Name: Air Fryer Grilled Cheese
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 13 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 slices sourdough bread, about 160 g; 30 g butter, softened; 80 g mature cheddar, grated; 60 g mozzarella, grated; 1 tsp Dijon mustard

Air Fryer Grilled Cheese

Buttered sourdough filled with cheddar and mozzarella, air fried for 8 minutes until the bread is golden and the cheese has melted.

13 min total Serves 2 servings Easy

What Makes Air Fryer Grilled Cheese Work

Why does a toastie cook so evenly in the air fryer? Hot air surrounds the whole sandwich at once, so both sides brown at the same moment and there is no need to flip the pan or press with a spatula.

Spread the butter on the outside of the bread, edge to edge. A thin, complete layer of fat is what gives an even golden colour. Mayonnaise works too, and some cooks prefer it because it does not burn as quickly.

Use two cheeses: a sharp one for flavour, such as mature cheddar, and a good melter, such as mozzarella. Grate them rather than slicing them, which spreads the cheese across the bread and gives a thinner, more even melt.

The air flow can lift the top slice, so lay a small baking rack or a trivet over the sandwich or tuck the edges down. Cook for 4 minutes on one side, flip, and give it another 4 minutes. Rest for a minute before cutting, or the cheese runs out.

Making Air Fryer Grilled Cheese

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Heat the air fryer to 190°C / 375°F. Spread the butter on one side of each slice of bread.
Turn two slices buttered side down and spread with the mustard. Pile on the cheddar and mozzarella.
Top with the other slices, buttered side up. Press down lightly.
Air fry for 4 minutes, flip carefully and cook for 4 minutes more until golden and the cheese is melted.
Rest for 1 minute, then cut in half and serve.

Small Things That Help

Grate the cheese for a faster, more even melt.
Weigh down the top slice if it lifts in the airflow.
Add a slice of tomato or ham between the cheese for variety.

What to Serve with Air Fryer Grilled Cheese

Tomato soup
Pickles
Crisps
Green salad

Keeping and Reheating

Best eaten straight from the fryer. It does not reheat well.