Air Fry Grilled Cheese will forever change the way you make grilled cheese. It is obsessively delicious and totally mess free!
Air Fryer Grilled Cheese is made with just 3 ingredients – bread, cheese and a bit of butter.
The sandwich comes out crispy on the outside, while the inside reaches peak melty and stretchy goodness! Your family is going to love you for this one.
What is an air fryer?
Never used an air fryer before? It’s a hot, new appliance that circulates extremely hot air around food to cook it. The convection-style oven system makes the food extra crispy, without using nearly as much oil as a traditional deep fryer. That means you can enjoy your favorite fried foods with a fraction of the calories!
Tips For The Best Air Fryer Grilled Cheese
- Quality is key. Don’t skimp on the quality of the cheese. The success of the grilled cheese truly depends on it! Don’t be afraid to mix two or three of your favorites, including this homemade cheese.
- Picking the best bread. Country-style bread makes the best grilled cheese. If I have any leftover no-knead bread, I’ll use that as well.
- Everything’s better with butter. Apply butter generously on the outer sides of the bread to make it nice and crispy.
- Prevent spillage. Make sure the cheese is fully on the bread slice so it doesn’t leak over the edges.
- Secure the sando. Pin the sandwich with a toothpick to prevent the top bread from flying off in the air fryer.
- Flip while you fry. Turn the grilled cheese over halfway through to make sure both sides brown.
- Not all air fryers are created equal. Know that your cooking times may vary depending on the air fryer you use.
What to Serve with Air Fryer Grilled Cheese
- Tomato Basil Soup – Nothing compliments a grilled cheese quite like a bowl of tomato soup. Dip your heart away…
- Beet, Carrot and Cabbage Salad – This Ukrainian style coleslaw is a refreshing sidekick for your grilled cheese.
- Air Fryer French Fries – Love fries but hate the guilt? This recipe is for you.
Storing Leftovers
You can store leftover grilled cheese in an airtight container for up to 3-5 days. Reheat in an air fryer before serving. But, to be honest, grilled cheese is best eaten right away!
What is the best air fryer on the market?
There are a ton of different air fryers on the market. Check these two out if you don’t already have one on hand:
- Gourmia 5 Qt Air Fryer – I have been using this air fryer for over a year and I love the functionality. It has a ton of presets for common foods (chicken, fries, steak, bacon, shrimp, etc.), which helps take the guesswork out of how long to cook certain dishes. It’s also super easy to clean, I just pop the basket into a dishwasher.
- Cuisinart TOA-60 Convection Toaster Air Fryer – I haven’t used this one, but I definitely have my eye on it. This is a toaster oven, convection oven and air fryer all-in-one! If any of you snag it, please let me know how you like it in the comments below!
Other Air Fryer Recipes
- Air Fryer Steak Bites – Steak…in the air fryer? You read right. It’s tender, juicy and on the table fast.
- Air Fryer Asparagus – Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.
- Air Fryer Chicken – Want some quick protein on your salad? This chicken can make that happen.
- Air Fryer Cod – Cod can be so bland and dry. This recipe makes the fish come out moist and flaky each time.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 slices of bread
- 16 oz cheese slices
- 4 tbsp softened butter
Instructions
- Place cheese slices between two pieces of bread. Cut off the enges of cheese thta hang off the sides of the bread.
- Apply butter on the outside of the bread.
- Place it in an air fryer basket, air fry at 380 °F for 7 minutes.
- Flip it over and air fry for 3 more minutes. The sandwich should be golden brown and crispy on the outside. Enjoy!
I love this grilled cheese! I didn't have the bread so I used Dave's 21 whole grain and seeds organic bread and a bit less butter it was so crunchy and delicious ! I'm thinking of making them at our next neighborhood Gathering so easy ! Thank you
Hi Linda, Thank you so much for sharing! I am glad the recipe was a success. Your neighbors will go crazy for your grilled cheese. Enjoy!
I have the TOA-60! Love it! I altered your recipe somewhat because I’m trying to cut back on calories.
