Air Fryer Grilled Cheese | Cookies & Cups

By: Shelly
Posted: Feb 11, 2025

This simple air fryer grilled cheese takes minutes to make and comes out golden exterior, completely melted inside, with a satisfying crunch and large strings of gooey cheese! It doesn’t get higher.

When you’ve mastered this basic grilled cheese within the air fryer, take it up a notch with a spicy sizzling Buffalo chicken grilled cheese!

Close up of an air fryer grilled cheese cut in half and slightly pulled apart to reveal the strings of cheese inside, next to a bowl of tomato soup.

Why You’ll Love This Air Fryer Grilled Cheese

I’ve used my air fryer to prepare dinner all the things from chicken tenders to chocolate chip cookies, so it was solely a matter of time earlier than I made air fryer grilled cheese! I don’t know if I’ll ever return to a skillet on the range. There are some things that I search for in an ideal grilled cheese sandwich, and this air fryer recipe nails it:

Additional crispy. The air fryer makes it tremendous simple to get that coveted golden exterior, for an additional crispy, crunchy grilled cheese sandwich.
Huge, gooey strings of cheese. After I slice and pull aside a freshly grilled cheese sandwich, I really like seeing loads of ooey-gooey, melted cheese stretching from in between the bread slices. Because the sizzling air circulates, the air fryer is a fast and straightforward shortcut to grilled cheese that’s completely melted inside.
Straightforward. I feel among the best components about an ideal grilled cheese is its simplicity! This recipe doesn’t have any fancy components and the tactic is tremendous simple, even for freshmen. Plus, it’s manner quicker than a skillet!

Ingredients needed to make an air fryer grilled cheese with text labels overlaying each ingredient.

Elements You’ll Want

There are actually simply 3 components wanted to make a basic grilled cheese: bread, butter, and cheese! I’ve included some notes beneath. Scroll right down to the recipe card for a printable listing with the complete recipe quantities.

Butter – Take the butter out of the fridge forward of time in order that it softens sufficient to unfold simply over the bread.
Bread – Any bread you’d like! I exploit sourdough. My one advice for selecting bread for grilled cheese is to keep away from a very robust, exhausting crust (it’ll solely get more durable after it’s cooked).
Cheese – For the very best grilled cheese, you’ll need to use a mixture of shredded cheddar and one other melty cheese, like mozzarella, Gruyere, or Monterey Jack.

How one can Make Grilled Cheese Within the Air Fryer

When you’re new to air frying, a basic grilled cheese is a superb place to start out! I even have a useful information on how to use an air fryer that walks you thru the fundamentals. Then, comply with the short steps right here. You’ll additionally discover the printable directions within the recipe card beneath the publish.

A knife spreading butter over a slice of bread. — Butter the bread slices.

Assemble. Whereas the air fryer preheats to 370ºF, butter two slices of bread, after which assemble your grilled cheese within the air fryer with the buttered sides going through out. You may be beneficiant with the shredded cheese!
Cook dinner. Air fry the grilled cheese for 4-5 minutes per aspect till it’s golden and toasty and the cheese is absolutely melted.

Two air fryer grilled cheese sandwiched stacked on top of one another, with gooey cheese escaping from the side.

Recipe Suggestions and Variations

Maintain the sandwich collectively. When you’re working with thinner bread slices, take into account sticking a toothpick into the grilled cheese to carry it collectively whereas it cooks.
Olive oil as a substitute of butter. When you’d favor to make your air fryer grilled cheese with olive oil, drizzle a small quantity over every bread slice. Then, sprinkle a pinch of salt (my favourite is Maldon sea salt) over the oiled aspect of the bread for further taste. A bit salt additionally helps the surface of the grilled cheese crisp up. You are able to do this if you happen to’re utilizing unsalted butter, too.
Ham and cheese. Make a ham and cheese grilled cheese by layering deli ham or thinly sliced leftover baked ham over the cheese. You can too add tomato slices.
Pesto. Unfold the within of the bread slices with basil pesto, sun-dried tomato pesto, or tapenade.
Pizza. Make pepperoni pizza grilled cheese with mozzarella, pepperoni slices, and tomato sauce.
Extra add-ins. Add cooked bacon slices or caramelized onions. I additionally love making grilled cheese with skinny apple slices for a sweet-savory distinction.

Incessantly Requested Questions

Do you need to flip a grilled cheese sandwich in an air fryer?

Sure, it is best to flip your grilled cheese midway via cooking in order that it browns evenly on each side. If one aspect isn’t fairly golden brown, flip and prepare dinner for an additional 1-2 minutes extra.

Are you able to make grilled cheese with out butter?

Butter provides taste, however you can too use olive oil or mayo. Making grilled cheese with mayo as a substitute of butter provides to the flavour and provides the surface of the bread a pleasant, golden brown colour.

A hand dipping a slice of air fryer grilled cheese into a bowl of tomato soup.

What to Serve With Grilled Cheese

Nothing brings me straight again to my childhood than a gooey, crispy grilled cheese dunked right into a bowl of creamy tomato soup. Or, just about any soup for that matter, from vegetable soup to Zuppa Toscana and even good old style chicken noodle soup. Simply add a aspect of inexperienced salad and lunch is served!

Two halves of an air fryer grilled cheese stacked with gooey cheese dripping out from the bread slices.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Refrigerate. Grilled cheese will at all times style the very best when it’s recent from the skillet or air fryer! That being stated, if in case you have leftovers, you may retailer them hermetic and hold them within the fridge for a day or two.
Reheat. The best option to reheat grilled cheese is to return it to the air fryer at 350ºF till it’s sizzling and melted once more.

Description

This simple air fryer grilled cheese takes minutes to make and comes out crispy and golden exterior, completely melted inside, with large strings of gooey cheese!

3 Tablespoons Butter, softened
4 slices of Bread (I used sourdough)
3 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded
3 ounces Mozzarella cheese, Gruyere, or Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat the air fryer to 370F.
Unfold one slice of bread with butter, masking one aspect utterly.
Place the bread butter aspect down on the air fryer grate.
High with equal quantities of each cheeses.
Butter one aspect of the second slice of bread and place it on high of the cheese, with the butter aspect up.
In case your bread is skinny, add a toothpick to maintain the bread from blowing off.
Cook dinner for 4-5 minutes, then flip and prepare dinner for an additional 4 minutes. When you like your bread extra toasted, you may add one minute at a time.