Air Fryer Simple Grilled American Cheese Sandwich is so easy to make and is hands off. Ready in only a few minutes and uses less butter than using a skillet! Use your air fryer or crisplid!
Air Fryer Simple Grilled American Cheese Sandwich
I wasn’t planning on making a blog post for this sandwich.
I was hungry, it was lunch time and I wanted a simple grilled cheese sandwich. Since I had just got another new air fryer, I wanted to test out new toy Air Fryer.
There was no thought, really. I have been testing out various air fryer and have been trying out various types of food and cooking methods.
Please feel free to join the chat at Facebook Air Fryer Recipe Group, where we share recipes, methods and fun.
Cast of Ingredients for Air Fryer Simple Grilled American Cheese Sandwich
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Ingredients to Air Fryer Simple Grilled American Cheese Sandwich
- Bread
- American Cheese
- Butter or Mayonnaise
See, just simple, bread, cheese and butter. Yep, I made that bread myself. It is a Hokkaido Milk Sandwich Loaf and it is quite simple to make, really.
We stopped buying bread in this house, as commercial bread is made so quickly in a factory and many people believe they are gluten intolerant, as a result of the feeling they get after eating commercial bread.
I don’t use commercial yeast in most of the bread I make and prefer natural fermentation, Sourdough Starter.
This Air Fryer Simple Grilled American Cheese Sandwich is on Hokkaido Milk Sandwich Loaf bread is simply delicious.
Butter the Bread
How to Make Air Fryer Grilled American Cheese Sandwich
- Butter one side of each piece of bread.
- Place American Cheese in between both slices with the butter side out.
- Mayonnaise is also great to use for this Air Fryer Grilled American Cheese Sandwich.
- The sandwich then cooks in the Air Fryer or the Crisplid. (recipe and full instructions below).
If you like tomatoes, a nice slice of a tomato inside the sandwich is fantastic too!
We keep our bread frozen, so it is easier to butter.
Place Sandwich in Air Fryer
Please check my article on How to Properly Season Air Fryer Basket before starting.
How to Prevent Bread from Flying Around in Air Fryer
- Some people report that the top piece of bread flies off the Air Fryer Simple American Cheese Sandwich.
- To prevent this from happening, use a Stainless Steel Trivet or toothpicks to hold down the top piece of bread.
- The solution is a simple one.
Air Fryer Simple Grilled American Cheese Sandwich
That’ll be it folks! Quick lunch, melty, toasted perfectly.
Serve with a delicious piping hot bowl of my homemade Pressure Cooker Nordstrom Tomato Basil Soup. Enjoy!
And this my dear friends, is the story of how my Air Fryer Simple Grilled American Cheese Sandwich recipe was born and my total love with this brand of Air Fryer began.
It totally changed my opinion. I have created several hundred air fryer recipes since then and I hope you will check them all out.
More Air Fryer Recipes to Make:
- Air Fryer Chinese Salt and Pepper Pork Chops
- Air Fryer Hamburger Hamlet’s Zucchini Zircles
- Air Fryer Crispy Honey Garlic Chicken Wings
- Air Fryer Rib Eye Steak with Blue Cheese Butter Keto
- Air Fryer Southern Fried Catfish {Louisiana Cajun Style}
If you don’t have an Air Fryer, you don’t know what you are missing.
Kitchen Equipment and Essentials
- Ultrean 8.5 Quart Air Fryer
- Amco Advanced Performance 18/10 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
- Stainless Steel Tall/Short Trivet & Egg Cooker Set
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Here is your handy printable recipe:
Air Fryer Simple Grilled American Cheese Sandwich
Print Pin Save RateIngredients
- 2 slices Sandwich Bread
- 2-3 slices Cheddar Cheese
- 2 teaspoons Butter or Mayonnaise
Crisplid Instructions
Instructions
Air Fryer Instructions
- Place cheese between bread slices and butter the outside of both slices of bread.
- Place in air fryer and cook at 370 degrees for 8 minutes. Flip, halfway through.
Crisplid Instructions
- Place cheese between bread slices and butter the outside of both slices of bread.
- Place tall trivet into pressure cooker and place crisplid basket on top.
- Place sandwich into crisplid basket and place crisplid on top of pressure cooker.
- Cook at 400 degrees for 8 minutes, flipping over after 5 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
PIN this Air Fryer Simple Grilled American Cheese Sandwich!
Cool time is definitely altitude based. Took 12 minutes to brown. Thank you for the neat idea!
Hey there tried it and it worked perfectly! I even put a small amount of pizza sauce on one inside side of bread. Thank you.
I would rate this recipe 5 stars! Super crispy! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks, Ginny. Jill
The ONLY way I could love your recipes more is if the ingredients and directions came first and all the great commentary and tips after to enjoy when I’m not in a hurry to cook!
