Patrick Oconnell
Melting cheese in an air fryer is a quick and easy way to make a delicious snack or meal. You can melt cheese on toast, make cheese fries, or even fry blocks of cheese like halloumi, feta, and ricotta to add to salads, pastas, and dips. When melting cheese in an air fryer, it's important to consider the type of cheese, the thickness of the slices, and the temperature and cooking time of the air fryer.
Characteristics and Values Table for Melting Cheese in an Air Fryer
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 350-380 °F (180 °C) |
| Time | 3-6 minutes |
| Bread Type | White, wholemeal, granary, sourdough, tiger bloomer |
| Bread Thickness | Thin bread may blow off in the air fryer |
| Cheese Type | Mozzarella, cheddar, red Leicester, double Gloucester, Monterey Jack, gouda, edam, gruyère, brie, blue cheese, swiss, guyere, fontina, jarlsburg |
| Cheese Preparation | Sliced or grated |
| Anchoring | Use toothpicks to secure the sandwich |
| Butter | Spread on the outside of the sandwich |
| Oil | Light spray of olive oil |
| Mayonnaise | Spread on the outside of the sandwich |
| Clean-up | Line the air fryer with parchment paper |
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What You'll Learn
Cheese on toast
Ingredients
- Bread (sliced white or brown sandwich bread is a popular choice)
- Butter or mayonnaise
- Cheese (sliced or grated; cheddar, mozzarella, gouda, edam, gruyère, blue cheese, and many others work well)
- Optional: mustard, Worcestershire sauce, ale, anchovy-free vegan Worcestershire sauce, or other condiments
Method
- Pre-toast the bread lightly for a slight crisp throughout. Butter one side of the bread, then place it, butter side down, in the air fryer.
- If using sliced cheese, place it on the bread. If using grated cheese, it is best to add it after the bread has been toasted to avoid it flying away in the air fryer. Press the grated cheese down with your hand so that it sticks together.
- If you are using condiments, mix them with the cheese before placing it on the bread.
- Air fry until golden brown. This should take around 3-4 minutes.
- Flip the sandwich over and air fry for another 1-2 minutes.
- Serve hot!
Tips
- Line your air fryer basket with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- If your air fryer has a strong fan, use toothpicks to hold the sandwich down.
- Preheat your air fryer to 200°C (380°F).
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Grilled cheese sandwich
The air fryer is a great way to make a grilled cheese sandwich with crispy bread and gooey, melted cheese. Here is a step-by-step guide to achieving the perfect grilled cheese sandwich using an air fryer.
Ingredients
- Bread (white sandwich bread, sourdough bread, multi-grain bread, leftover artisan bread, or a bloomer)
- Butter (or oil or mayonnaise)
- Cheese (slices or grated; cheddar, Monterey Jack, Gruyère, mozzarella, or a combination)
- Optional: ham, pimento cheese, or other fillings of your choice
Method
- Preheat your air fryer to around 370-380 degrees Fahrenheit (175-190 degrees Celsius).
- Butter one side of each slice of bread. You can use oil or mayonnaise instead of butter.
- Place one slice of bread, buttered-side down, in the air fryer.
- Top the bread with cheese. For grated cheese, use a good amount and press it down with your hand to prevent it from flying away. You can also try a combination of cheeses for extra flavour.
- Place the second slice of bread on top, buttered-side up.
- Secure the sandwich with toothpicks to prevent the top slice from flying off during cooking.
- Air fry the sandwich for 2-4 minutes, until golden brown.
- Flip the sandwich over and air fry for another 1-3 minutes, or until it reaches your desired level of brownness.
- Remove the toothpicks and serve.
Tips
- If your air fryer has a "bake" setting, you can use this instead of "air fry" to prevent the cheese from blowing around.
- Line your air fryer basket with parchment paper for easy cleanup if your cheese oozes out.
- For an extra crispy sandwich, choose a thicker cut of bread.
