Air Fryer Grilled Cheese

Sometimes there isn’t anything better than a gooey grilled cheese sandwich. I always skip making them though because they can go from perfect to burned in the blink of an eye. This especially became the case after I became a mom and was distracted by small cute humans on the regular.

This Air Fryer Grilled Cheese recipe is the perfect solution. The air fryer does all of the babysitting, so you end up with a perfect grilled cheese sandwich every time.

How to Make Grilled Cheese in Air Fryer

This is a brief overview of how to make an air fryer grilled cheese. For the full recipe and instructions, see the full recipe card at the bottom of the post.

1. Preheat the air fryer. Set it to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and let it warm up for a few minutes while you prepare the bread.
2. Prepare the bread. Slather butter on one side of each slice of bread.
3. Build your sandwich in the air fryer. Place one slice of bread, butter side down, in the air fryer. Add the cheese slices. Top with the other slice of bread, with the butter side up.
4. Air fry it. Set the air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and fry for two minutes. Open the air fryer, flip the sandwich, and fry for a few more minutes until crisp and golden brown.
5. Enjoy immediately.

Best Cheese for Grilled Cheese

When you are looking for the perfect melty cheese for your grilled cheese, you want to make sure that you pick a cheese that melts really well. Not all cheeses are created equal.

• Colby: This is my pick for grilled cheese. It is an American cheese with mild flavor and creamy texture. Perfect for a melty and classic grilled cheese sandwich.
• American Cheese: Walk away from the slices in plastic. You can still get great American cheese that is perfect for melting.
• Monterey Jack: There is a reason that this the cheese I reach for in my Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas.
• Sharp Cheddar Cheese: You can’t beat this classic.
• Havarti: If you are going to venture outside of the classics this is the first one I would reach for.
• Swiss: Can be a more mild cheese, that so many people are familiar with. It melts really well and works perfectly in a grilled cheese.
• Provolone: This has been one of my favorites for years. It has a strong taste that compliments lots of other flavors. I love pairing it with salami!
• Gouda: This always feels like a fancier cheese to me, and it has a stronger flavor than most cheeses, but it is absolutely amazing on grilled cheese.

Best Bread for Grilled Cheese

I love using a thick bread that gets crispy and just crunchy enough for grilled cheese. For this recipe, I used my favorite bread, Artesano from Sara Lee. Ultimately, you want to pick a type of bread that will both hold up to that melted cheese and that you love. Some other great options are:

• Sourdough: You can’t beat the great taste that sourdough brings to a grilled cheese.
• Focaccia: This may not be an obvious choice, but we just got back from Italy, and this is a go to for them! And for good reason.
• Brioche: Buttery soft and so delicious, this is a great way to make for a fancy grilled cheese.
• White Bread: When all else fails, you can’t go wrong with the classic white bread for a great grilled cheese.

Tips for Making Grilled Cheese

• Skip holey bread. If you choose a piece of rye or sourdough bread that has a big hole in it, pass on it and grab a different piece. This will prevent the cheese from leaking out once melted.
• Use room temperature butter. Softened butter will spread much easier on the bread. While it doesn’t need to be super thick, make sure it covers the full surface area of the bread.
• Toast to perfection. The key to cooking time is to have the cheese melted and gooey without burning the bread. The benefit of using the air fryer is the cooking time is accurate and you don’t have to worry about watching it too closely once the timer is set.

Substitutions and Variations

Looking for ways to mix up the traditional air fryer grilled cheese? Check out these ideas for substitutions and variations:

• Use mayonnaise instead of butter on your bread.
• Try different cheeses. As stated above, Colby has the best melting qualities, but other cheeses such as sharp cheddar cheese, white cheddar, American, provolone and Havarti can all yield a delicious grilled cheese sandwich.
• Experiment with different bread. You can use whatever you have on hand or try something new such as sourdough, white, wheat, or my Easy Sandwich Bread.
• Add in some meat: Layering in some meat (like ham, turkey, or salami) is a great way to make a more complex sandwich.
• Take it up a notch. This Turkey Bacon Brie Grilled Cheese tastes like a gourmet sandwich you would order at a restaurant but is super easy.

What Air Fryer to Use

This is the air fryer that I have, and I love it. It’s the second model I’ve tried, and it’s a winner; it cooks all my air fryer recipes perfectly. I like that the air fryer basket is pretty big, which means that when it comes to recipes that you have to cook in a single layer, I can often get away with one batch of cooking.