Texas toast is the classic American bread to serve with barbecue food: double-thick slices of white toast bread, buttered on both sides and toasted light golden. The thickness is the whole secret, because it gives a crisp, golden surface and a soft middle that still tastes of fresh bread. With the air fryer, it is all ready in 11 minutes, and you do not need to switch on the oven or stand over a pan.
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I serve it with pulled pork, fried chicken and chilli, because the thick bread is perfect for mopping up sauce. Garlic and parsley in the butter add a little extra flavour, but Texas toast is all about thick, butter-toasted bread and is neither garlic bread nor cheese on toast.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents
Why I love Texas toast in the air fryer
The air fryer strikes exactly the balance that Texas toast needs. The powerful hot air toasts the surface quickly, so the butter turns into a crisp, golden crust while the thick bread holds on to the moisture inside. All the slices in the basket get the same heat and therefore the same colour – something that can be hard to get right in a pan.
I also like that the ingredient list is so short. Four thick slices of bread and 50 g of softened butter are enough, and garlic and parsley are optional. That makes Texas toast one of the easiest side dishes I know.
Air fryer, pan or oven?
The oven takes time to heat up, and the bread can dry out before it takes on any colour. In a pan, you toast one side at a time, and the butter burns easily. The air fryer heats up quickly and gives exactly the contrast between a crisp crust and a soft middle. In most models the heat comes from above, though, so turn the slices halfway through.
My kitchen test of Texas toast
I tested the recipe in my Cosori Dual Blaze, which has heating elements in both the top and the bottom of the basket and therefore gives a more even colour. I still turn the slices after 3 minutes, as the recipe describes. At 180 °C and 6 minutes of cooking, they were light golden and crisp on the outside, while the middle was soft and tasted of butter.
With 5 minutes of preparation, the whole dish is ready in 11 minutes. In my Philips XXL, all four slices fit in a single layer, while a smaller air fryer needs two batches. If you turn up the heat to save time, the surface gets too much colour before the middle is warm, so 180 °C is the sweet spot.
Buy an unsliced loaf of toast bread and cut the slices about 2.5 cm thick yourself. Pre-sliced toast is too thin and turns crisp all the way through, so you lose the soft middle that makes Texas toast something special.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The first mistake is cold butter, which tears the bread apart and settles in clumps that turn dark before the rest of the slice. Leave the butter out until it is soft, and spread it thinly and evenly on both sides, all the way to the edges. The second mistake is cramming all the slices into the basket at once. Where they overlap, the bread turns pale and soft, so lay them in a single layer and toast them in two batches instead.
The third mistake is toasting the slices for too long. The surface quickly goes from light golden to dark brown, and the longer the bread toasts, the more the middle dries out. Keep an eye on the slices during the last minute, and take them out as soon as both sides are light golden and crisp.
How to serve Texas toast
Serve the slices straight away, while they are warm and crisp, and allow 1 slice per person – or 2 if the bread is meant to be filling. Texas toast goes especially well with:
- Pulled pork and coleslaw for an American BBQ night
- Spare ribs, where you can mop up the BBQ sauce with the bread
- Fried chicken with a crisp coating and a fresh salad
- Chilli con carne, where you can dip the bread straight into the bowl
Storage and reheating
Texas toast is best on the same day, while the contrast between the crisp crust and the soft middle is at its clearest. Leftovers keep for 1-2 days in the fridge, covered. Reheat them in the air fryer at 160 °C for 3-5 minutes so the crust turns crisp again. The slices can also be frozen for up to 2 months and reheated straight from frozen in the air fryer at 160 °C for 5-7 minutes.
Texas toast proves that a good side dish does not have to be complicated. With thick bread, soft butter and 6 minutes in the air fryer, you get a little American diner atmosphere on the table – even on a perfectly ordinary weekday.
FAQ
Texas toast is double-thick slices of toast bread, buttered and toasted so they are crisp on the outside and soft in the middle. Garlic bread is typically made from a baguette with a generous layer of garlic butter. A little garlic and parsley in the butter is fine, but the thick bread is the main thing.
You can, but then it will not be genuine Texas toast. Regular toast slices are so thin that they turn crisp all the way through, and the soft middle disappears. Buy an unsliced loaf of toast bread or white bread instead, and cut the slices about 2.5 cm thick.
Yes. Toast the slices at 180 °C for 3 minutes, turn them over with tongs, and toast them for another 2-3 minutes. That way both sides turn light golden and crisp, while the middle stays soft.
Recipe
Texas toast in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
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Cost of the dish
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Our estimate is based on average food prices for the current year 2026.
Estimated price for the whole dish:
Airfryer size
All our recipes are tested in a Philips Airfryer 2000 Series NA230/00 – 6.2 L
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Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Bread knife
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Knife
- 1 Tongs
Shopping list
Ingredients
How to make it
Preparation
- Stir 50 g butter in a bowl until smooth. If you want a garlic version, stir 1 clove garlic and 1 tbsp parsley into the butter.
- Spread the butter in a thin, even layer on both sides of the slices with a knife, all the way to the edges.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 180 °C fan.
- Place the slices in the basket in a single layer so they do not overlap, and toast them at 180 °C for 3 minutes. If there is not room for all of them, toast them in two batches.
- Turn the slices over with tongs and toast them at 180 °C for another 2-3 minutes, until both sides are light golden and crisp. Take them out before they turn dark so the middle stays soft.
Serving
- Serve Texas toast straight away, while the bread is warm and crisp, with BBQ, fried chicken or chilli.
Our notes for the recipe
Buy an unsliced loaf of toast bread or white bread so you can cut the slices about 2.5 cm thick yourself. Regular toast slices turn crisp all the way through and lose the soft middle. The butter needs to be soft so it can be spread thinly without tearing the bread. Keep an eye on the slices during the last minute: they should be light golden, not dark brown. Variation:
Stir garlic and parsley into the butter for a garlic version, or add a pinch of smoked paprika when the bread is going to be served with BBQ. Go easy on the add-ons – Texas toast is all about the thick, butter-toasted bread, not cheese or a heavy layer of garlic. Serving:
Texas toast is a classic American side for pulled pork, spare ribs, fried chicken and chilli con carne, and the thick bread is perfect for mopping up sauce. Allow 1 slice per person, and double the amount if everyone is to have 2 slices. Portion size:
If your air fryer is smaller, you can make the dish in two batches.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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