Yes, biscuits bake well in an air-fryer oven; start near 325–350°F and expect shorter times than a standard oven.
If you like tender layers and a crisp edge without heating the whole kitchen, the air-fryer oven earns a spot on your counter. The fan moves hot air fast, so dough browns sooner and rises nicely with less preheat time. With a light hand on the dough and a few small tweaks to rack position, spacing, and temperature, you’ll turn out tall, golden biscuits that taste like a weekend treat on a weekday clock.
Baking Biscuits In An Air-Fryer Oven: Temps And Times
Plan on a modest temperature drop from your usual oven setting and a shorter bake. For canned dough, brand guides often land in the low-to-mid 300s with a flip midway. Scratch dough runs a touch warmer. Use the table below as a strong starting point, then fine-tune to your model and pan.
| Dough Type | Air-Fryer Oven Start Point | Conventional Oven Baseline |
|---|---|---|
| Canned “Grands”-style (large) | 330–350°F for 6–8 min; flip; 4–6 min more until deep golden | About 350–400°F for 11–15 min per package directions |
| Canned regular (smaller) | 325–340°F for 5–7 min; flip; 3–5 min more | ~350–375°F for 10–13 min per package directions |
| Scratch buttermilk (cut rounds) | 350–375°F for 10–14 min; rotate pan at half | 425°F for 12–20 min (recipe-dependent) |
| Frozen raw biscuits | 330–350°F for 12–16 min; flip only if pale on bottom | 375–425°F for 15–22 min (brand/size vary) |
| Drop biscuits (higher moisture) | 350–365°F for 10–13 min; look for deep browning | 425°F for 9–15 min (recipe-dependent) |
Why the spread? Basket size, fan strength, rack level, and dough thickness all push bake time up or down. The safest path is to check early, then add 1–2 minute bursts until the tops are deeply colored and the sides look set.
Gear And Setup That Make A Difference
Rack Level And Pan Choice
Most air-fryer ovens bake best on a mid rack to keep the tops from sitting too close to the element. A light-colored sheet pan or the unit’s baking tray keeps bottoms from overbrowning. Dark pans brown faster; drop the temp 10–15°F if that’s all you have.
Preheat For Even Rise
Run a short preheat so the fan and element settle at target heat. Many manufacturer guides cue you with a beep; slide the pan in right then for strong lift and steadier browning.
Liner Choices And Airflow
Parchment works, but keep it trimmed to fit and weighed down by the biscuits so the fan doesn’t blow it into the element. For models with strong airflow, perforated parchment is handy because it lets heat circulate under the dough. Some users favor silicone mats; those mute browning a touch, so extend time if using one.
Step-By-Step: Scratch Buttermilk Biscuits In An Air-Fryer Oven
1) Mix The Dough Cold
Use cold butter (or a butter-shortening mix). Cut fat into flour until pea-size bits remain. Stir in cold buttermilk just until the flour hydrates; a shaggy dough is perfect.
2) Fold For Layers
Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface, pat into a rectangle, and give it 3–5 gentle letter-folds with a quick pat between each to stack layers. Keep the touch light so you don’t press out lift.
3) Cut Clean
Pat to about ¾–1 inch thick. Stamp with a sharp cutter straight down; don’t twist. Twisting seals edges and slows rise.
4) Preheat And Pan
Preheat the air-fryer oven to 360–375°F. Line a light pan with trimmed parchment. Set rounds 1–1½ inches apart for more crust or nestle closer for softer sides.
5) Bake And Rotate
Bake 10 minutes, rotate the pan front to back, then bake 2–5 minutes more. Pull when tops are deep golden, sides are set, and a skewer meets slight resistance, not raw dough.
6) Finish
Brush with melted butter and serve hot. If you need to hold them, crack the door for a minute to vent steam, then keep on the turned-off rack for a short bit so bottoms stay crisp.
Doneness Cues You Can Trust
Color tells the story: look for a rich golden top and a set seam along the side. A quick-read probe can help with consistency on tall biscuits; many bakers pull enriched quick doughs in the 200–205°F center range for a crumb that isn’t gummy. That number is a guide, not a food-safety target, since plain biscuit dough doesn’t contain raw meat or eggs in risky amounts in the center. Visual cues plus a brief rest on the rack give the best texture.
Working With Canned Dough
If you’re baking from a tube, space the rounds and flip once for even browning. Many brand tests settle near 330°F: about 6 minutes, flip, then 4–5 minutes more until fully colored and cooked through. Keep the second half of the can chilled while the first batch bakes so the layers puff nicely.
