Zapiekanka in the Air Fryer
Crisp baguette with golden-brown cheese, a mushroom filling and a zigzag of ketchup — zapiekanka, the Polish street food classic, is ready in the air fryer in under half an hour. Perfect as a quick dinner or a late-night snack after a long day.
Equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Grater
- 1 Brush
Ingredients
Base
- 2 pcs baguette
1 tbsp olive oil For brushing
Mushroom filling
300 g button mushrooms Thinly sliced
1 pcs onion Finely chopped
1 clove garlic Finely chopped
1 tbsp butter Melted
1 tsp salt
0.5 tsp black pepper Freshly ground- 1 tsp dried marjoram
Topping
- 250 g Gouda Grated
- 4 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp chives Finely chopped
Instructions
Preparation
- Cut 2 pcs baguette in half lengthways so you get four equal halves. Leave the crumb intact so it can carry the filling.
- Clean 300 g button mushrooms with a damp cloth and cut them into thin slices. Finely chop 1 pcs onion and 1 clove garlic.
- Coarsely grate 250 g Gouda and set it aside.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 180 °C on the fan setting.
- Mix the mushrooms, onion and garlic in a mixing bowl with 1 tbsp butter, 1 tsp salt, 0.5 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp dried marjoram.
- Spread the mushroom mixture out in the air fryer basket in an even layer and cook it for 8 minutes at 180 °C. Shake the basket after 4 minutes so the moisture steams off and the mushrooms brown lightly.
- Brush the cut sides of the four baguette halves with 1 tbsp olive oil.
- Spread the cooked mushrooms over the four halves and scatter the grated cheese evenly on top, right out to the edges.
- Bake the zapiekankas in the air fryer for 8 minutes at 180 °C, until the cheese has melted and turned golden brown and the edges of the bread are crisp. Bake in two batches if the basket cannot hold all four halves in a single layer.
Serving
- Leave the zapiekankas to rest for 2 minutes. Drizzle 4 tbsp ketchup in stripes over the cheese and scatter with 2 tbsp chives.
- Serve them hot while the cheese is still soft. Cut each half into two smaller pieces if you like.
Notes
Tips for the perfect result:
Always cook the mushrooms on their own first. The moisture steams off in the basket, so the bread stays crisp underneath instead of going soft under the filling. Lay the halves out in a single layer so the cheese melts evenly right out to the edges. Variation:
Scatter 100 g of ham in strips over the mushrooms before the cheese goes on if you want the classic ham version. At the Polish street stalls, garlic sauce is just as common as ketchup — stir 3 tbsp of crème fraîche with 1 finely grated clove of garlic and a pinch of salt, and drizzle it over at the end. Serving:
Serve with pickled gherkins and a cold fizzy drink. Cut the halves into smaller pieces and they will stretch to a snack for six to eight people. Portion size:
If your air fryer is on the small side, you can cook the dish in two batches.
Always cook the mushrooms on their own first. The moisture steams off in the basket, so the bread stays crisp underneath instead of going soft under the filling. Lay the halves out in a single layer so the cheese melts evenly right out to the edges. Variation:
Scatter 100 g of ham in strips over the mushrooms before the cheese goes on if you want the classic ham version. At the Polish street stalls, garlic sauce is just as common as ketchup — stir 3 tbsp of crème fraîche with 1 finely grated clove of garlic and a pinch of salt, and drizzle it over at the end. Serving:
Serve with pickled gherkins and a cold fizzy drink. Cut the halves into smaller pieces and they will stretch to a snack for six to eight people. Portion size:
If your air fryer is on the small side, you can cook the dish in two batches.
Nutrition
Calories: 590kcalCarbohydrates: 61gProtein: 26gFat: 27gSaturated fat: 14gPolyunsaturated fat: 1.5gMonounsaturated fat: 8gTrans fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 1750mgPotassium: 470mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 700IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 460mgIron: 3.4mgNet carbohydrates: 57g
