These air fryer calzones are stuffed with melted cheese and juicy pepperoni. Made in under 10 minutes in most air fryers, they are perfect for weeknight dinners or fun appetizers!

Air Fryer Calzones with sauce

Air fryer calzones are one of the most kid-friendly meals out there. Instead of leaning on greasy, store bought frozen pizza or waiting on the delivery man, I often whip these up when my kids have friends over or for family movie nights. I love how crispy they get on the outside without the need for a ton of oil. Plus, they’re just so fun to eat and dip into different sauces!

Before you get started, it’s important to note that you’ll need pizza dough to make these calzones. Use this recipe for homemade pizza dough recipe or grab a premade, store bought variety (Trader Joe’s has an amazing refrigerated pizza dough).

What is a Calzone?

Traditional calzones are oven-baked, folded pizza pockets that are stuffed with an assortment of meats, cheeses, and veggies. In this recipe, we nix the need for the oven and will cook them in an air fryer. This significantly cuts down on cooking time and requires minimal clean-up. Below, find a rundown of the flavor, texture, and cooking time for these crazy easy air fryer calzones.

  • Flavor: The flavor of these calzones is almost near identical to traditional pepperoni pizza. It’s cheesy and full of tomato sauce and salty pepperoni. The biggest difference is that the pizza dough is much more flavor-forward because there’s simply more of it than in a classic slice.
  • Texture: These calzones feature a super crispy outer crust and a gooey center of pepperoni, cheese, and pizza sauce.
  • Time: The cooking time will vary depending on whether you’re using homemade or store bought pizza dough. But once you have the dough in order, it only takes 20 minutes of prep and cook time to pull the calzones together.

Air Fryer Recommendation: If you haven’t hopped on the air fryer bandwagon yet, try the COSORI. This is my favorite model yet!

Different Fillings

Although this recipe calls for a basic combination of pepperoni and cheese, use whatever fillings your craving. Below, find a couple of winning combinations to get you inspiration:

  • Shredded rotisserie chicken, mushrooms, mozzarella cheese, and white sauce
  • Baby spinach leaves, sautéed bell peppers, red sauce, and ricotta cheese
  • Shredded rotisserie chicken, red onion, BBQ sauce, green onions, and mozzarella cheese
  • Heirloom tomatoes, basil, red sauce, and mozzarella balls
  • Ham, pineapple, jalapeños, mozzarella cheese, and red sauce

Tasty Dips & Sauces for Calzones

Whether you’re looking for a tasty dip for your calzone or a sauce for the inside, here are some great suggestions to play around with.

Air Fryer Calzones with sauce

How to Make Calzones in the Air Fryer

Making calzones in the air fryer requires a bit of simple assembly and homemade or store bought pizza dough. Aside from the dough, the ingredients list is kept to a minimum and can be tweaked depending on your preferred fillings. Below, find an overview of the step-by-step instructions to help you nail the recipe the first time through.

  • Shape the Pizza Dough: Divide the pizza dough into 6 equal pieces and use your hands to roll them out into circles on a floured surface. They don’t need to be super perfect, but as close to circular as possible!
  • Add the Filling: Ladle on the marinara sauce, spreading it only on one half of each dough circle and leaving space at the edge. Top with a layer of cheese, followed by a layer of pepperoni and another layer of cheese.
  • Seal the Calzone: Fold the calzones over starting with the clean sides to create half-moons. Next, seal the edges to secure the filling inside.
  • Air Fry the Calzones: First, coat the air fryer basket with cooking spray (avocado oil or olive oil spray works best). Assemble as many calzones that you can in the basket without them touching. Air fry them for 7-10 minutes at 375°F, flipping them halfway. Once they’re golden brown, consider them done!

Hot Tip: Once you flip the calzones over halfway through cooking, brush the tops of with garlic butter, parmesan, and add a sprinkle of Italian seasoning right on top for an extra pop of flavor and pretty presentation. Yum!

3 Tips for Making Air Fryer Calzones

Here you’ll find a handful of pro tips to help you nail this air fryer calzones recipe.

  • Leave the edges sauce-free. Make sure you leave space at the edge of each calzone for folding. If you spread sauce all the way to the side, it will make it hard to seal the calzone.
  • Seal the calzones with a fork. Use a fork to seal the edges of the calzone. Press down firmly, but not hard enough to cut through the edges of the dough.
  • Don’t overcrowd the calzones. The key to air frying is to not overcrowd the food in the basket. You’ll want to make sure there isa bit of space between each calzone so each can crisp up nicely. You will likely have to work in batches, but it’s well worth the wait!

The Best Way to Reheat Calzones

You might have already guessed it, but the best way to reheat calzones is in the air fryer. Below, find directions on how to reheat refrigerated and frozen calzones.

  • Fresh: If you have leftover calzones you couldn’t eat, simply pop the leftovers in the air fryer basket coated with cooking spray. 3-5 minutes at 375°F should bring them back to their original crispy and gooey state.
  • Frozen: To reheat frozen calzones (raw or pre-baked), first coat the air fryer basket in cooking spray. Next, pop the calzones into the tray and cook them for 7-10 minutes at 375°F, flipping halfway through.

FAQ

What is inside a calzone?

Calzones are filled with an assortment of toppings you would use on a standard pizza. These include cured and fresh meats, cheeses, veggies, and sauces.

Can you freeze calzones?

Yes, calzones are great for freezing and meal prep. Freeze them raw or cooked by placing them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in a single layer. Pop the baking sheet in the freezer uncovered. Once completely frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 month.

How long does a calzone last in the fridge?

Calzones will last for up to a week when stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

How long does it take to cook a calzone in the air fryer?

It takes anywhere from 7-10 minutes to cook a calzone in the air fryer. The time will vary according to your particular air fryer model.

Do you use regular pizza dough for calzones?

Yes, you use regular pizza dough for calzones. To cut down on prep time, pick up a premade store bought dough.

Other Tasty Pizza Recipes

About Author

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Natalya Drozhzhin

Natalya founded Momsdish to demonstrate that placing a homemade meal on the table is not hard at all. Natalya makes cooking easier and approachable, by simplifying the ingredients, while still producing the same great taste.