Air Fryer Mac and Cheese Bites

Try air fryer mac and cheese bites – the snack of champions. They are crisp and perfectly cooked, and ready in less time than it takes to heat up your oven!

How to cook frozen mac and cheese bites in an air fryer

Cooking frozen mac and cheese bites (or mac and cheese balls) in an air fryer is honestly the best way to cook them. Like for many frozen foods, air frying is the best cooking technique as the outside of the food remains crispy while the inside defrosts, then cooks.

This ensures crisp and perfectly cooked frozen foods, unlike cooking the in the oven which can often give soggy results.

As a bonus the total cook time when air frying is much quicker than if you cook them in your oven. They will be ready to eat in less time than it takes your oven to heat up!

Some other great frozen foods that are best cooked in your air fryer are: air fryer pizza rolls, air fryer bagel bites, air fryer frozen hash brown patties and air fryer frozen chicken kievs.

Scroll down for the recipe card for these air fryer mac and cheese bites, or read on for more details!

What mac and cheese bites to use

You can use any brand of frozen mac and cheese bites or frozen mac and cheese balls. I like Trader Joe’s mac and cheese bites, but also Stouffer’s (bacon and white cheddar!).

The recipe below is for mac and cheese bites that are around 1 inch thick. If your mac and cheese bites are bigger or smaller then you may need to adjust the air frying times.

Directions

To air fry frozen mac and cheese bites, you simply need to place them in a single layer in your air fryer. Cook from frozen without defrosting first. It is best if they are not touching when you place them in the air fryer, but if they are jammed in the rearrange them halfway through the cooking time to ensure that they cook evenly.

Then air fry them at 355°F/ 180°C for approximately 8-12 minutes. The exact time needed will depend on several factors, including how large your mac and cheese bites are and powerful your air fryer is.

I recommend starting with less time, and adding a couple of minutes extra cook time at the end if they are not quite done.

Some air fryers require food to be turned halfway through, so check your manual and flip them after 4-5 minutes if required.

How to serve mac and cheese bites

Once they are cooked to your liking, serve the mac and cheese bites with dipping sauce.

As for what to dip mac and cheese bites in try:

• tomato ketchup
• tomato salsa
• ranch dressing
• blue cheese dressing

Remember the bites will be very hot on the inside when they are fresh out of the air fryer, so eat with caution!

Storing and reheating

Store any leftover mac and cheese bites in the refrigerator in an air-tight container and consume within 3 days.

To reheat the mac and cheese bites in your air fryer, place them in the air fryer basket in a single layer and air fry for 3-4 minutes at 355°F/ 180°C, until warmed through.

Air Fryer Mac and Cheese Bites Recipe Card

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• Oven to air fryer conversion calculator