Pizza Croutons Are the Lazy Yet Brilliant Upgrade Your Salad Needs

Cold pizza is a popular breakfast in my household: My husband and I often munch on leftover slices as we brew our morning coffee. I have no problem eating leftover pizza as-is. Still, I’m always looking for fun, creative ways to liven up leftovers—and when I saw my friend June Kim, the head of video at Bon Appétit, turn pizza into croutons for her salad, I decided I had to try it, too.

Kim, whose favorite way to enjoy her pizza croutons is in a salad with ranch dressing, tells me this trick works with any type of pizza. “However, I do feel that a grandma pie or Detroit-style pizza is best for this,” she says, as its thick base is focaccia-like and makes for particularly delicious croutons. She doesn’t toss the cut-up pizza in oil, since most pizzas already have enough oil to help them crisp up in the oven; instead, she toasts pizza pieces in a 350°F (175°C) oven until they’re nice and crisp, about seven minutes.

With Kim’s instructions in mind, I took two slices of leftover thin-crust margherita pizza, cut them into 1/2-inch pieces, spread them on a sheet pan, and popped them into the oven at 350°F (175°C), stirring every few minutes. I didn’t have any Detroit-style pizza on hand, but my thin-crust pizza pieces crisped up nicely, with a texture similar to pita chips. Out of curiosity, I tossed some pizza pieces in olive oil to see if it would make them even crispier. I also tried air-frying a batch to test whether the method was effective.

While the oiled pizza croutons were ever so slightly crispier, the regular ones were wonderfully crunchy, and there’s really no need for extra oil if all you want is a bit of texture for your salad. The air-fried croutons were just as crunchy as the oven-baked ones, and they were done in about half the time (three to four minutes, versus five to seven minutes in the oven).

I was thrilled to find that making pizza croutons is as easy—if not easier—than making regular ones. As long as you check and stir them occasionally to prevent burning, they’re remarkably hard to mess up.

Tossed into my homemade Caesar salad, the pizza croutons offered a satisfying crunch with bright hits of salty-sweet tomato sauce. I also loved them on their own as a snack—think of them as mini pizza crackers.

How to Make Pizza Croutons

• Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). If using air fryer, preheat air fryer to 350°F. 
• Using a pair of kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, cut your pizza into 1/2-inch pieces. Place on a 9-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet and bake until crisp and lightly golden, five to seven minutes in the oven or three to five minutes in the air fryer.
• Let cool slightly, about 3 minutes. Toss into your salad or enjoy as a snack.