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AF Air Fryer VG Vegetarian

Air Fryer Grilled Cheese Sandwich – with variations!

5
/5
15 mins
6 Comments
Jump to Recipe Video
By: Rachel GurkPosted: 11/11/2020Updated: 10/24/2022

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Two grilled cheese sandwiches in an air fryer basket. Text overlay reads "air fryer grilled cheese, and recipe ideas!"
Bacon and avocado inside a grilled cheese sandwich.
Pear and blue cheese grilled cheese sandwich with a bite taken out.
Overhead view of lunch with grilled cheese. Text overlay reads "air fryer grilled cheese with three unique recipes)

Air fryer grilled cheese are the best grilled cheese sandwiches ever! No question about it, you’ll be convinced after the first bite.

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: Because it’s the perfect grilled cheese, that’s why!

How long it takes: 15 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: air fryer, spatula
Servings: 1

Overhead view of a grilled cheese sandwich on a white plate, being pulled apart to show cheese.
Table of Contents
open
  • 1 Recipe Overview
  • 2 About this recipe
  • 3 What you’ll need
  • 4 How to make grilled cheese in the air fryer
  • 5 Variations
  • 6 Storage & Reheating Tips
  • 7 Air Fryer magic – more recipes
  • 8 Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Grilled Cheese – 3 variations!

Love grilled cheese sandwiches? Try using your air fryer for the best grilled cheese sandwiches imaginable! Super crispy, never soggy or squished, with cheese that just melts perfectly right into the bread. Using an air fryer to make grilled cheese sandwiches is a watershed event. You’ll never go back to a skillet sandwich.

I am a self-proclaimed grilled cheese queen.That’s a nicer way to say I’m a grilled cheese junkie. In college, I was known for my nearly constant diet of grilled cheese sandwiches. Who doesn’t love melty cheese and toasty bread?! I just wish I would have had an air fryer back then.

Grilled cheese sandwich halves, and tomato soup

And don’t you just love dressing up grilled cheese sandwiches? Different kinds of cheese, whole grain bread, mustard, deli meats, spinach (yes, spinach on grilled cheese is so good!), with tomato, with bacon, avocado, tuna, the list is endless.

You’ll also love this Parmesan crusted pepperoni pizza grilled cheese. And sliders are basically a grilled cheese done en masse, aren’t they? Try ham and cheese sliders or turkey sliders, they’re real crowd pleasers.

Toasted sandwich with cheese, alongside potato chips and tomato soup.

About this recipe

Bread, cheese, butter. It’s so simple, I almost hesitate to call this a recipe. However, in this post and in the recipe card, you’ll see directions for a classic grilled cheese and few delicious variations that you’re going to love. 

Stack of super cheese grilled cheese sandwich halves, with an air fryer in the background.

What you’ll need

Bread

Choose your favorite kind of sliced bread. Whole grain bread is amazing but white bread is pretty awesome, too. Try raisin bread, cinnamon swirl bread, or rye for a more unique treat. Homemade no knead whole wheat bread is perfect for grilled cheese.

Ciabbata and sourdough make ultra-crunchy grilled cheese sandwiches. A bread with a lot of seeds and grains will also get super crunchy, and those seeds and nuts in the bread will toast up a little and become ultra-flavorful.

Both thin bread and thicker slices will work, but your cooking time might change slightly, so keep an eye on it.

Cheese

Choose your favorite kind of cheese. I’m beginning to sound like a broken record.

Cheddar is tops: white, mild, sharp, extra sharp, Vermont, New York, farmhouse, Wisconsin, there are so many varieties of cheddar cheese. 

Provolone, mozzarella, and muenster are melting queens and will give you the most irresistible cheese pulls when you go to bite into your sandwich.

If you’re feeling a more adventurous try brie, gouda, asiago, feta, monterey jack, blue cheese, or a combination of cheeses. These possibilities are endless!

Butter

You’ll want softened or spreadable butter so you don’t tear the bread when you’re spreading the butter.

Butter the outside of the bread, or if you like, butter the inside, too. Some people like to “butter” the bread with mayonnaise instead of butter because mayo has a higher smoke point and leads to a super crunchy grilled cheese.

Overhead view of toasted sandwich halves, potato chips, and a bowl of cheese topped tomato soup.

What kind of cheese is best for a grilled cheese sandwich?

Use any kind of cheese you like, as long as it’s cheese that melts well. Sharp cheddar cheese is a favorite because it’s so flavorful but there are so many kinds of cheese that work: Havarti, Swiss, munster, provolone, pepper Jack, Monterey Jack, soft cheeses like goat cheese or blue cheese, vegan cheese, the list is endless. Choose any type of cheese that melts well. If you really love American cheese slices, go for it. It’s a classic combination! 

Slice the cheese from a block or use pre-sliced cheese. Shredded cheese works, too, it’s just a little messier.

Grilled cheese being made in an air fryer.

How to make grilled cheese in the air fryer

  • Preheat your air fryer to 400°F.
  • Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread.
  • Place the cheese on the unbuttered side, and top with another slice of buttered bread, butter side out.
  • Place sandwich on the rack in your air fryer. Poke a toothpick through all the layers to keep the top slice from flying off. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, flip (remove toothpick), and continue cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until golden brown.
  • Enjoy! Serve your grilled cheese sandwiches with homemade Instant Pot tomato soup or smoky roasted tomato soup for a classic meal. Grilled cheese sandwiches are perfect with homemade vegetable soup, too. Go all cheesy and serve the sandwiches with crockpot mac and cheese (ready in 2 hours). Keep things simple and serve your sandwiches with refrigerator dill pickles or homemade sweet potato chips that you make in a microwave oven. 
Grilled cheese made with blue cheese and pear slices.

