American
Air Fryer Grilled Cheese
Buttered bread and cheddar melt in the air fryer until the outside is toasted and the cheese pulls. It is a sandwich for the basket, cooked in one layer so the bread actually browns.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 8 min
- Total
- 13 min
- Servings
- 2
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- The basket toasts both sides if you flip.
- Cheddar melts before the bread burns at this temperature.
- It is lunch for two without a skillet to watch the whole time.
- You can see the crust.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
Rough grocery estimate for the full recipe: about $5–$8 at a typical US supermarket. Prices vary by store, region, and season.
Check the ingredients you still need, then add them. If nothing is checked, the full list is added. Saved on this device.
Instructions
- 1
Butter one side of each bread slice and dust the butter with a little garlic powder.
- 2
Build two sandwiches, butter on the outside, cheese in the middle. Two slices of cheese per sandwich.
- 3
Preheat the air fryer to 370°F for 3 minutes.
- 4
Set the sandwiches in a single layer. Do not stack them.
- 5
Air fry 3 minutes, flip, and air fry 2 to 4 minutes more, until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted when you press the top.
- 6
Rest 1 minute so the cheese sets enough to cut.
Pro tips
- A hotter basket burns the bread before the cheese melts. Stay at 370°F.
- If your basket has a strong fan, set a light rack or toothpick to keep the top bread from lifting. Or press once when you flip.
- Two sandwiches is the batch for most baskets. A third one stacked will steam.
Easy substitutions
- Cheddar
- Mozzarella, and expect a milder sandwich
- Butter
- Mayonnaise on the outside for a different crust
- Garlic powder
- Skip it
Storage and reheating
Storage
Eat it now. Refrigerated grilled cheese is a different sandwich.
Reheating
Air fry at 350°F for 2 to 3 minutes. The bread will be drier.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 460
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
Budget friendly · Air Fryer · Vegetarian
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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