Air frying is the best way to cook frozen mac and cheese bites (or mac and cheese balls). They come out crisp and perfectly cooked, and ready in less time than it takes to heat up your oven!
Check out our FREE air fryer calculator for an easy way to convert pack instructions from oven to air fryer!
Like many frozen foods, air frying is the best way to cook frozen mac and cheese bites. The hot air keeps them perfectly crisp while they cook, unlike cooking in the in the oven which can often give soggy results.
Some other great frozen foods that are best cooked in your air fryer are: air fryer pizza rolls, air fryer frozen hash brown patties and air fryer frozen chicken kievs.
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 cooking times below are 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.
How to cook frozen mac and cheese bites in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 360°F/ 180°C. Preheating is important because the air frying time is relatively short, and so you want it to be up to temperature when you put the rolls in. If your air fryer doesn’t have a preheat mode, just set it to air fry for 3-4 minutes.
- Place the frozen bites in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Try to arrange them so they are not touching.
- Air fry at 360°F/ 180°C for approximately 8-12 minutes until cooked through. Flip them halfway through the cooking time if required for your air fryer.
The exact cooking 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.
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 360°F/ 180°C, until warmed through.
Air Fryer Frozen Mac And Cheese Bites
Ingredients
- 12 frozen mac and cheese bites Stouffer’s, Trader Joe’s, Fred’s, McCain
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 360°F/ 180°C.
- Place frozen mac and cheese bites in air fryer basket in a single layer.
- Air fry frozen mac and cheese bites for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
- Some air fryers require food to be turned halfway through, so check your manual and flip them after 4-5 minutes if required.
- Remove mac and cheese bites from the air fryer and serve with dipping sauce!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate and provided for informational purposes only.