Make Adjustments For Your Model
Fan Runs Hot?
Drop the temperature by 10–15°F and move the pan one level down. If tops brown fast while centers lag, tent with a small piece of foil for the last minutes.
Bottoms Too Dark?
Switch to a lighter pan, stack a spare empty sheet under the main pan for insulation, or raise the rack one level. Trimming parchment to just under the biscuit footprint also helps.
Pale Tops?
Add 1–2 minutes at the end. A quick brush of milk or cream before baking speeds browning.
Air-Fryer Oven Vs. Standard Oven
In a regular oven, tall heat and slower airflow give a slightly thicker crust with a bit more moisture inside. In the air-fryer oven, the fan dries the surface sooner, which helps set layers and crisp edges at a lower set point. If you already love your sheet-pan routine at 425°F, you can keep that temp in a standard oven for scratch recipes; just know your air-fryer oven will likely finish sooner at a reduced setting.
Ingredient Moves That Help
Flour And Fat
Low-protein flour keeps the crumb tender. Keep fat cold and in distinct pieces so steam forms pockets. For taller layers, aim for 30–40% of the fat pieces at pea size and leave a few larger flecks.
Dairy Choices
Buttermilk offers tang and acidity for lift. Straight cream makes a rich crumb and browns fast. If using milk, brush the tops with cream to boost color.
Seasoning And Add-Ins
Salt does more than season; it controls spread. Shredded cheese, chives, or cooked bacon need a smidge more time and can shade the bottoms darker. Lower the heat 10°F and extend a minute or two.
Small Kitchen Wins: Space, Batches, And Timing
Don’t crowd the pan. Give each round a little room for airflow. If baking two levels, rotate the pans halfway and swap racks. Keep extra dough chilled between rounds so butter stays firm.
Safety And Smart Handling
Air-fryer ovens run hot. Use mitts, slide pans straight in when the unit signals preheat, and keep liners pinned under the dough so nothing contacts the element. For parchment, choose sheets rated for baking and cut to size. When using brand-name canned dough, follow the package notes on spacing and flipping; those guides are tested for their formulas.
When To Reach For A Thermometer
If your model tends to brown before baking through, check the center of the tallest biscuit near the end of the bake. A reading near the low 200s with fully set sides points to a done crumb. If you’re there but the top needs more color, a minute under a hotter setting on the top rack finishes the job.
Quick Fix Table For Common Biscuit Problems
| Problem | Likely Cause | Fast Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Top browns fast, center underdone | Rack too high; heat too strong | Lower rack, drop temp 10–15°F, finish 2–4 min |
| Bottom too dark | Dark pan; rack too low | Use light pan; raise rack; add spare pan under |
| Pale, low rise | Warm dough; cutter twisted | Chill dough; stamp straight down; preheat fully |
| Dry texture | Overbaked; dough too lean | Pull at deep golden; add cream wash; shorten bake |
| Soft bottoms | Pan trapped steam | Vent on rack 2–3 min; use trimmed parchment |
A Simple Template You Can Repeat
Canned Dough Template
Preheat to 330–340°F. Line a light pan with trimmed parchment. Space rounds. Bake 6–8 minutes, flip, then 4–6 minutes more until deep golden and cooked through. Hold the next batch in the fridge so layers pop.
Scratch Dough Template
Preheat to 360–375°F. Bake 10–14 minutes on a mid rack, rotating the pan at half. If tops color too fast, drop 10°F and extend a minute or two. If bottoms lag, slide the rack down one level for the last minutes.
Frequently Missed Details That Boost Results
- Keep cutters floured so edges stay clean.
- Gather scraps gently; pat, don’t overwork.
- Brush tops with cream for richer color; butter after baking for shine.
- For breakfast sandwiches, bake rounds slightly apart for more crust.
External Guidelines Worth A Look
Brand tests for canned dough in an air-fryer basket land near the low-300s with a mid-bake flip, and kitchen test labs suggest keeping parchment trimmed so airflow stays strong and liners don’t lift toward the element. You can read a clear walk-through from the dough maker and a careful take on liners and airflow here:
Bottom Line On Air-Fryer Biscuits
Yes, the air-fryer oven turns out flaky, tall biscuits with less preheat and a modest temperature drop. Start in the 330–375°F window, give the rounds space, and rotate the pan. Aim for deep golden color and a set side seam, not just time on the clock. Once you learn how your unit browns, you’ll repeat the same template any morning you want fresh biscuits on the table fast.