This air fryer grilled cheese is the easiest way to cook a grilled cheese sandwich that’s browned and crispy outside and cheesy and gooey inside. It takes literal minutes and always comes out perfect!
While I love getting creative with recipes like my pizza sandwiches, nothing beats a classic homemade grilled cheese!
Classic grilled cheese has to be THE original comfort food. Gooey, melty strings of cheese, toasty bread, and a golden crust? I don’t think any other snack does “simple” so well. And, to make an easy recipe even easier, we have the air fryer. This air fryer grilled cheese is the only way I want to make this sandwich from now on. It’s speedy, basically hands-free, and it comes out truly gourmet every time. The dream sandwich!
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Air Fryer Grilled Cheese
- Quick. The air fryer has to be the easiest way to make a perfect grilled cheese. It cooks in 8 minutes!
- Hands-free. Assemble the sandwich right in your air fryer, and hit GO. Flip once halfway through, and you’re ready to serve.
- Golden and crispy. This air fryer method takes the guesswork out of cooking a grilled cheese that’s crispy and toasted outside with gooey, melty cheese inside.
What You’ll Need
The beautiful thing about an original grilled cheese sandwich is how simple the ingredients are: bread, cheese, and butter. Of course, as with all simple recipes, quality matters.
I’ve included some notes here on what goes into the perfect air fryer grilled cheese. Scroll to the recipe card for the printable list and recipe directions.
- Butter – Salted or unsalted. Take the butter out of the fridge so it can soften enough to spread. You could also substitute regular butter with a dairy-free alternative, or olive oil.
- Bread – Choose your favorite white or whole wheat sandwich bread. My favorite for grilled cheese is sourdough, but you can use rye, ciabatta, multigrain, etc. Keep in mind that whole-grain bread doesn’t always toast as nicely as white bread.
- Cheese – You can’t make a grilled cheese sandwich without it. Because long strings of melted cheese are a must, I make my grilled cheese with sliced cheddar and Gruyère. Other types, like Fontina, Edam, Gouda, or Swiss are also great choices for grilled cheese.
Tips for the Best Grilled Cheese
- Soften the butter. Take the butter out of the fridge 20 minutes ahead of time. It’ll be WAY easier to spread!
- If you use unsalted butter, consider sprinkling the outside of the bread with a little Maldon salt after buttering. It adds flavor and helps the bread crisp up even more.
- Use mayonnaise. Instead of butter, you can also spread the bread slices with mayo for a delicious substitute.
- Hold the sandwich together. If you’re using thinner bread slices, I highly recommend securing your sandwich together with toothpicks. Otherwise, the bread might blow around the basket once the air fryer gets going! Remember to remove the toothpicks before serving.
Easy Variations
- Add bacon. Cook a batch of air fryer bacon beforehand and layer it into your grilled cheese! Other good options are sliced deli ham, prosciutto, pepperoni, or salami.
- Protein. Make a pulled pork grilled cheese or add in shredded chicken or turkey.
- Sweet-savory. Try my apple grilled cheese sandwich with sliced apples if you like a sweet-savory contrast. You could also make a version with leftover cranberry sauce and brie cheese!
- Veggies. Try adding roasted red peppers (or red pepper relish!), tomatoes, avocado, and greens like baby spinach, kale, and arugula. Fresh herbs like basil also go great in a grilled cheese.
- Breakfast. For a breakfast version (or really, any time of the day) make a bacon and egg grilled cheese sandwich with sliced hard-boiled eggs.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Refrigerate. Grilled cheese is best served right away. However, you can store any leftover sandwiches airtight and refrigerate them for 1-2 days.
Reheat. The easiest way to re-warm a grilled cheese is in the air fryer! You could also use a skillet and gently warm the sandwich over medium-low heat.
More Easy Sandwich Recipes
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Gather the ingredients. Make sure the butter is softened, as it will spread more easily. Cut the bread to the desired thickness. Slice the cheese or use pre-sliced cheese.
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Prep. Preheat the air fryer to 370ºF.
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Assemble the sandwich. Spread butter only on one side of the bread slices. Place two slices of bread, butter side down, in the air fryer basket. If your basket is small, place just one. Top the bread with slices of cheddar cheese and Gruyere cheese. Place the remaining slices of bread on top of the cheese, with the butter side facing up.
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Air fry. Cook the sandwich for 4 minutes. Carefully flip the sandwich with a spatula or tongs, and cook for an additional 4 minutes, or until it reaches your desired level of toastiness.
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Serve the sandwich. Once cooked, remove the grilled cheese sandwich from the air fryer. Cut it in half and serve it warm.
- Instead of butter, you can use mayonnaise. It is a delicious substitute.
- Choose the desired bread type: white, corn, wholemeal, or wholegrain. Wholemeal or wholegrain may not toast as well as white.
- A grilled cheese sandwich can be made with other types of cheese, such as Fontina, Edam, Gouda, or Swiss.
- If your bread slices are thin, the air fryer air may blow them around in the basket. To prevent this, secure the sandwich with toothpicks. Please remember to remove these before eating.
Calories: 439kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 578mg | Potassium: 118mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 787IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 476mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Make Grilled Cheese in the Air Fryer
Before you begin, make sure that your butter is softened and the bread and cheese are sliced. This way, you’re ready to go as soon as the air fryer preheats. Here’s how to make the ultimate air fryer grilled cheese in photos:
- Butter the bread. Get the air fryer preheating to 370ºF. Meanwhile, spread butter on one side of the bread slices. Then, place two of the slices butter-side-down in the air fryer basket.
- Add cheese. Top each bread slice with cheese. Close the sandwiches with the remaining bread slices, buttered side facing upward.
- Cook. Air fry the sandwiches for 4 minutes, flip, and cook for another 4 minutes until the outside is toasty and the cheese inside is melted. Take your grilled cheese out of the air fryer, slice, and enjoy.
