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Want to know how to make cheese on toast in the air fryer? Tried before but the cheese flies off or it burns? Fear not, this post has you covered! Packed with plenty of tips, and advice on ingredient varieties, this air fryer cheese on toast recipe is as easy as it is delicious! Keep reading to learn more…
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Why air fry cheese on toast?
A lot of people think air fryers are only good for making air fried chips. That couldn’t be further from the truth!
You can air fry tons of delicious things! Everything from juicy air fryer chicken breasts to air fryer Creme Egg croissants. Honestly, the possibilities are endless.
So why would you air fry your cheese on toast? Well, it saves turning on the oven, which costs more and wastes energy. It’s also fast! No need to preheat for 20 minutes before you can even start making it.
How to make cheese on toast in the air fryer
Making cheese on toast in an air fryer isn’t much different from doing it the traditional oven way.
All you need to do is butter one side, lightly pre-toast, top with cheese and air fry until the toast is golden and the cheese is melted.
There are a few potential pit falls however. And that’s what were going to look at in this post… Let’s strive for air fryer cheese on toast perfection! (And avoid unnecessary mess while we’re doing it!)
Looking for a tasty variation? Try this air fryer pizza toast on for size!
How to make cheese on toast in a Ninja air fryer
Making cheese on toast in your Ninja air fryer is very much the same as making it in any other air fryer.
Preheat your Ninja to 180ºC for 1-2 mins. Then butter the underside of the bread, lightly toast it, top with cheese and air fry at 180ºC for 5-9 minutes. If your model has the ‘bake’ setting – use it. It seems to blow the cheese around far less.
There are definitely a few things that can go wrong here though. And different ingredients can alter the cooking times. So make sure you keep reading to avoid that happening! (And be sure to read the full recipe further down.)
Why butter the underside?
The answer to that is very simple. To prevent a soggy bottom! Air circulates well in an air fryer. Adding that butter to the underside of your bread helps to crisp it up and prevent sogginess.
Will different ingredients affect cooking times?
Yes, different ingredients will absolutely affect the cooking times. For example, the moisture levels between a standard slice of white bread and a slice of sourdough, are hugely different!
Sour dough will take longer to get crisp and golden, because of it’s high moisture content.
The same rule applies to cheese. Cheeses vary in moisture content but also have different melting points.
You definitely need to keep this in mind, and be flexible when making air fryer cheese on toast.
I’ve included approximate times for white bread, brown bread and sourdough bread in the full recipe further down.
Why does cheese fly around in an air fryer?
The fans in air fryers are pretty darn powerful. This, plus the fact that the drawers are so small in comparison to an oven, makes the perfect recipe for cheese tornados.
How do you keep cheese from blowing off in an air fryer?
This has happened to me more times than I care to admit! Until I figured out how to prevent it that is.
Here are two simple ways to stop cheese blowing off in an air fryer:
- Using grated cheese? Make sure you grate it yourself. Pre-grated cheese tends to have a non stick coating on it. This makes it much more likely to fly around your air fryer! Once your cheese is on the bread, press it down to ‘stick’ it to the bread.
- Using sliced cheese? Again, slicing the cheese from a block yourself helps. But if you can’t, use cocktail sticks (toothpicks) to secure the slices in place during cooking.
Can you add extra toppings to air fryer cheese on toast?
Absolutely! But it may alter the cooking time, so do bear this in mind.
Sweet chilli jam, beetroot chutney and tomato chutney all make perfect pairings with cheese. There is always the classic Worcestershire sauce too!
Don’t know what you CAN and CAN’T air fry?
Worried you’ll make costly mistakes, because you’re not confident you know what can and can’t be air fried? You need this FREE super helpful printable! Simply fill out the form below, and it’ll be in your inbox before you can say “I’m going to become an air frying PRO!”.
Ingredients and substitutions
Confused about what ingredients to buy? Not sure about a substitution? Here’s everything you need to know…
- Bread – You can use whatever bread you like! Just bear in mind the variety you choose will affect the cooking time. Sourdough will take longer, whereas brown bread will cook faster. Don’t worry though, I’ve put approximate times for different breads in the full recipe below.
- Butter – Any softened butter (I like salted), or a good quality margarine will work perfectly.
- Cheese – Just like with the bread, different varieties of cheese will also affect the cooking times. I recommend starting with cheddar cheese, then experimenting from there.
Recipe tips and troubleshooting
Here are some tips I’m sure you’ll find helpful when making air fryer cheese on toast.
- Stay close. This is not a set it and forget it kind of recipe. 1 minute can be the difference between perfect air fryer cheese on toast and burnt.
- Remember that all air fryers vary, ingredients vary and individual tastes vary. Timings are approximate. You will need to experiment a little to find your perfect air fryer cheese on toast.
- Using grated cheese? Make sure you grate your own, as shop bought grated cheese has a non stick coating that is likely to fly around your air fryer.
- Press grated cheese into the toast before air frying. This helps prevent it flying off.
