This hearty Air Fryer Grilled Cheese is loaded with bacon and creamy melted cheese! With buttery toasted bread and lots of gooey cheese inside, this recipe is sure to satisfy your craving for a good old American comfort meal.
Table Of Contents
Bacon Grilled Cheese in the air fryer makes a delicious, satisfying lunch or dinner served with a simple side of creamy tomato soup. With just a few easy ingredients and a quick cook time, this toasted American classic sandwich is always a much loved meal any time of year.
Simply put, the traditional grilled cheese sandwich is jazzed up by adding crispy bacon and cheddar cheese. Is there a better combo?
If you love your air fryer as much as I do, don't miss these air fried crispy baby potatoes and whole roasted sweet potatoes! You can also roast tomatoes and garlic bulbs using your air fryer...and add them to your next grilled cheese! Or make a tomato basil mozzarella cheese sandwich too.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- While cheddar cheese is my favorite, you can use your favorite sliced cheese to suit your taste buds. Swiss cheese, American cheese, Gruyere and Pepper Jack are all wonderful combined with bacon.
- You can use the bread you have on hand or love, and it will still taste amazing. We love whole wheat bread, but white bread, rye bread, whole grain breads and sourdough bread all work.
- It's a great last minute lunch or dinner for when you have limited groceries or are simply craving that all American hearty comfort food.
Ingredients
You need:
- Bacon: pork bacon, turkey bacon, center cut bacon..as long it's bacon it'll work here!
- Bread: any type of sandwich bread, such as white bread, whole wheat bread and sourdough bread.
- Cheese: my favorite cheese for a bacon grilled cheese is extra sharp cheddar. American cheese, white cheddar, and pepper jack also taste wonderful.
- Butter: it's also delicious spread with a little of this spicy mayo recipe in addition to the butter.
How To Make Air Fryer Grilled Cheese With Bacon
- Set the air fryer to preheat to 380℉ (if your air fryer requires preheating).
- Air fry or pan fry the bacon slices until they're cooked to your preference.
- Evenly spread 1 tablespoon of butter on 1 side of each bread slice. On the non-buttered side of 1 slice, place 2 cheese slices. Layer with bacon slices on top, then the remaining cheese. Top with the other slice of bread, buttered side up.
- Put sandwich into the air fryer basket. Air fry for 5-8 minutes, flipping halfway through, until cheese is melted and both sides of the sandwich are golden brown and toasted.
- Remove from the air fryer basket using a spatula. Let cool for a few minutes before slicing.
Chef's Tips
Although you don't have to flip many air fryer recipes, you want to flip your bacon grilled cheese halfway through so that it cooks to a toasted perfection.
What To Serve With A Bacon Grilled Cheese
Bacon grilled cheese sandwiches are great paired with both light sides and hearty sides, along with soups for dipping. Some suggestions are:
How To Store and Reheat Grilled Cheese
Wrap leftovers in foil or plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the air fryer at 260 degrees Fahrenheit for 3-5 minutes for the sandwich to regain crispiness. You can also freeze grilled cheese if stored in freezer safe storage bags, for up to 3 months for optimal quality. Defrost in the fridge overnight or reheat in the air fryer from frozen for 5-10 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
American cheese, cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Colby Jack and Gruyere are some of the best cheeses for making grilled cheese.
It will take between 5 and 8 minutes to air fry a grilled cheese sandwich, depending on the brand and strength of your air fryer.
Recipe
Air Fryer Grilled Cheese With Bacon
Equipment
- air fryer
Ingredients
- 2 slices bacon
- 2 slices sandwich bread white, whole wheat, sourdough, etc.
- 4 slices cheese cheddar, American, etc.
- 2 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Set the air fryer to preheat to 380℉ (if your air fryer requires preheating).Put sandwich into the air fryer.
- Air fry or pan fry the bacon slices until they're cooked to your preference.
- Evenly spread 1 tablespoon of butter on 1 side of each bread slice. On the non-buttered side of 1 slice, place 2 cheese slices. Layer with bacon slices on top, then the remaining cheese. Top with the other slice of bread, buttered side up.
- Air fry for 5-8 minutes, flipping halfway through, until cheese is melted and both sides of the sandwich are golden brown and crisp.
- Remove from the air fryer basket using a spatula. Let cool for a few minutes before slicing.
Juyali
This recipe takes the classic to a whole new level!
It's crispy, melty, and smoky, all done in a fraction of the time compared to a pan. Plus, no greasy mess to clean up!
Another winner recipe for using my Air Fryer. 🙂
Delish!
amy liu dong
This sandwich is now my favorite. I made this earlier for the kids and it was so delicious! It is super easy to make and for me, anyone can make this any time of the day! Thanks for sharing your recipe with us, I love it!
Adelyn
My family loved this recipe! We can't wait to make it again.