Air Fryer Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Recipe Snapshot
PREP + COOK TIME: 25 minutes
METHOD: Air Fryer
OTHER TOOLS: butter knife
TOTAL INGREDIENTS: 4
Toasty, buttery, and perfectly melty cheese—yes, it’s an air fryer grilled cheese sandwich! With just 4 simple ingredients, this easy recipe is a game-changer when you need to assemble a quick lunch. Make this classic sandwich for the kids or serve it as a tasty side with soups and salads.
What’s To Love About This Recipe
- If you need a quick lunch with minimal ingredients, this is the solution! The air fryer makes a nice toasty sandwich and eliminates the greasiness you might get from cooking on the stovetop.
- With the air fryer, the toast and cheese won’t burn as easily as in a skillet. If you’re making other dishes at the same time, it helps to be able to take your eyes off of the sandwiches for a few minutes!
- Using deli-sliced American cheese and fresh sliced sourdough is a level up from plastic-wrapped slices and white sandwich bread. This isn’t the sandwich you used to eat as a kid!
- The air fryer keeps the sandwich nice and crisp without getting too soggy from extra butter. It’s a great way to get a crispy outside without lots of added fat necessary for frying.
Ingredients Needed
- Sourdough bread – Four thick slices of fresh sourdough are the perfect size for the air fryer. If you don’t care for sourdough, feel free to swap out for another variety of bakery-fresh bread.
- American cheese – Instead of using the sliced and wrapped American cheese from the cooler case, head to the deli and grab some high-quality fresh sliced cheese. It still melts well, and the flavor is much better!
- Softened butter – Soften some butter to room temperature or microwave for a few seconds to help it spread easily across the sourdough.
- Garlic powder – I love adding a little bit of garlic powder to my butter spread for even more flavor.
How To Make A Grilled Cheese in the Air Fryer
- Stir garlic powder into the butter.
- Spread one side of each slice of bread with 1-2 teaspoons of butter.
- Layer one slice of cheese on each non-buttered side.
- Stack two slices of bread with the cheese sandwiched between them and place the sandwich in the air fryer basket.
- Cook at 360 ℉ for 5-7 minutes, flipping once.
- Turn the air fryer up to 400 ℉ and cook an additional 2-4 minutes until you achieve the desired crispness and browning.
- Let the sandwich cool slightly before cutting it in half.
Tips
- The sandwiches need to be heated in a single layer with space in between for airflow so that they will brown up.
- Choose cheeses that melt easily, such as Gouda or cheddar.
- Use a 5-quart or larger air fryer.
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
A classic grilled cheese sandwich is delicious on its own, but there are also many ways you can elevate it.
- Instead of using plastic-wrapped American cheese singles, get some high-quality fresh sliced cheese. Look for other delicious varieties that are great for melting like Gouda, cheddar, or mozzarella. Some of the best grilled cheese sandwiches include a combo of 2 or more cheeses!
- If you don’t care for sourdough, feel free to swap out for another variety of bakery-fresh bread, such as rustic rye or a fresh brioche.
- Add any thin-sliced precooked meat to the sandwiches, like ham or bacon strips.
- Feel free to play with flavor combos to serve sandwiches as dippers with your favorite soup.
How To Serve A Grilled Cheese Sandwich
A grilled cheese sandwich is the best complement to a cozy cup of soup or a fresh salad.
I love to serve sandwich halves with savory, creamy soups like Instant Pot Tomato Soup, Instant Pot Corn Chowder, or a homemade bisque. The toasty bread makes it perfect for dipping!
Toss a fresh Caesar salad or make a protein-rich Cobb salad with chicken, bacon crumbles, and hard-boiled eggs, and add a sandwich on the side.
Storing and Reheating
After the sandwiches have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Use the air fryer again to reheat right before serving.
Air Fryer Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Toasty, buttery, and perfectly melty cheese—yes, it’s an air fryer grilled cheese sandwich! With just 4 simple ingredients, this easy recipe is a game-changer when you need to assemble a quick lunch. Make this classic sandwich for the kids or serve it as a tasty side with soups and salads.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 slices sourdough bread
- 4 slices American cheese
- 2 tablespoons softened butter
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Stir garlic powder into butter
- Spread one side of each slice of bread with 1-2 teaspoons of butter
- Layer one slice of cheese on each non-buttered side
- Stack two slices of bread with cheese sandwiched between them and place sandwich in air fryer basket
- Cook at 360 ℉ for 5-7 minutes, flipping once
- Turn the air fryer up to 400 ℉ and cook an additional 2-4 minutes until you achieve desired crispness and browning
- Let sandwiches cool slightly before cutting in half
Notes
- Cool the sandwiches, then store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the air fryer.
- Try out different combinations of easy-to-melt cheeses and fresh bakery-style bread.
Air Fryer Grilled Cheese Sandwich FAQs
- Does a grilled cheese need to be flipped in the air fryer? Yes, it is helpful to flip the sandwich to allow the cheese to melt through the middle fully and to get crispy sides on both slices of bread.
- How do you get a crispy grilled cheese in the air fryer? Adding butter to the outside of the bread is the key to crispy grilled cheese! This trick creates a browned, toasty outside with extra flavor, too!
- What is the best temperature to cook grilled cheese in the air fryer? Cooking at 360 ℉ will allow the cheese to fully melt. Then, if you turn it up to 400 ℉, you will get a nice toasted outside on the bread.
