This gooey, golden-brown Air Fryer Grilled Cheese is the ultimate comfort food, ready in just 10 minutes! Perfectly crispy on the outside and melty on the inside, this modern twist on a classic sandwich delivers pure satisfaction with less hassle.
At only 264 calories per serving, it’s a quick and scrumptious option for busy weekday lunches or cozy weekend meals. The air fryer method ensures consistent results every time, giving you that ideal crunch without hovering over a stovetop.
Ingredients for Perfect Air Fryer Grilled Cheese
- Bread: 2 fresh slices, any variety you prefer
- Butter: Room temperature for easy spreading
- Cheese: 1 slice of your favorite melting cheese
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prep the Bread: Generously butter one side of each bread slice, ensuring even coverage without overdoing it
- Cheese Assembly: Fold your cheese slice and place it between the bread slices, with buttered sides facing outward
- Position Check: Ensure cheese is neatly tucked inside to prevent any burning during cooking
- Air Frying: Place your sandwich in the air fryer basket and set temperature to 360°F
- Cooking Time: Cook for 8 minutes total, carefully flipping at the 5-minute mark
- Final Touch: Remove from air fryer, let it cool for a moment until safe to handle
- Serve: Enjoy your perfectly crispy, melty grilled cheese sandwich!
Cooking Techniques
Want to make the perfect grilled cheese in your air fryer? The magic happens in how you build your sandwich! Spread the butter evenly on the outside of each bread slice – this creates that golden-brown crunch we all love. Folding your cheese slice instead of laying it flat helps it melt more evenly and keeps it from oozing out. A quick tip: press down gently on the edges of your sandwich before cooking to seal them nicely.
Variations
Let’s make this classic even better! Try these tasty twists:
- Use different cheeses like sharp cheddar, gouda, or Swiss
- Add thin tomato slices or crispy bacon
- Spread a little mayo on the outside instead of butter for extra crispiness
- Try sourdough or whole wheat bread for new flavors
- Sprinkle some garlic powder on the buttered sides for a savory kick
Serving Suggestions
Your air fryer grilled cheese is perfect with:
- A warm bowl of tomato soup for dipping
- A handful of potato chips or pickle spears
- A light green salad to balance the richness
- A cup of hot soup on cold days Give your sandwich about 1-2 minutes to cool before cutting – this helps the cheese set just right!
Storage Tips
Grilled cheese tastes best fresh and hot! If you need to save it for later, wrap it in foil and pop it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. To reheat, put it back in the air fryer at 320°F for 2-3 minutes. The bread will crisp up again, and the cheese will get nice and melty!
Air Fryer Grilled Cheese
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 2 slices bread
- 1 slice cheese
- to taste butter
Instructions
- Butter one side of each slice of bread. Use enough butter to cover the bread, but do not over butter.
- Fold the cheese and place in-between the bread slices. Make sure that the buttered side is facing out. Be sure the cheese is folded and tucked inside the bread to keep it from burning.
- Place the air fryer grilled cheese sandwich in the air fryer basket and cook at 360 degrees F for 8 minutes. Gently flip at 5 minutes.
- Remove your air fryer grilled cheese sandwich, let cool and ENJOY!