Thank you very much, but it is the only way I am compensated for my hard work of keeping up the blog, so that change can’t happen. Jill
Oh, gurl. You think making a cheese sandwich, in an air fryer, counts as “hard work”? Why don’t you make the cheese and butter while you’re not eating your “commercial” bread? Please. I hope you go bankrupt. Your morals certainly already have!
I’ve made many of your recipes for the air fryer and instant pot. All turned out wonderful. I’ve sent your links to my friends and family for their AF and IP.
Finally made the grilled cheese sandwich today. *chef kiss*
Can’t wait to make it for my 30yr old son when he returns from his latest deployment. His first words to me anytime I see him are “grill me a cheese”
Not that it’s hard, just a hassle for me having to stand over a frying pan. So, next time he ask, instead of telling him to ask his wife, will be, you got it Son.
Thanks Jill for everything.
Hi Pam. Thank you so much for your kind words. You are exactly what makes me so happy with what I do. Enjoy the grilled cheese and all the other recipes. Jill
Hi , I just can’t grasp which buttons to push
To make my grilled cheese. I know I must sound very dense. Sorry. Please help.cecilia
Have you read the user manual for your air fryer?
I can’t wait to make this sandwich. I tried yesterday but got very confused on which and when to push buttons. I have Emeril s air fry. Please help.thanks
Are you supposed to press the bread down flat, like you would do with a spatula, if you were doing it in a pan? I spray Parkay spray on the bread and I leave it in there until it turns light brown but when it’s done the bread is really crunchy (which I like ) but almost too crunchy and it is so thick I can’t hardly get my mouth around it. (It crumbles everywhere when I bite it because it’s so hard) I didn’t see that anyone else had the same issue? Not sure why unless I’m supposed to press bread down before I cook it? Or maybe I need to cook it a lower temperature? Anyone?
You can smash it down if you like. Jill
Thanks for a simple but great recipe, Jill. You instilled the confidence in me to launch my Crisplid with a grilled cheese sandwich, one of the best I’ve ever had!
I was worried about the still-cold butter coming off on the bottom side, so I grilled both slices on the buttered side (I was worried two slices from the center of the loaf would be too big to fit in the basket at the same time but it worked perfectly) for one minute at 400 and then assembled the sandwich, followed by 4 more minutes on the first side and finishing off with 3 on the other. Couldn’t be happier with the result and am not so scared of the Crisplid anymore! (Beckman’s Asiago Sourdough and pre-sliced Cheddar left over from a Safeway Party Tray.)
Asiago sourdough and cheddar sounds wonderful. Thank you. Jill
Thanks for CrispLid variation. I am just beginning to us it so very helpful info.
We just bought an air fryer countertop oven yesterday…..I made these for lunch today and my husband agreed this is the best grilled cheese sandwich we ever tasted….thank you!
Thank you, Phyllis. Enjoy your air fryer. It’s lots of fun. Jill
Thank you for your posting. I am a new air fryer person. I made chicken and was looking for other things to cook
You are4 welcome, Diane. Thank you for visiting my site. Jill
Our new favorite snack, thank you for the recipe.
Thank you so much, Jessica. Jill
You can always use mayo instead of butter. Taste phenomenal and its obviously very spreadable!
I am just using my air fryer for the first time today. I just made your grilled cheese sandwich for my 2 little daughters. I didn’t have any butter, so I just brushed the bread lightly with olive oil. They absolutely love it. I’m looking forward to trying more of your air fryer recipes. I’ve loved all your Instant Pot recipes.
Thank you, Amy. Jill
I love it. I was sitting here, almost 9pm, kids were not hungry, not knowing what to do. And I really wanted a grilled chees sand. Found you and the sand. So very good. Thanks for sharing.
I bought a loaf of pre sliced Italian bread from walmart in the day old bin. .75 cents for a loaf the size of my arm. Yes the rumors are true and if you don’t have the bread stuck down it will fly. I used a light layer of mayo to stick it down and it worked great. I also added turkey and it was delicious.
Sounds terrific, Shane. 🙂 Jill
I don’t understand how it has less fat and calories then making it in a skillet? Its made the same exact way just placed in air fryer instead of a skillet.
it’s not sitting in the butter is probably making it a little better for you.
Like a lot of people now, I use mayo on the outside of my bread instead of butter, it makes the bread extra crispy, and I promise you can’t taste the mayo. And, do you flip the bread over and butter the other side?
I just yesterday received my GoWise air fryer. Do you think I’ll get good results of I forego the butter on the outside of the bread and use Pam Butter spray?
just tried— only way I will do it from now on. I use my air fryer every day.
Wow! This was awesome. One thing I did was melt the butter and brush it on the bread with a pastry brush (20 secs on high in the microwave). So…delicious and crispy. Much better than when I make on the stovetop!
