Air Fryer English Muffins

Air fryer English muffins toast in less than five minutes, and they are a perfect accompaniment to breakfast entrees like Moroccan shakshuka or to use for toasted breakfast sandwiches.

Can You Heat a Muffin in an Air Fryer?

• Using an air fryer is a fast, convenient, and foolproof way to toast English muffins.
• The English muffins are ready in less time than it takes to prepare a bowl of fruit or scrambled eggs to eat with it.
• Unlike using the toaster, you don’t need to worry about burning your fingers trying to get the toast out or losing bits of the muffin in the toaster.
• Depending on the size of your air fryer basket, you can toast more than one English muffin at once.

If you’re looking for more air fryer breakfast recipes, try my crispy air fryer home fries!

Key Ingredients

An air fryer is a convenient way to prepare English muffins toasted to golden brown perfection. Here are the ingredients you need to get started.

• English Muffins: Since the edges of store-bought English muffins are perforated, use the twist-and-turn method for opening them. For homemade English muffins, I recommend using a fork to poke holes in the side so you can split the English Muffins in two before using them in the recipe.
• Butter: Spread butter over the toasted English muffins, or you can do it 1 minute before the end of the cooking time.

Tools You’ll Need

Make the easy breakfast side dish using an air fryer. Air fryers are the perfect way to toast English muffins, regardless of model. They circulate hot air to cook. I used an Instant Pot Vortex Air Fryer with a large basket.

Expert Tips

• Twist to open the English muffin. Twist and turn the English muffins to split them in half or use a fork to pry them apart rather than cutting them with a knife. Twisting helps preserve the texture of the muffins, allowing the butter to pool into all those nooks and crannies.
• Don’t overcrowd the air fryer. Leave enough space in between the muffin halves for the hot air in the air fryer to circulate. The air fryer model I use holds two English muffins at once.
• Increase the cooking time for sandwiches. Toasting plain English muffins in the air fryer doesn’t take long, but if you want to toast a breakfast sandwich like my turkey and egg sandwich, increase the cooking time to 4-6 minutes, checking frequently. Remove the sandwich from the air fryer basket once the cheese has melted and the English muffins are crispy.

Whip up the air fryer English muffins and pair them with one of these breakfast recipes!  

Serving Suggestions

You can’t go wrong with spreading creamy butter over the crispy air fryer English muffins, but try other toppings like fig jam, bone marrow butter, honey, cream cheese, avocado, or peanut butter. You can use toasted English muffins to make meals like sausage and egg sandwiches, eggs Benedict, ham and cheese sandwiches, and muffin breakfast pizzas with all the fixings.

What To Do With Leftovers

• Storage: English muffins are best served toasted. You can keep them in an airtight container on the counter for 3-5 days.
• Freeze: Freeze toasted air fryer English muffins in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to three months. However, they won’t be as crispy. 

Frequently Asked Questions