Grilled cheese in air fryer is a classic American dish made with a cheesy layer in between two crunchy slices of bread. Just as easy to make and customizable to how you like to have your grilled cheese sandwich.
Who doesn’t have a memory of their mom making them a grilled cheese sandwich after school? Or as a late-night snack alternate to top ramen in college?
But we are adults now and have things such as heart health to think about. As always, making grilled cheese in air fryer means you won’t need as much oil but you still get that crispy crust. I have found it turns out more crunchy using this method.
Air Fryer Grilled Cheese Ingredients
- Slices of Bread (Sourdough, rye, or whole-grain are especially yummy.)
- Mayonnaise or Spreadable Butter
- Slices or Shredded Cheese (Cheddar, gruyère, or fontina are delicious choices!)
How Do You Make Grilled Cheese in an Air Fryer?
Honestly, it’s not that different from preparing cheese toast in a skillet, but I find that the bread gets crunchier and I love that!
Most types of bread will work, most types of melty cheeses will work and both mayo or butter will work. There is not much that can go wrong, at least not with my Ninja Food grilled cheese. Maybe other air fryers are different?
Assemble the air fryer grilled cheese as you would a regular stovetop one. What you do have to pay attention to is the grilled cheese temperature.
I set mine to 375°F and flip halfway after 4 minutes. That also answers your question about how long to cook grilled cheese in air fryer. Just remember that each brand might be a little different so test out what gets the best result with yours.
Is Mayo or Butter Better for Grilled Cheese?
The age-old grilled cheese question. I prefer to make grilled cheese sandwiches in air fryer with mayo but there is nothing wrong with using butter.
You can barely taste the mayonnaise after it is cooked but there tends to be an ever so slight tang to it. Butter, on the other hand, makes the sandwich even richer – a real envelopment of the tongue.
What Is the Best Cheese for Grilled Cheese?
My personal favorites are cheddar, gruyère, and fontina because of their melting factor. Other delicious cheeses with a good melting quality are gouda, comté, raclette, and havarti.
And before you ask ‘can you put cheese in an air fryer?’ – yes, you most certainly can. Just be gentle with the cleanup.
What Goes with Grilled Cheese?
Take this recipe as the basic version and show me how you make your favorite version of grilled cheese in an air fryer.
But while we’re here, I do have a few ideas…
- Caramelized onions
- Cherry tomatoes
- Blue cheese
- Jalapenos
- Pickles
- Herbs (dill, oregano, basil)
You can also make it more exciting with side dishes.
- Homemade tomato soup
- French fries
- Slaw
- Veggies & dip
- Garlic Bread Soup
- Chili (con carne)
When creating this simple air fryer recipe, I thought to myself: how do I make grilled cheese more interesting? In the end, I decided to stick to the classic so that it is easier for you to put your own spin on it.
I’m excited to see what you make!
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Enjoy!
Air Fryer Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
- 4 Slices of Bread, Sourdough, rye, or whole-grain are especially yummy.
- 1 tablespoon Mayonnaise or Spreadable Butter
- 4 Slices of Cheese or 1 cup Shredded Cheese, Cheddar, gruyère, or fontina are delicious choices!
Instructions
- Using a butter knife, spread mayonnaise or butter on 1 side of each bread slice.
- Place butter-side down and top 2 of the bread slices with 2 slices of cheese or a half cup of shredded cheese. Place the other slice of bread on top of the cheese with butter-side up.
- Place 1-2 sandwiches (depending on what fits in your air fryer) into the air fryer basket. Set the temperature to 375 degrees and the timer to 4 minutes. Flip, then cook an additional 3-4 minutes until it is golden brown.
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