This is similar to how we do it at my house. I have a Cuisinart TOA-60, so I can make 4 grilled cheese at a time. I take half a stick of butter and melt it in a pie plate using my microwave. Then, I lay a piece of bread on the plate to grab some melted butter, lay that piece on the airfryer basket set over the solid tray, plate a piece of sliced cheese on top of that, repeat the butter step with a second piece of bread, and lay that butter side up on top of the cheese. 2-3 minutes per side on the air fry setting, 400 degrees F. Perfection served with some homemade Instant Pot tomato bisque (I use goat cheese in my bisque, so yummy).
I tried this sandwich and it is very tasty, but Please explain how Air Fryer Simple Grilled American Cheese Sandwich is 50% less calories? as when I use exactly the same ingredients in the skillet?
How is an air fried grilled cheese sandwich 50% less calories when the ingredients used are the same as are used with a griddle?
I was wondering the same thing! Hmmm
Got any recipes for the air fryer oven? Do you have to do things differently?
in my Nutrichef – after three tries – 347degrees for THREE minutes oer side
And DEFINITELY nail down with toothpicks
Good, crispy, but I used the same ingredients I use when grilling in a skillet so not sure why it’s “50% less fat calories”.
I’m seriously interested in purchasing an air fryer, and need to know if this is one of those gadgets that are best used near the stove power vent. The one spot in my kitchen I can see putting one is under cabinetry, and I’m concerned about the heat harming the wood. At least there isn’t a huge steam issue as with the Instant Pot.
Suzanne, mine is kept in one of the corners in my kitchen, under the cabinet. No problem. Jill
How do you do smelts in a air fryet?
I love grilled cheese and grilled peanut butter in the Air Fryer.
Often I press diced jalapeño peppers onto the outside of the bread, the butter makes them stick. They grill up beautifully and taste as good as they look!
Hi Kerryl. Sounds yummy. Jill
You seem to have a good number of air fryer recipes, but your website is so clogged with ads, it is impossible just to get to a recipe. It took me absolutely forever just to get the website to load and get to this comment section. As the ads rotate, the website just stops moving, including while I am trying to type. So frustrating.
So sorry about that, Cheryl. Let me see if I can fix that for you. Jill
What temperature do you set air fryer on? And how long do you cook it?
I made this today and it came out perfect! I checked it every 2 mins and flipped half way through. My Farberware AF only took 6 mins. SO GOOD!
Easy and great!
Toothpicks work good too for keeping the bread from blowing off. Just found this site. I have a toastmaster air fryer and was looking for recipes and ran upon this page. Glad I did.
Do you preheat the airfryer first?
So I attempted this with my power airfryer xl. And my top layer of bread got melded upright by the cheese that flew off it. Then I tried to toast a bit more with what I saved of my poor sandwich and i could hear the bread started to fly in my machine. I guess I need to weigh it down with something
If you smear a thin layer of adobo sauce on the inside surface of one of the bread slices next to the cheese, it turns the flavor up somewhere past Eleven. 🙂
I love horseradish on grilled cheese sandwiches. Well, almost any sandwich, actually, but it’s especially good with sharp cheddar cheese.
Tried it tonight with some homemade tomato soup and it was incredible.
Can you make battered fish in an air fryer? as in fish and chips? I love the French fries but am scared to make the fish…
Hi Terry~
Check out my Chick Fil-A recipe and use that method.
Jill
love making grilled cheese sandwiches in my air fryer…i also like to include a sprinkling of shredded cheddar cheese on the top after I flip it over at the half way mark. So yummy!
I have a 5.3 air fryer and the bread would blow around so someone told me to put a small wire rack on top of bread to keep it down and it works.
How do you prevent the sandwich from blowing apart in the air fryer. I had to lay a rack on mine…
Yes, my bread flew into the fan and burned a corner, took double the time and crust was very dry…because I have the xl??
Use a toothpick
Looks super tasty and now I’m curious about your bread too!
Hubby is experimenting tonight with our new GoWise air fryer; we’re going to see if he can do a Cuban sandwich 😉
Hi Natalie~
Cuban sandwiches are quite yummy. I love the medianoche myself. 🙂
Jill
Your recipes look great! My wife will not be happy if you make me buy an air fryer!
Hi Mark~
I didn’t think we needed an air fryer until I tried this other brand and now I love it. We are making Buffalo Wings in the air fryer tonight, no pressure cooker. Are you in my air fryer group?
Jill
Please try this with peanut butter instead of cheese and let me know how it turns out! I have been eating grilled peanut butter sandwiches since I was a kid!
Mark, I love grilled peanut butter. I sure will try it out for you. 😉
Jill
Nice to see someone else enjoys grilled peanut butter sandwiches
Family favorite here! My Daddy taught me about grilled PB and PB/Bacon- YUM!
peanut butter with sliced tomatoes on top! Yum yum
I tried that after my boss told me about it many, many years ago. Very good!