Air Fryer Reference
Garlic Knots
appetizer · fresh
- Temperature
- 350 °F
- 177 °C
- Total time
- 8 min
- 8–10 garlic knots in a single layer with space between them (about 2–3 servings). Shaping: cut a ball of pizza dough (store-bought refrigerated
- Shake at
- 4 min
- shake once
- Internal temp
- —
- use visual cue
Doneness
Garlic knots are done when the dough is an even deep golden-brown all over, the surface is firm and sounds hollow if you tap the underside, and the centre of a torn-open knot is fully baked and bready — not pale, wet or doughy. They puff and set as they cook. A pale, soft knot needs another minute or two; one darkening past golden is about to scorch, so watch the last minute closely. The garlic-butter gloss goes on after they come out, so judge doneness by the bare dough's colour, not by the butter.
Oil & seasoning
Lightly spray or brush the shaped knots with olive oil before cooking so the bare dough browns evenly. The signature garlic butter (4 tbsp melted butter + 3 cloves minced garlic + chopped parsley + grated parmesan) goes on after baking, not before — raw garlic and butter scorch and turn bitter in the dry convection if brushed on first. Toss the hot knots in it so it soaks in.
Season with: Classic garlic-parmesan knots (the benchmark): pizza dough knotted, baked golden, then tossed in melted butter with minced garlic, parsley and parmesan — the pizzeria side-order standard., Refrigerated / canned-dough shortcut: tie knots from a tube of refrigerated pizza dough or biscuit dough for a fast version — same 350 °F bake, then the garlic-butter toss., Cheese-stuffed knots: tuck a small cube of mozzarella into the centre before tying the knot for a molten middle; seal the dough well so the cheese doesn't leak out., Frozen garlic knots: cook store-bought frozen knots straight from the freezer at 350 °F for 6–7 minutes — most come pre-buttered, so check before adding more..
Watch out for
- Brush the garlic butter on after baking, not before. Raw minced garlic and butter scorch and turn bitter in the air fryer's dry heat; toss the knots in the warm garlic butter the moment they come out so it soaks into the hot dough.
- Don't crowd the basket. Knots expand as they bake and fuse together where they touch, then tear apart unevenly. Leave space between them and cook in batches.
- Tuck the loose ends of each knot underneath. An untucked tail unravels as the dough rises, and a thin end can over-brown or scorch before the body is cooked through.
- Watch the last minute or two. Small dough knots go from golden to scorched fast at this temperature — pull them as soon as they're an even deep golden-brown and sound hollow.