How to Make the Perfect Air Fryer Grilled Cheese Sandwich

If you haven't made a air fryer grilled cheese, this is your sign! Real talk, it makes the most perfect grilled cheese—golden brown, crisp on the outside, full of gooey cheese in the middle, and ready in under 10 minutes. 

Why You’ll Love It

This air fryer grilled cheese recipe is the best way to get that crunchy exterior and soft melty cheese center with zero babysitting over a frying pan. 

And you can trust me on that one - not only have I written a grilled cheese cookbook but I've been in the grilled cheese industry for almost 2 decades.

So yes, after alll my years of making america's most iconic sandwich, I can guarantee that this is the easiest grilled cheese recipe ever!

It's a total game-changer for busy days, tomato soup nights, or those "gimme it now!" cravings that only a comforting cheese sandwich can fix.

By using your air fryer basket, you get an even toast on both sides of the bread—with minimal flipping and no greasy mess.

Just pop it in, wait the right amount of time, and boom: lunch is served.

You can use whatever type of bread and types of cheese you’ve got on hand as long as the cheese is a good melter. 

Personally, I love sourdough bread for its crunch and flavor, but white bread, wheat bread, or even potato bread work great. 

As for the filling? Go wild with fontina, havarti, cheddar, monterey jack, gouda, or whatever your favorite cheese is. 

So whether you’re into sharp cheddar, whatever slices of cheese you have in your fridge, or that classic slice of cheddar cheese, this sandwich delivers the delicious cheese pull you dream about.

Go on and grab your grocery store staples, some bread, a little butter, and some grated cheese, and let's get air fryer grillin!

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here's all the ingredients you need to make these air fryer grilled cheese sandwiches. Don't forget to check the recipe card at the bottom of this post for exact measurements. 

Slices of Bread: A hearty, thick cut bread is essential for making this classic sandwich. Use sourdough, white bread, french bread, or whatever kind of bread you love. Thicker bread works best to hold all that gooey cheese.
Cheese: Shredded cheese is ideal when it comes to getting that perfectly melted cheese texture. In my opinion, the best cheeses for melting in a grilled cheese sandwich are muenster, cheddar, fontina, havarti, american cheese, and gouda for next-level meltiness. If you want to used aged cheeses (like parmesan) it's best to stir those into the butter. Another thing to know is that pre-grated cheese or sliced cheese is coated in starch to help the shreds not clump together in the bag. Because of this, you won't get the same creamy center as the cheese melts. To avoid this, grate your cheese by hand every single time!
Butter: Spread a little butter on the outside of the bread (aka the butter side) to get that perfect golden crust. You can also try the mayonnaise side trick for extra crispness.

How to Make It

Here's everything you need to know to make the best grilled cheese sandwich in an air fryer. Don't forget that all air fryer models are not made equally so cooking time may vary. Because of this, you'll want to pay careful attention while cooking. 

ASSEMBLE THE SANDWICH: Stack your cheese slices or shredded cheese blend between two bread slices. Spread salted butter on the side of each slice of bread that will face out.

PREP THE AIR FRYER: Lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray (optional, but helps prevent sticking). If your air fryer requires it, preheat it. Then place the sandwich in a single layer in the basket. If you have an air fryer that tends to move the ingredients around a lot while air frying, gently stick a toothpick in the sandwich to keep the outside of the grilled cheese intact. 

AIR FRY: Set the temperature between 375 - 400°F and air fry for 3-4 minutes. Carefully flip the sandwich to the second side and cook for 3 more minutes. Again, not all fryers are created equal so pay attention if this is your first time making it. It's wild how differently the different models cook so please keep that in mind!

SERVE: Remove from the basket, slice the top slice diagonally for drama, and serve hot. Bonus points for dipping into tomato soup for the ultimate comforting meal.

SAVE: although leftover sandwiches are rare, you can place any leftovers in a tinfoil and keep in the fridge for a day or two.

What Air Fryer Do I recommend?

If you're in the market for a new air fryer, I got you! After testing almost 8 different models, the best air fryer is either the Our Place Wonder Oven or the Ninja dual basket air fryer.

I personally use the the Wonder Oven almost every single day since I have toddlers and it's honestly my favorite thing. I love that it's cute and not super bulky. It also has a lot of features that make my life easier so I highly recommend it. 

What goes with an air fryer grilled cheese

Here are some of my favorite easy recipes to pair with this air fryer grilled cheese:

• Easy Roasted Honey Sriracha Brussel Sprouts Recipe
• Roasted Creamy Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Recipe
• Tuna Melt
• Shortcut 1905 Salad
• Caprese Pasta Salad Recipe
• Crispy Pita Fries with Tzatziki
• Hot Honey Sauce

For more air fryer recipes, check out my: 5 Minute Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes Recipe, my Korean Fried Chicken Sandwich - Using Red Bag Chicken in the Air Fryer or these Crispy Air Fryer Asparagus with Parmesan and Lemon.

Recipe