Enjoy an air fryer grilled cheese sandwich that's stuffed with juicy tomatoes, fresh basil and mozzarella, then drizzled with balsamic sauce. An easy lunch or dinner toasted sandwich that comes out perfectly golden brown, crispy and delicious in just 8 minutes in the air fryer.
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Air fryer grilled cheese sandwiches are cooked to crispy golden brown perfection in less than 10 minutes.
The air fryer is amazing at evenly toasting, roasting, and frying foods using less (or even no) oil for healthier eating options. It's quick, quiet, and doesn't heat up the entire kitchen like an oven can.
I recently purchased the Instant Pot Air Fryer Duo Crisp— and I've been converting all of my pan-fried and oven roasted recipes into air fryer ones.
I used to think, what's the big deal about these air fryers? Are they really that amazing?
They are. It's one of those things— you won't understand until you try it.
This air fryer toasted sandwich is made with shredded mozzarella, fresh basil leaves, and sliced tomatoes. It can be drizzled with balsamic vinegar for a slightly sweeter taste, or made without.
It's a refreshing, yet hearty, sandwich that can be enjoyed all year round. It is my favorite healthy sandwich and the first to be converted into an air fryer recipe.
It's especially delicious when tomatoes have reached their peak in-season freshness and fresh basil is readily available at the farmer's market.
For air fryer flatbread sandwiches, the cheese and other stuffings chosen can vary while cook times generally remain the same.
They are simple to make— with the hardest part being flipping the food in the fryer!
But with just a minute of prep and no more than 8 minutes of cook time, the air fryer will make you a perfectly toasted sandwich!
Air Fryer Grilled Cheese Timings at 400 Degrees
4 minutes: melted insides and a soft yet warm sandwich
6 minutes: slightly crisp sandwich just turning brown
8 minutes: crispy golden brown (as seen in the pictures, is the time I used for this recipe)
You can see in the picture above that the insides are melted, warm, and the naan is golden brown and crispy. This was cooked at 8 minutes.
You should be able to air fry any flatbread sandwich using the times above. For instance, I made a ham, pepperoni, and cheese flatbread and air fried it for 8 minutes. It had a crispy exterior and a cooked, melted cheese interior.
Other Stuffing Suggestions
- Spinach, feta, mozzarella, and tomato (like in a Mediterranean quesadilla)
- Ham and cheese
- Pepperoni, mozzarella, and pizza sauce (mimic a pizza slider)
- Turkey, swiss, and avocado
- Bacon and cheddar
Or try an air fryer grilled cheese with your favorite cheese, meat, or veggies.
For the latest lunch, dinner, and snack ideas for your air fryer and instant pot, follow me on Facebook and Instagram.
📋 Ingredients
In addition to sliced tomatoes, shredded mozzarella, fresh basil, and naan flatbread, you'll need balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze.
Using balsamic is optional. It will give the sandwich an overall slightly sweeter taste. The difference in taste between toasted sandwiches with and without balsamic is not drastic. It is a matter of preference.
🔪 Step-By-Step Directions
This fresh tomato and basil air fryer grilled cheese takes minutes to prepare. Add another 6-8 minutes in the air fryer, and your toasted sandwich is ready to eat in around 10 minutes.
The steps are simple.
- Cut the flatbread in half. Spray the outer sides lightly with oil spray or brush with olive oil.
- Drizzle one or both sides the inner bread with balsamic if using.
- Layer with mozzarella cheese, tomato slices, basil leaves, and the remaining mozzarella cheese. Put the other slice on top and place in the air fryer basket.
- Set the air fryer to 400 degrees and the timer for 6 minutes. Flip at the halfway mark, carefully using a spatula or tongs. When the timer is up, check the sandwich and add an additional minute or two if you'd like it more golden brown.
Enjoy!
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Grilled Cheese: Tomato Basil Mozzarella
Equipment
- air fryer
Ingredients
- 2 naan slices
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 sliced tomatoes
- 12 fresh basil leaves
- oil, for spraying
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar or glaze (optional)
Instructions
- Cut the flatbread in half. Spray the outer sides lightly with oil spray or brush with olive oil.
- Drizzle one or both sides the inner bread with balsamic if using. Layer with mozzarella cheese, tomato slices, basil leaves, and the remaining mozzarella cheese. Put the other slice on top.
- Place in the air fryer basket. Set the air fryer to 400 degrees and the timer for 6 minutes. Flip at the halfway mark, carefully using a spatula and tongs. Flip with the spatula while holding together with the tongs.
- When the time is up, check the sandwich and add an additional minute or two if you'd like it more golden brown.
Notes
Nutrition
🍽 Serving and Storing
This recipe makes 2 sandwich halves. For a small lunch, it will serve 2 people. For a dinner, it will serve 1. One serving is ideal for a meal combined with soup, salad or a side dish.
Recipes to Serve with Grilled Cheese
- Thick and Hearty Homemade Vegetable Soup
- Cucumber Tomato Salad with Balsamic Parsley Dressing
- Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Creamy Mac and Cheese
- Spinach Tortellini Soup with Parmesan
- Balsamic Cucumber Tomato Salad
Air fryer grilled cheese sandwiches are fridge and freezer friendly.
Fridge: store for around 2 days wrapped in plastic or foil.
Freezer: wrap tightly in plastic and store in a freezer bag.
Reheating: defrost overnight in the fridge and then reheat in the air fryer or toaster for 4-5 minutes to regain crispiness.
I hope you enjoying making this tomato basil grilled cheese in the air fryer, and find it as delicious as I do. Let me know in the comments below how it turned out!
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Jessie
This looks like such a great and flavorful lunch!
Chef Dennis
Yum! My sons will surely love this Air Fryer Tomato Basil Mozzarella Sandwich!
Addison
I love my air fryer! Can’t wait to try this!