Variations

Blue Cheese and Pear Grilled Cheese

This is a seriously classy grilled cheese sandwich. Ripe, juicy pear combined with blue cheese crumbles will make you feel like you’re at a fancy sandwich shop. A touch of dijon mustard takes the flavor off the charts! 

An open faced grilled cheese before it is cooked, containing pears and blue cheese crumbles.

Bacon Avocado Grilled Cheese

What’s better than bacon and avocado? The creamy ripe avocado is the perfect complement to the salty, crisp bacon. Try this grilled cheese with sharp cheddar, or pepper jack for a spicy twist. 

Stacked sandwich halves filled with bacon, avocado, and melted cheese.

Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Sometimes the classics can’t be beat! A slice or two of salty  thin sliced deli ham (or leftover ham!) is the perfect complement to a cheesy sandwich. Try this one with Swiss or cheddar cheese. 

Tomato & Cheddar Grilled Cheese

My favorite summertime treat when the tomatoes are at their prime! I like the make the grilled cheese with extra sharp cheddar and then pry it open and put a big juicy tomato slice in the middle of all that melty cheese. If you like the tomato warm, you could put it in right from the beginning, but be warned your bread might get slightly soggy this way.

Caprese Grilled Cheese

The perfect summer bite! Try big slices of mozzarella cheese with lots of fresh tomato and basil. Level up by drizzling your bread with balsamic reduction before adding the fillings.

A grilled cheese sandwich being prepared.

Storage & Reheating Tips

I doubt you’ll have leftover grilled cheese but if you do, wrap the sandwiches well and refrigerate for up to two days. For best results, you’ll want to use your air fryer to re-crisp the sandwiches. A brief stint in your toaster oven or in a skillet on the stove works okay, too. 

Air Fryer magic – more recipes

If these air fryer grilled cheese sandwiches convince you that you’re not using your air fryer nearly often enough, try:

  • Air Fryer Apple Fritters with apple cider glaze
  • Air Fryer Sweet Potato Hash with candied bacon!
  • Air Fryer French Fries
  • Air Fryer French Toast Sticks
  • Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
  • Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks — best method!
  • Air Fryer Salmon — easy and delicious! 
  • Air Fryer Grilled Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich by Fork To Spoon
  • Oil Free Roasted Nuts in your air fryer by Simmer to Slimmer.
Sandwich halves that halve been toasted, filled with avocado, cheese, and bacon, served with tomato soup.

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Air fryer grilled cheese sandwich on a white plate, halves pulled apart to show cheese.
Recipe

Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Grilled Cheese – 3 variations!

5 from 1 vote
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 15 mins
1 sandwich
Print Rate Recipe
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Air fryer grilled cheese are the best grilled cheese sandwiches ever! No question about it, you'll be convinced after the first bite.

Ingredients

  • 2 slices bread of choice
  • 3 to 4 slices sharp cheddar cheese (or any cheese you like!)
  • 1 tablespoon butter, softened

Instructions

  • Preheat air fryer to 400ºF.
  • Spread one side of each slice of bread with butter. Place cheese on unbuttered side of bread and top with other slice of bread, buttered side facing out.
  • Place sandwich in air fryer, and poke a toothpick through all three layers to prevent the top slice of bread from flying off. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Flip, removing toothpick, and continue to cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until golden brown.

Notes

  • Nutrition information will vary depending on what type of bread you choose and how much cheese you add.

Variations

  • Blue Cheese and Pear: 2 ounces blue cheese; ½ ripe pear, thinly sliced; 2 teaspoons grainy Dijon mustard.
  • Bacon Avocado with Cheddar on whole grain bread: 2 slices cooked bacon; ¼ ripe but firm avocado, cut into thin slices; 3 to 4 slices sharp white cheddar cheese.
  • Look for more ideas in the post above.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1sandwich, Calories: 597kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 42g, Saturated Fat: 24g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 114mg, Sodium: 904mg, Potassium: 147mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1193IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 667mg, Iron: 2mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Author: Rachel Gurk

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  1. J.M. Hardin says

    December 16, 2021 at 6:38 pm

    You have me considering my family’s traditional New Year’s Day dinner in my air fryer: Lone Eagles. It’s ham, turkey, and a tomato slice on buttered bread with a slice of cheese on top, all run under the broiler until the cheese melts.

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      December 17, 2021 at 2:53 pm

      Oh yum!!! That sounds incredible!

      Reply
  2. denise says

    November 12, 2020 at 12:04 am

    now I”m hungry for grilled cheese and tomato soup

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      November 12, 2020 at 7:02 am

      Mission accomplished! ;)

      Reply
  3. Brenda Schenck says

    November 11, 2020 at 9:22 am

    Love grilled cheese in Airfryer…my favorite is pimento cheese grilled in Airfryer. The first time I tried it, the top bread few around…lol…so now I either put few toothpicks in or lay a rack on it…I love the crunch you get with Airfryer…

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      November 11, 2020 at 1:23 pm

      Oh yum, that sounds delicious! And great tip! I didn’t have that problem, but I have experienced that with other things in the air fryer. I agree, the crunch is unparalleled!

      Reply

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