- Using sliced cheese? Use cocktail sticks (toothpicks) to secure it in place and stop if flying off the toast.
- Lightly butter the underside of the bread. This helps to crisp it up and prevent a soggy bottom.
Time management
Have limited time? Struggle with recipe timings? Or juggling around other things? Here’s some time managing info to make your life easier…
Unfortunately this is not a ‘set it and forget it’ kind of recipe. On the plus side – it only takes about 10-15 minutes to make. So not very time taxing anyway.
If you want to speed things up a little, you can pre-grate your cheese and store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
Otherwise, it’s best made fresh.
If you like this recipe…
…you might also like:
- 40+ UK air fryer recipes
- Gran’s cheese scones recipe
- Cheese and chive scrambled egg croissants
- Cheese biscuits
Air Fryer Cheese on Toast – Step by Step Picture Recipe
(For a printer friendly version, see the recipe card at the end of this post)
Ingredients
Here is what you will need to serve 1 (makes 2 slices).
- 2 x Slices of Bread
- Knob of Butter
- 60g (1 Cup) Cheddar Cheese, grated
Essential equipment
- Air Fryer
- Knife
Instructions
First thing’s first, preheat your air fryer to 180ºC/356ºF. Then lightly butter one side of each slice of bread (x 2). Margarine would also work.
Then place the toast in your preheated air fryer, butter side down. Don’t overcrowd, space them out (use both drawers if using a Ninja Dual). Air fry for the following time to lightly toast:
Brown Bread | 2-3 mins |
White Bread | 2-3 mins |
Sourdough Bread | 3-4 mins |
Then divide the grated cheese (60g | 1 Cup) between each slice. Press the cheese down, into the bread. This will help it ‘stick’ and it’ll be less likely to fly around your air fryer.
Then air fry for the following time, until the bread is golden and the cheese is fully melted:
Brown Bread | 5-7 mins |
White Bread | 6-8 mins |
Sourdough Bread | 7-9 mins |
Check on it a few times during cooking, particularly towards the end. Firstly to make sure that no cheese is running wild around your air fryer, and secondly, to check for when it’s ready.
And that’s it! Serve your air fryer cheese on toast straight away and enjoy.
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Air Fryer Cheese on Toast - Printable Recipe
Want to know how to make cheese on toast in the air fryer? Tried before but the cheese flies off or it burns? Fear not! This air fryer cheese on toast recipe is easy, cheesy, melty goodness!
Ingredients
- 2 x Slices of Bread
- Knob of Butter
- 60g (1 Cup) Cheddar Cheese, grated
Essential equipment
- Air Fryer
- Knife
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 180ºC/Fan 356ºF. Meanwhile, lightly butter one side of each slice of bread.
- Place the buttered bread into the air fryer, butter side down. Air fry until lightly toasted. 2-3 mins for brown bread and white bread, 3-4 mins for sourdough bread.
- Divide the grated cheese between each slice of lightly toasted bread. Press the cheese firmly into the bread to prevent it flying off during cooking.
- Air fry until the toast is golden and the cheese has melted. 5-7 mins for brown bread, 6-8 mins for white bread, 7-9 mins for sourdough bread. Enjoy!
Notes
See the main post for a more detailed, step by step picture recipe.
Be sure to read the sections Ingredients and Substitutions, Recipe Tips and Troubleshooting and Time Management for lots of helpful information before you begin making this recipe. You can find them in the main body of this post.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 475Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 757mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 19g
Nutritional information on kitchenmason.com should only be used as a general guideline, I am not a certified nutritionist. Please always check labels for allergens where applicable.
I want to see YOUR air frying!
Have you made this scrummy air fryer cheese on toast? I’d love to know if you have! Tag me in your pics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or email me at emma@kitchenmason.com.
Other cheesy air fryer recipes
About Emma Mason
Emma is a professional blogger. Utilising over 20 years of cooking experience, she’s passionate about making your life easier, one recipe at a time! Drawing on her 12+ year background in recipe research and development, photography, copy writing and marketing, Emma has turned kitchenmason.com into a successful career. Known as ‘the organisation queen’ among friends, she is passionate about creating easy to follow recipes that anyone can follow and enjoy. She lives in Nottingham (UK) with her husband, daughter and 2 naughty cats. In her spare time she can be found reading a good book, training at the dojo preparing for her black belt grading, or dreaming up the next crazy colour combo for her hair!
sue
Saturday 22nd of June 2024
Any idea which setting on a Ninja 10-1 air fryer for cheese on toast please
Emma
Sunday 23rd of June 2024
Hi Sue. I would use on a setting with a slower fan speed to try and prevent cheese from flying around. I think on the Ninja 10-1 that would the bake/roast setting? Emma x
Camilla Hawkins
Sunday 30th of April 2023
I've never thought to do cheese on toast in the air fryer, I always do toasted cheese sandwiches, will have to try this:-)
Emma
Monday 1st of May 2023
Hi Camilla. It’s so much quicker and easier than turning the oven on! Saves time and energy too :) Emma x