Classic Grilled Cheese Sandwich Air Fryer
Who doesn’t love grilled cheese sandwiches? It is a classic American sandwich that is the ultimate comfort food. It can be a satisfying meal, a complimentary side, or a kids’ favorite snack. Making delicious grilled cheese though requires patience and time. If you cook too fast or use the wrong ingredients, you might end up with dry, hard bread with cold cheese inside. The goal is to get that golden crunchy crust on the outside and gooey cheesy goodness center. Don’t you just love a good cheese pull?
If you have a hard time making grilled cheese on the skillet, do not worry. Your air fryer and this recipe will save you. There is absolutely no babysitting or constantly flipping the sandwich or even worrying about whether or not your cheese has melted. Making grilled cheese in the air fry is so easy and the results are super amazing. All you have to do is assemble your sandwich, pop it in the air fryer, flip it once and boom it’s done.
Don’t miss out on that cheese pull and serve hot with a creamy tomato basil soup. For more combinations view the suggested pairings below. Check out the recipe card below and most commonly asked questions for more. If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave me a comment below. I would love to hear from you all!
What bread to use for the grilled cheese sandwich?
For best results, I recommend using good-quality artisan-style bread for a great grilled cheese sandwich. A thick white bread will crisp up perfectly in the air fryer. Some recommendations are Texas Toast, thick white bread, or sourdough bread. You may use regular sandwich bread, however, the air fryer will dry out the bread and make it a bit hard. You want the bread to be thick enough to hold and melt the cheese nicely but not too thin where the entire sandwich becomes dry.
What cheese is best for grilled cheese sandwich?
You may use one type of cheese or a combination of different ones. Some of the recommendations are medium cheddar, Monterey Jack, American cheese, Havarti, or gouda. You can use sliced cheese or shredded. Shredded cheese will melt nicely and will give you a beautiful cheese pull. Please be sure to shred your own cheese if you do decide to use shredded cheese.
What to serve with grilled cheese?
Here are some of the recommendations:
- Tomato Basil Soup (Video)
- Marinara Sauce
- Fries
- Butternut squash soup
- Salad
- ketchup
Should I use butter or mayo?
Butter or mayo is used to give the bread a nice golden color and a crispy look. Butter is more commonly is used to make a grilled cheese sandwich. I tried both and I got better results with mayo in the air fryer. Mayo tends to give a nice color to the bread. Some people, however, do not like the taste of mayo and in that case, butter works just as well. You may also use a combination of mayo and butter to achieve both the color and the taste.
Can I add anything else inside the sandwich?
Yes! of course. I love adding thin slices of tomatoes and spinach to my grilled cheese. I have also made this with turkey slices and the results were amazing. Just keep in mind that this cooks for 8-10 mins at 350 F. So add whatever you think can be cooked in this time frame. I also like to add some seasoning to the butter, such as garlic powder, Italian seasoning, or parsley for an extra kick.
Air Fried Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Make this classic grilled cheese sandwich in the air fryer. Golden crunchy perfection from the outside and gooey cheesy goodness from the inside.
- Air Fryer
- 2 slices bread
- 1 tbsp butter (unsalted) or mayonaise
- 3-4 slices cheese
Preheat your air fryer for 3 mins at 370° F
Spread butter or mayo on one side of each side of the bread.
Lightly spray cooking oil on the air fryer tray.
Place the bread (butter/mayo) side down, place cheese on top and then place another slice of bread (butter/mayo) side up.
Air fry at 370° F for 8 mins. Flip at the halfway mark (4 mins)
Serve hot with your favorite side.
- Each air fryer is different so please be sure to adjust time and temperature accordingly.
- You may season the outsides of the bread to your liking prior to placing it in the air fryer (example: Italian seasoning, garlic powder).