These Air Fryer Grilled Cheese Sandwiches have melty cheese on the inside and buttery, perfectly toasted, golden brown bread on the outside. They're the best classic grilled cheese ever, and they're so easy!
Just when you thought grilled cheese couldn't possibly get any better, along comes the air fryer and totally changes everything. How so? One simple word: CRISPY!
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I will say that grilled cheese was not something I initially thought of making in the air fryer. I was skeptical about it, thinking I needed contact with a hot frying pan to get the crispiness. But I tried it anyway because...why not? And, holy cow, am I ever glad I did.
A frying pan may get your grilled cheese a little crispy, but an air fryer will get your grilled cheese super crispy. And, wow, does it make a big difference. It's a total game-changer, folks!
Honestly, unless my air fryer is broken, I'm pretty sure I will never make grilled cheese in a frying pan ever again. I'm even making my beloved Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese Sandwiches in the air fryer now.
If you've already got an air fryer, this recipe is a must-try. If you don't have one yet but have been on the fence, I say go for it. Recipes like this will make you really happy you did!
Ingredients You Need
- Bread (any kind; I use basic white bread most often)
- Butter (softened)
- American cheese (or any easy-melting cheese)
How to Make Air Fryer Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Tips & Tidbits
- Butter the bread evenly and completely from end to end. Don't leave any bare spots.
- Use any bread you like.
- Although I've never had an issue, if your bread is super lightweight, there is a chance that the circulating air can lift up the top pieces of bread and blow them around the air fryer. Check shortly after putting the sandwiches in the air fryer to see if this is happening.
- To prevent this, you can put wooden toothpicks (no plastic) in each sandwich to hold the bread in place (just remember to remove them before serving). You probably will only need to use them while the first side is cooking. After that, the cheese will have usually melted enough to hold the bread on.
- Use any cheese you like (as long as it's one that melts well).
- I think two slices of cheese are perfect here. Sometimes it's tempting to add more, but if you add too much, you risk the bread getting too dark before the cheese melts all the way.
- I like sliced cheese because it's less messy and stays in place better when you flip, but you can absolutely use shredded cheese if that's what you've got.
- I tested this recipe using a 6-quart air fryer, and two sandwiches fit perfectly. If your air fryer is smaller, you may need to cook one sandwich at a time.
- All air fryers are different, and all bread is different, so use the suggested cooking time as a general guideline. Keep an eye on the sandwiches and adjust the time as needed.
Of course, these are awesome served alongside some of my creamy tomato soup for a delicious lunch or sandwich night dinner, but I think they go with pretty much any soup...or just a simple side of potato chips...or all by themselves in all their melty, gooey, super-crispy glory!
I hope you try this Air Fryer Grilled Cheese Sandwiches recipe and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
More Air Fryer Recipes to Try
If you make this recipe, I'd love to know how it went. Please leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
📋Recipe
Air Fryer Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 4 slices bread, any kind
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 4 slices American cheese, or any easy-melting cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 350°F. Note: If your air fryer doesn't have a preheat function, set it to 350°F and run it for 5 minutes to heat it up.
- While the air fryer is preheating, assemble the sandwiches.Butter one side of each piece of bread with ½ tablespoon of the butter, making sure that you spread it right to the ends of the bread so that it is evenly coated and there are no bare spots.
- Place two slices of the buttered bread on a clean work surface, buttered-side down, and top each slice of bread with 2 slices of cheese.
- Top with the remaining 2 slices of bread, buttered-side up.
- Place the sandwiches in the preheated air fryer in a single layer (don't stack), making sure to leave some space in between them for proper air circulation. Note: This recipe was tested using a 6-quart air fryer, and 2 sandwiches fit easily. If you have a smaller air fryer, you may have to cook one at a time.
- Air fry at 350°F for 4 minutes.
- Carefully flip the sandwiches over; air fry for another 4 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown and crispy.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Although I've never had an issue, if your bread is super lightweight, there is a chance that the circulating air can lift up the top pieces of bread and blow them around the air fryer. Check shortly after putting the sandwiches in the air fryer to see if this is happening.
- To prevent this, you can put wooden toothpicks (no plastic) in each sandwich to hold the bread in place (just remember to remove them before serving). You probably will only need to use them while the first side is cooking. After that, the cheese will have usually melted enough to hold the bread on.
- All air fryers are different, and all bread is different, so use the suggested cooking time as a general guideline. Keep an eye on the sandwiches and adjust the time as needed.
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