Air Fryer Grilled Cheese

Name: Air Fryer Grilled Cheese
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 13 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 slices bread; 2 slices cheese, such as American; 1 tablespoon softened butter

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Air Fryer Grilled Cheese is perfectly golden, crispy, with gooey melted cheese. No need to watch the stove to get perfect grilled cheese every time!

Making the favorite Grilled Cheese in the air fryer is such a great hack! While a grilled cheese is great on its own, I love to pair it with a soup like tomato soup or my favorite slow cooker chicken noodle soup, a big green salad, or veggies and my creamy homemade hummus.

⭐Why I love It:

Crispy and Golden Bread - The bread becomes perfectly and evenly golden brown
No Babysitting the Stove - Let the air fryer do all the work!
Perfectly Melted Cheese - Is there anything better than gooey melted cheese? Another cheesy, family-friendly favorite that you can use the air fryer for is an Air Fryer Quesadilla.

🥘Ingredients:

Sandwich Bread- I recommend using thicker slices or even sourdough slices
Sliced Cheese - I love to use a sliced deli American cheese, but you can use your favorite.
Softened Butter - You'll want to soften the butter so you can spread it on the bread.

📖Variations:

This recipe is super customizable! Here are some of my favorite variations:

Ham (or Turkey) and Cheese - Add some sliced deli meat in between the cheese slices.
Jalapeño Grilled Cheese - Add sliced jalapeño in between the cheese for a spicy spin. Similar flavor as this Spicy Jalapeño Mac and Cheese.
Mayo - Using mayonnaise instead of softened butter on the bread has a cult following and it works in the air fryer too!
Bacon - Add cooked bacon slices or crumbled, cooked bacon to the middle of the grilled cheese. I love to make bacon in the air fryer.
Herby Grilled Cheese - Try mixing a little dried Italian seasoning to the softened butter before spreading on the bread for extra flavor.

🔪Step by Step Instructions

Making grilled cheese in the air fryer is so easy and fast!

Photo 1 - Butter each piece of bread with the softened butter and add the sliced cheese to make the sandwich. I recommend using more than 1 slice of cheese for best results.

uncooked grilled cheese in the air fryer.

Photo 2 - Place in the air fryer. If your air fryer basket is big enough you can fit more than one grilled cheese at a time.

Photo 3 - Air fry for 4 minutes then flip and air fry again for 3-4 minutes. The bread should be golden brown and the cheese should be melted.

Photo 4 - Allow to cool for a minute or two then slice in half and enjoy!

💭Recipe Tips:

Cook Time Will Vary - The cook time may vary by a minute or two depending on the thickness of your bread and air fryer. I like to take a peak at it to check
Flip for even Browning - Flipping helps both sides of the bread get golden brown.
Use Thicker Bread - It's best to use thicker sandwich bread or bread that is sturdier like sourdough. This helps keep the bread from being blown off by the fan when cooking. If you use lighter bread, you can also use toothpicks to secure the sandwich.

🍽Storage and Reheating

Storage - Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheating - You can also use the air fryer to reheat your grilled cheese - air fry for 2-4 minutes at 325 degrees F to warm up.

👩‍🍳Recipe FAQs:

Can you put cheese in an air fryer?

You can put cheese in the air fryer as long as it's contained so it doesn't melt and ooze everywhere. Examples such as grilled cheese and mozzarella sticks.

What is the best cheese to use for grilled cheese?

It's best to use a cheese that melts well. American cheese is the classic, but you can also use provolone, mozzarella, or Swiss.

Is grilled cheese better in the air fryer or on the stove top?

While both an air fryer grilled cheese and traditional stove top grilled cheese give melty cheese, an air fryer grilled cheese typically has crunchier, crispier bread.

How long to heat up a grilled cheese in the air fryer?

If you're trying to heat up a leftover grilled cheese, air fry it for 2-4 minutes until warmed and the cheese is melty again, but not too long where the bread gets over toasted.

air fryer grilled cheese half showing melted cheese

🥪Related Air Fryer Recipes

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Recipe

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Air Fryer Grilled Cheese is perfectly golden, crispy, with gooey melted cheese. No need to watch the stove to get perfect grilled cheese every time!

Author: Kathleen
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 13 minutes
Yield: 1 sandwich
Category: Air Fryer, Sandwich
Method: Air Fryer
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

2 slices bread
2 slices cheese, such as American
1 tablespoon softened butter

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Instructions

Assemble Sandwich - Butter each piece of bread with the softened butter and add the sliced cheese to make the sandwich. You can adjust the amount of cheese used, but I recommend using more than 1 slice of cheese for best results.
Air Fry - Place in the air fryer and air fry for 4 minutes at 375 degrees F then flip and air fry again for 3-4 minutes. The bread should be golden brown and the cheese should be melted.
Serve - Allow to cool for a minute or two then then cut and serve.

Notes

Cook Time Will Vary - The cook time may vary by a minute or two depending on the thickness of your bread and air fryer. I like to take a peak at it to check

Use Thicker Bread - It's best to use thicker sandwich bread or bread that is sturdier like sourdough. This helps keep the bread from being blown off by the fan when cooking. If you use lighter bread, you can also use toothpicks to secure the sandwich.