Ditch The Oven And Throw Your Frozen Dinner Rolls In The Air Fryer

Dinner rolls are a delicious side for plenty of meals. The bread pairs well with protein-heavy dishes, like chicken parmesan or spaghetti and meatballs. Plus, if you're serving something with sauce, you can tear off pieces of bread and use them to soak up every last bit. Although freshly baked bread is delicious, buying some freezer rolls at the grocery store can be a convenient way to cut down on food prep time, and most brands can be reheated in the oven pretty quickly.

However, there is another appliance that can get the job done. Whether your oven is preoccupied with other food, or you just don't feel like heating up your whole kitchen, using an air fryer can be a great way to reheat those frozen dinner rolls. The appliance heats the bread up quickly, keeping the exterior crust nice and crispy, while the inner bread will turn out soft and fluffy. As it turns out, heating up the rolls in the air fryer will follow a process pretty close to using the oven.

How to reheat the rolls

To quickly heat up your rolls, check the packaging. Some rolls may need to thaw out for a little at room temperature or rise if they're not pre-baked. Once they're ready, check for the correct baking temperature. Your air fryer should be heated to that recommended temperature. Some air fryers have a specific preheating option, which should be done prior to adding the rolls. If yours doesn't, set the temperature and allow the machine to run empty for a few minutes.

Once the air fryer has been heated up, place the rolls inside the basket. To make sure everyone cooks evenly, make sure not to stack any on top of each other, and leave space in between each one. Then, follow the timing instructions on the packaging for the rolls, allowing them to rest in the air fryer and heat up. Just keep in mind that air fryers work a little differently than traditional ovens, so there's no harm in checking on them every few minutes.

Once your rolls look done, carefully remove one from the basket and slice it open to ensure the inside is thoroughly heated. If the inside of the roll is warm, they're ready to eat.

Amp up the flavor while reheating them

Although most freezer rolls are ready to eat once they've been reheated, there are a few different ways that you can amplify their flavors even more. To add some extra flavor, melt some butter in a bowl while the rolls are heating up. Then, after the rolls have fully heated up in the air fryer, brush a little bit of that melted butter on top of each. Place the rolls back in the air fryer, and allow them to heat for another minute. For another option, you could add an egg wash to the bread prior to cooking.

If you want to add some extra seasoning, you could even mix in your favorite spices to the melted butter before brushing it on. Salt, pepper, garlic powder, or Italian seasoning are all great choices for adding some extra flavoring to your bread. Once the rolls have been reheated and flavored to your preferred taste, they're ready to serve alongside your main course.