Try This Tasty Air-Fried Chicken Calzone for Dinner!

Air-Fried Chicken Calzone has totally saved my weeknight dinner plans. Picture this: you open the fridge after a tiring day, but all you see is leftover rotisserie chicken, some random cheeses, and not much else.

That was me, standing there, looking for a miracle. Hello, Air-Fried Chicken Calzone! Turns out, you can throw together something warm, crispy, and shockingly delicious in barely any time. If you want something filling, fun, and easy to customize (and you hate doing dishes as much as I do), you’ll really want to keep reading.

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What is a Calzone?

So, what exactly is a calzone? I get asked this a lot when I mention having one for dinner. The way I explain it—think pizza, but folded up on itself like a tasty little package. You stuff all your favorite pizza goodies inside, close it up, and then cook it till the crust gets golden. Seriously, calzones are just chewy, portable pizza hugs.

They started over in Italy, but honestly, everyone makes their own spin on them. All you need is some sort of dough, a cheesy filling (plus whatever else your soul craves), and a way to bake or fry it. In my family, calzones meant using up leftovers and making everyone happy at dinner without much fuss. The wild thing? Air Fryers make them even better, if you ask me—less greasy, more crunch. I might be obsessed.

“I always thought I needed to go to the local pizzeria for a good calzone. Nope. Making one at home in my air fryer is not only doable—it’s now my go-to comfort meal.”
— Tracy M., home cook

Air-Fried Chicken Calzone

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Different Fillings

Alright, you don’t have to stick with chicken. That’s the fun part! Once you’ve made your first Air-Fried Chicken Calzone, changing the filling is weirdly addictive. Like, you’ll probably want to start cleaning out your fridge just to see what’s left over.

Some days I go classic: mozzarella, shredded rotisserie chicken, and a bit of marinara. Sometimes, I’ll go wild and toss in spinach, roasted veggies, or even leftover BBQ pork (try it). Cheeses? Sky’s the limit. Ricotta makes it creamy, cheddar for a bit of bite, feta when I’m feeling bold. If you want to keep it simple for picky eaters, just do mozzarella and chicken with a pinch of garlic powder.

I once mixed buffalo sauce and some blue cheese inside—game changer. And let’s be real, sometimes I just clean out random half-empty cheese bags. No shame. The point is, the Air-Fried Chicken Calzone is all about what you like and what you have.

Air-Fried Chicken Calzone

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How to Make Calzones in the Air Fryer

Making the Air-Fried Chicken Calzone isn’t complicated. You don’t need fancy dough skills—store-bought pizza dough is your best friend. Here’s a little walk-through straight from my own kitchen chaos:

1. Grab the dough: Let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes, if you remember. It’s easier to work with.
2. Roll it out: Not perfectly! Just make a rough circle.
3. Pile on your fillings: Shredded chicken, cheese, a spoonful of sauce. Don’t overstuff, or disaster will strike (learned this the hard way).
4. Fold and pinch: Fold it in half and squish the edges shut with your fingers or a fork.
5. Brush with oil or egg: This is the pro move for a crispy crust that looks straight from a five-star restaurant.
6. Air fry it up: 370°F is usually perfect. Start with 8-10 minutes. You want it golden, not burnt.

I recommend peeking inside halfway just to check. Sometimes fillings get wild and try to escape.

Air-Fried Chicken Calzone

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Tasty Dips & Sauces for Calzones

Listen, dipping is not optional. I might start a petition. Air-Fried Chicken Calzone totally loves a good sauce. Here are my top picks—not saying you need them all at once, but, you know, no judgment if you go for it.

• Warm marinara is a classic. You can buy it or heat up some jarred stuff.
• Garlic butter for when you want your calzone to taste downright decadent.
• Ranch dressing (don’t laugh, it’s delicious—kids go nuts for it).
• Buffalo sauce if you like a little heat.

Why not make a little dip bar? My kids think it’s a party every time.

Air-Fried Chicken Calzone

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What to Serve with Air Fryer Chicken Calzones

So you’re making Air-Fried Chicken Calzone and want the meal to feel balanced? No sweat. Here are some ideas for sides, quick and easy:

• Crisp salad with a simple vinaigrette (keeps things feeling grown-up).
• Oven-roasted veggies tossed in olive oil and some salt and pepper.
• Potato wedges—tossed in the air fryer right after the calzones.

Air-Fried Chicken Calzone

If you ask me, these keep it feeling like a “real” dinner even if you pulled it all together in a hurry. Extra bonus: less clean up, because you can make everything at once if your air fryer is big.

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