Instead of butter, I used spray olive oil with zero calories. I sprayed one side of the Sourdough Wheat bread (110 calories per slice). I used 1 Slice Havarti (80 per slice) and 1 slice Swiss cheese (70 per slice) and 4 pieces of peppered Salami (130 calories)
Put it in my Cuisinart for about 5 minutes on Broil/ air fry then took it out, sprayed the other side and cooked it for another 3 minutes. Usually I cannot eat the whole thing but…. Oops… it’s gone. Delicious!!
Thank you for your recipe and guidance. Try mine next time. I took a picture but it said “ image uploads currently disabled”
Hi Dale - OOPS! Lol. That's weird, the same thing happened to my grilled cheese. It just...disappeared. 😉 Love the cheese mixture you used - that sounds bomb. Will have to try it. Thanks for all the feedback!
WHY DO I NEED BUTTER FOR GRILLED CHEESE??CAN I AIR FRY IT W/O BUTTER??
Hey Karen – It’s nice to spread some butter on the outside of each bread slice. If you don’t want to use butter, you can spray the bread with your favorite cooking spray to help it develop that signature grilled cheese crust. Hope this helps and brings you closer to gooey, grilled cheese goodness!
I have the Cuisinart TOA-60 Convection Toaster Air Fryer and I love it. I have had it for several months and am constantly finding new ways to use it. I highly recommend it.
Thank you for your tip, Judy!!
I have the cuisinart air fryer combo I love it. It does everything even has a toaster boils bakes air fryer
Air fryers are amazing tools!
Do you mean that, while in for 7 minutes flip when 3 minutes are left? Cause with the directions about my top bread got all burnt
Hey dear, we needed to do 7 minutes and 3 more after flipping it. Some air fryers run hotter than others. I would suggest lowering the temperature next time.
I recently bought the Cuisinart TOA-60 and am loving it! It's my first air fryer, so I can't compare it to others, but I imagine having a window is a game changer. It may be a little bigger than some, but I was able to get rid of my toaster to make room. A very versatile appliance!
Yes!! You are going to love the air fryer, Andrea! It is the most amazing tool, welcome to air fryer food, you will love it 😊
I have a Cuisinart and have given two as gifts. Everyone loves it because it not only is an air fryer but does so much more as well. I can make a frozen pizza in it in a half or a third of the time and less energy. As for the comment on air fryer burning things, I think most air fryers run hot, you have to look and smell rather than rely on time, that's why the Cuisinart is nice, it has a window to check through.
Thank you for the tip, Bob! We love the air fryer as well, such a great tool!
I have the Cuisinart Air Fryer oven and I absolutely love it. Perfect for so many things. I barely use my regular gas oven any more!
Right?! It is such an incredible tool! I hope you find more recipes you love 🙂
Hello! I have the Cuisinart toaster oven/air fryer and I can confirm, it's awesome. I just made grilled cheese in it based on your directions and it turned out great! I'll never pull a pan out again, haha. I did lower the temp a little and I found that the flip side didn't need but a couple minutes. Thanks for the tips and I look forward to using more of your recipes. 😊
Hi Erica, I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for your feedback, welcome to the blog I hope you find many more recipes you love 🙂
Reduced heat by 10°F and 6 min first side. Heavily buttered bread.
Top piece of bread flew off and burned cheese.
Sandwich became stiff toasted board.
Everything I cook in the 7.5qt XL turns out burned even when reducing heat and time.
I want to.like this air fryer but it only successfully cooks whole chicken which can take a little over heating.
you sound like you got a defective machine can you return it for another one? let the company know..
Hey John, what brand of air fryer do you use? Just wondering because I never had this issue.
Brilliant! I never thought to make a grilled cheese in the air fryer!
Lauren, Hope you love it!
I love that I can make this in my air fryer! It was so good!
Toni, thank you for sharing! SO happy to hear.
My air fryer is the most used small appliance in my kitchen. I love everything cooked in it and this grilled cheese is no exception! Such a great trick I didn't even think about was possible!
Hey Julia, yes, we love it so much. Hope you love it also.
What a brilliant idea! Can’t wait to try that!
Inna, I hope you love it! 🙂