Air Fryer Grilled Cheese

Name: Air Fryer Grilled Cheese
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 13 min
Ingredients: 4 slices sourdough bread or another good crusty bread; 4 ounces about 1 cup mild cheddar cheese, grated **see notes; 4 ounces about 1 cup Monterey jack cheese, grated, or your favorite; 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

The recipe prices will vary based on fluctuating grocery costs. Please use what is posted as a guide.

Recipe Cost $2.73

Recipe Serving Cost $1.36

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With this Air Fryer Grilled Cheese recipe, there’s no more babysitting a pan. Instead, you’ll get buttery, crisp sandwiches with gooey, stretchy cheese every time.

This recipe costs approximately $2.73 to make. The recipe makes two servings for about $1.36 per sandwich.

I love to eat these sandwiches with a warm bowl of Easy Tomato Soup with Basil.

You may be thinking, why is there a recipe for grilled cheese? Isn’t it just cheese, butter, and bread?

The answer is yes, but achieving the perfect grilled cheese sandwich can be tricky! So, I am sharing my favorite way to make a grilled cheese sandwich to get that ideal ratio of toasted bread to melty cheese proportions.

The secret is the Air Fryer. This hands-off approach is the best way to achieve perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwiches every single time.

The toasty bread gets golden brown and remains sturdy yet soft. At the same time, the cheese melts enough to give you those glorious cheese pulls without getting greasy. As a result, the sandwich is buttery without being soggy.

Once you try making Grilled cheese in the Air Fryer, you will never make it any other way again!

A grilled cheese cut in half and a long line of stretchy cheese coming from it.

Ingredients and Estimated Cost

Per Serving Cost: $1.36

Recipe Cost: $2.73

4 slices sourdough bread – $0.56
4 ounces mild cheddar cheese – $0.64
4 ounces Monterey Jack Cheese – $1.11
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter – $0.42

NOTE: The recipe prices are calculated by using grocery store websites. The recipe cost is calculated by the amounts needed for the recipe. The actual cost of the recipe will vary depending on what ingredients you already have. I updated the pricing for this recipe in February 2023.

How To Make Grilled Cheese In An Air Fryer

***For complete recipe instructions, see the recipe card below.

First, preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees F for five minutes.
Then, spread the butter on one side of each piece of bread.
Next, turn over two slices of bread and top with ½ cup of each grated cheese.
Top with the remaining bread slices, butter side up.
Slightly press the sandwiches together and then place them in the Air Fryer basket.
Finally, cook the sandwiches for five minutes, then flip them over and cook for three more minutes.
Serve immediately.

Recipe Variations

If you don’t like or don’t have cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack, you can use Havarti, Swiss, Muenster, Provolone, Pepper Jack, American, or Goat cheese!
Instead of butter, you can use olive oil or avocado oil.

Storage Tips

SERVE: You’ll want to eat them immediately after com. Serve immediately once they come out of the air fryer, because they cool down rather fast. You can keep them out for about an hour before they need to be refrigerated.

STORE: Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for about 24 hours. They’ll be a little soggy and won’t be as crisp.

REHEAT: Re-crisp by placing in a pan over low heat for 4-6 minutes or you can stick them back in the air fryer for 1-2 minutes.

FREEZE: If you’re going to freeze these, I recommend freezing them before they’re cooked. Place them on a baking sheet and freeze until frozen solid, about 2 hours. Then, transfer the sandwiches to a freezer-safe bag. You can keep them in the freezer like this for 2-3 months.

Recipe FAQs

Can you toast a sandwich in an air fryer?

Yes! This may be my favorite thing about the air fryer and possibly the best-kept secret. The air fryer can do so much more than heat up frozen items. For example, in minutes, a grilled cheese sandwich is toasted to perfection in the Air Fryer.

What does putting tin foil at the bottom of your Airfryer do?

I do not recommend putting tin foil at the bottom of the air fryer for this recipe. It will block the airflow, causing the bread not to toast evenly.

Can you use Pam in an air fryer?

Cooking spray is not needed for this recipe. Many recommend not using cooking spray in an air fryer at all. With the butter on the outside pieces of the sandwich, cooking spray is not needed in the air fryer for these grilled cheese sandwiches.

The finished Grilled Cheese in an Air Fryer.

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