Fat

8 g

Carbs

24 g

Biscuits in popular air fryer brands

Adjusted for how each brand actually heats. Tap a brand name to see every food we calibrate for it.

Cooking biscuits differently?

Times and technique change when starting from frozen or reheating leftovers. Open the matching guide for the right temp, time and brand notes.

• Reheat leftoverReheat Biscuits in an Air Fryer320 °F · 3 min · no flipRestore-the-crisp technique

How to tell it’s done

Tops are deep golden brown with a slight sheen, sides have puffed clean from each other (no doughy stuck-together edges), and the biscuit feels light when lifted with tongs (not heavy and dense). Breaking one open reveals layered flaky pull-apart sheets with no glossy raw-dough strands — biscuits should split clean, not stretch. A pale top means they need another 60–90 seconds; a chestnut-dark top means they were 30 seconds late and the bottoms are likely scorched.

Step-by-step method

1. 1

   Prep

   Bring ingredients close to room temperature. No oil needed in the basket — the biscuits carry plenty of butter. Line with parchment cut to size (corners snipped for airflow) so butter runs onto the parchment instead of the basket grate.

2. 2

   Season

   Season with melted butter brush at 7 minutes (bakery-finish gold glaze), flaky sea salt on top before cooking, fresh chopped chives or scallions on top (savoury), shredded sharp cheddar pressed into top (cheddar biscuit), garlic powder + dried parsley + melted butter brush (Red-Lobster-style), honey drizzle after cooking, sausage gravy ladled over for biscuits-and-gravy, fried-chicken-sandwich split (savoury).

3. 3

   Load

   Arrange 1 tube pillsbury grands! buttermilk biscuits (~16 oz / 8 rolls) or 1 tube annie's flaky biscuits (~7 oz / 6 rolls), single layer with 1 inch between biscuits for best convection airflow.

4. 4

   Cook

   Set the air fryer to 330 °F (165 °C) and cook for 10 minutes total.

5. 5

   Check & rest

   Check the visual doneness cue and serve immediately for best texture.

6. 6

   Store

   Best eaten warm. Cool leftovers and refrigerate up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat at 330 °F for 2 minutes in the air fryer to bring back the flaky texture — microwaving makes them tough and chewy. Freeze cooked biscuits up to 1 month; thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat at 330 °F for 3 minutes.

Watch out for

• !Line the basket with parchment. Pillsbury Grands! and similar refrigerator-tube biscuits render butter as they cook — bare basket grate means the butter pools below, smokes, and bakes onto the metal. Cut parchment to the basket bottom, snip the corners for airflow, lift cleanly when done.
• !Leave 1 inch between biscuits. They roughly double in width during cook — touching biscuits steam-fuse into a slab where the inner edges stay raw and dough-y. If your basket only fits 4 with proper spacing, cook 2 batches of 4 rather than cramming all 8 (each batch is only 10 minutes).
• !Brush tops with melted butter at the 7-minute mark for the bakery-shop golden finish. Strictly optional — biscuits cook fine plain — but the butter wash is what separates 'home-baked' from 'looks like the diner ordered them in'. Use a silicone brush so the buttery basket-grate doesn't catch on a bristled brush.
• !Brand caveat — Pillsbury Grands! (~3 oz each, 8-count) = 10 minutes at 330 °F as the default. Smaller flaky-layer biscuits (~1.5 oz each, like Pillsbury regular or Annie's) drop to 7 minutes — the thinner dough mass cooks through faster and over-browns past 8 minutes. Always weight-check or check at 7 min and pull on visual cue.

FAQ about biscuits in an air fryer

What temperature should I cook biscuits at in an air fryer?

Cook biscuits at 330 °F (165 °C). The convection air at this temperature cooks the food gently — higher temperatures dry it out or scorch the surface.

How long do biscuits take in an air fryer?

Biscuits take 10 minutes at 330 °F (165 °C) with no flipping needed. Cook in a single layer for the air to circulate.

Do you need to flip biscuits in an air fryer?

No — biscuits cook evenly without flipping. The convection air reaches all sides simultaneously. Flipping is only needed for dense or thick foods where one side sits against the basket grate; this food does not benefit from it.

Do you need to preheat the air fryer for biscuits?

Preheating is optional for biscuits — most modern air fryers reach temperature in under 2 minutes and the food's total cook time already accounts for the ramp-up. If you do preheat, reduce the total time by 1–2 minutes and check earlier than usual.

Can I reheat leftover biscuits in an air fryer?

Yes. Reheat at 320 °F (160 °C) for 3 minutes. The reheat guide covers the full restore-the-crisp technique. Open the leftover biscuit reheat guide →