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Air Fryer Grilled Cheese lets you have that crispy, golden bread stuffed with melted cheese without babysitting a skillet on the stove. Making a childhood favorite couldn’t get any easier!
Kids and grown ups alike will love this easy air fryer recipe! Don’t have an air fryer? Try our Oven Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.
Why We Love These Sandwiches
- Golden, Toasted Bread – No need to watch a skillet on the stove to get perfectly toasted bread.
- Melty Cheese – Nothing better than gooey, melted cheese.
- Cooks in Under 10 Minutes – Perfect grilled cheese in minutes!
- Circulating Hot Air = Even Cooking AND Browning
Ingredients for Air Fryer Grilled Cheese
Grab your favorite cheeses to make the best air fryer grilled cheese!
- Texas Toast – This type of bread is perfect for grilled cheese sandwiches. Be sure to choose a thick-cut style of sandwich bread.
- Cheese – Mild cheddar and mozzarella cheeses bring a wonderful flavor profile that everyone will love.
- Garlic Butter – Unsalted butter with a hint of garlic brings a warm flavor profile and blends so well with the cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. If you are not a fan of garlic, go with straight butter. A buttery spread or lightly brushing the bread with olive oil will also work nicely.
- Cooking Spray – There is nothing worse than your sandwich sticking to the air fryer basket! Plus it helps the outside of the bread get all nice and toasty.
How to Make Grilled Cheese in the Air Fryer
The prep to make grilled cheese in the air fryer is similar to on the stove, but the cooking step is way easier!
- Prep – Start by preheating the air fryer (let it run empty for a few minutes) and mix the butter and garlic powder together in a small bowl.
- Butter Bread – Spread a thin layer of the garlic butter on one side of each piece of bread.
- Assemble Sandwich – Place two of the bread pieces in the air fryer basket, butter side down. Top each piece with the shredded cheese and top with the other pieces of bread, butter side up.
- Air Fry – Cook the grilled cheese at 325°F for 5 minutes then carefully flip the sandwiches and cook for 5 more minutes. The sandwiches should be golden brown with gooey, melted cheese.
FAQs
It’s best to use thick-style bread when making an air fryer toasted sandwich. The thick slices get golden on the outside while still being fluffy on the inside. Using thicker slices also prevents thin slices of bread getting moved around by the air fryer’s fan.
Yes, you can use sliced cheese instead of shredded. I like using shredded because the different types blend together well and get extra gooey, but sliced works great too!
Other great cheeses are Gouda, Havarti, Swiss, Provolone, Sharp Cheddar Cheese, and Monterey Jack. Choose your favorite cheese!
Serving Suggestions
While grilled cheese is amazing on its own, I love serving it with a bowl of tomato soup for dipping.
Or, go with the classic diner-style and serve with potato chips, Macaroni Salad, Southern Potato Salad, or Air Fryer Frozen French Fries. Don’t forget the pickle spear!
Variations
- Mayo – Smearing the bread with mayonnaise instead of just butter is a classic trick. Mix up about 2 tablespoons of mayo with 1 tablespoon softened butter and spread on the bread slices.
- Deli Meat – Add some sliced deli meat to the sandwich to make a toasted ham and cheese or turkey and cheese sandwich.
- Bacon – Add a couple slices of crispy cooked bacon to the sandwich.
Storage and Reheating
Storage – Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheating – Reheat in the air fryer at 325° for 3-4 minutes until warmed.
- Cook time – Depending on the size and model of your air fryer the cooking time will vary. The cheese should be fully melted and the bread golden brown for best results.
- Preheating – Although you can skip the preheating step, I find it helps the bread get extra golden.
More Air Fryer Recipes You’ll Love
- Air Fryer Hamburgers
- Air Fryer Fish Sticks
- Easy Air Fryer Home Fries
- Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls
- Air Fryer Shrimp
Air Fryer Grilled Cheese
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 4 pieces Texas Toast style bread
- 3 ounces mild cheddar cheese freshly grated
- 3 ounces mozzarella cheese freshly grated
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 325°.
- Add 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter to a small bowl. Then add ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder and mix together with a fork or spoon until combined. Set the butter mixture aside.
- Once the air fryer is preheated, spread a thin layer of the garlic butter mixture on one side of each of the 4 pieces of the Texas toast.
- Next, spray the air fryer basket base with cooking spray. Then place 2 pieces of Texas toast, butter side down into the air fryer basket. Add ½ of the shredded mild cheddar and ½ of the shredded mozzarella to each piece of bread.
- Finally, place the remaining 2 pieces of Texas toast on top of the cheese, butter side up. Gently press the top slice of bread down onto the cheese. Carefully close the air fryer basket.
- Air fry at 325° for 5 mins on one side. Then carefully flip the grilled cheese sandwiches over and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove the grilled cheese sandwiches from the air fryer and enjoy!
Notes
- Storage – Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheating – Reheat in the air fryer at 325° for 3-4 minutes until warmed.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