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Cheese fries
Air Fryer Cheese Fries
Ingredients
- Frozen French fries
- Cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, or queso para friar)
- Oil spray
- Salt, pepper, garlic, and onion (optional)
- Bacon (optional)
- Ranch dressing (optional)
- Green onions (optional)
Instructions
Set your air fryer to 350°F (180°C). Place your desired amount of frozen French fries in the air fryer basket, ensuring they are not piled too high for even cooking. Spritz the fries with oil spray and give the basket a shake. Set the timer for 8 minutes. When the timer goes off, open the basket, shake the fries again, and spritz with more oil. Air fry for another 5-7 minutes, or until the fries are golden and crispy to your liking.
Now it's time to add the cheese! Sprinkle your shredded or sliced cheese over the fries. You can also add chopped bacon if you like. Return the basket to the air fryer for 1-2 minutes to melt the cheese. The residual heat may be enough to melt the cheese, but you can cook it for longer if needed.
For extra flavor, sprinkle some salt, pepper, garlic, and onion on top. Serve your cheese fries with a drizzle of ranch dressing and a sprinkle of green onions. Enjoy!
Tips
- Using shredded or sliced cheese instead of grated cheese will give better results, as grated cheese can fly away and get stuck in the air fryer.
- If you want to add more toppings, try loading your cheese fries with bacon, ranch dressing, or green onions.
- For a healthier option, serve your cheese fries with air-fried vegetables like broccoli or asparagus.
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Choosing the right cheese
Type of Cheese
Go for a cheese that melts well and has a good flavour. Soft and semi-hard cheeses with higher moisture content tend to melt better. Some examples include:
- Mozzarella (the drier versions designed for pizzas)
- Cheddar (especially extra-mature or medium-coloured varieties)
- Red Leicester
- Double Gloucester
- Creamy Lancashire
- Monterey Jack
- Gouda
- Edam
- Gruyère
- Swiss
- Guyere
- Fontina
- Jarlsburg
- Brie
- Blue Cheese
Slice vs Grate
Using sliced cheese is generally recommended over grated cheese, as grated cheese can fly away and get stuck in the air fryer. However, if you only have grated cheese, you can press it down firmly with your hand to help it stay in place.
Thickness of Slices
If slicing cheese from a block, opt for thinner slices as they will melt faster. Thicker slices will require a longer cooking time at a lower temperature.
Freshness
For the best flavour and melting ability, use freshly grated cheese from a block instead of pre-grated cheese.
Personal Preference
Ultimately, you can use any type of cheese you like. Experiment with different cheeses to find your favourite melt!
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Using parchment paper
To use this method, simply line your air fryer basket with parchment paper before adding your cheese. If you are making cheese toast, you can follow the same steps as before: butter your bread, add your cheese, and air fry. The parchment paper will help to catch any cheese that might ooze out, so you don't have to worry about it making a mess in your air fryer.
If you are making a grilled cheese sandwich, you can also use parchment paper. After buttering the outside of the bread and adding your cheese, wrap the sandwich in parchment paper before placing it in the air fryer. This will help to hold the sandwich together and prevent the cheese from sticking to the air fryer basket.
For those who prefer a lighter option, you can use a baking pan designed for your air fryer instead of parchment paper. This is a great option for cheeses with high melting points, such as halloumi, feta, and ricotta. These cheeses won't melt away completely but will have a soft, gooey inside that is perfect for pastas, spreads, dips, salads, sandwiches, and kebabs.
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Frequently asked questions
Line your air fryer basket with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Make sure you don't air fry at temperatures higher than the parchment paper's max temperature.
Soft and melty cheeses like mozzarella, Swiss, Guyere, fontina, and Jarlsburg work well. Semi-hard cheeses like cheddar, red leicester, double gloucester, and gruyère are also great options.
Air fry at 360°F for about 3-5 minutes for the cheese to melt. Then, increase the heat to 380°F to finish and crisp the bread.
You can make grilled cheese sandwiches, cheese fries, or cheese on toast in an air fryer.
