Can You Put Cheese In An Air Fryer? (read this first)
You can put cheese in an air fryer but you need to be careful, otherwise you’ll be left with a sticky mess stuck to the bottom of your air fryer.
Keep reading to find out exactly how you can successfully use cheese in an air fryer without causing any mess.
How Does An Air Fryer Work?
The main problem with trying to cook cheese in an air fryer is due to the way air fryers work. An air fryer works in a very similar way to a convection oven.
The heating element produces hot air which is forced all around the air fryer by a powerful fan.
The air fryer’s basket (or shelf) is full of perforations which allow that hot air to circulate all round the food to cook it quickly and evenly.
This means the cheese becomes cooked so fast and starts to melt before the outer surface has a chance to become crispy.
How Can You Cook Cheese In An Air Fryer?
There are a few techniques which work to get perfect results when it comes to cooking cheese in an air fryer. These include;
Air Fryer Cheese On Toast
There’s nothing nicer than this classic teatime treat; hot toast covered in melted cheese. And you’ll be pleased to know that you can cook cheese on toast in an air fryer in less than 5 minutes.
Ingredients
You will need;
- 2 slices of bread (this works for any type of bread, wholemeal, white, granary, etc)
- Butter (or light olive oil)
- Cheese (most types of cheese will work for this, we use mature cheddar)
Method
- Preheat your air fryer to 180 C (350 F)
- Butter the 2 slices of bread
- Place the bread buttered side down in the basket of your air fryer (if you don’t want to use butter, you can spray the underside of the bread with light olive oil)
- Arrange whatever cheese you’re using on top of the bread (taking care to not use too much or allow any to hang over the edge of the bread)
- Air fry for 4 to 5 minutes (until the cheese has melted and the toast has turned crispy)
We have found that although this works well with virtually any hard cheese, timings can vary. For instance, grated cheese and cheese slices cook faster than cut pieces of cheddar.
Air Fryer Toasted Cheese Sandwich
If you’re worried about cheese melting all over your air fryer, this is a great alternative to cheese on toast.
Ingredients
To make one sandwich you will need;
- 2 slices of bread (you can use any bread; white bread, wholemeal, granary etc)
- Butter (you can use light olive oil in a spray bottle if you don’t want to use butter)
- Cheese
Method
- Place the cheese between the 2 slices of bread
- Butter (or oil) the outside of the sandwich
- Place the sandwich in the basket of the air fryer (or on the shelf)
- Air fry at 180 C (350 F) for 4 to 5 minutes until the bread is crispy and the cheese has melted
Different breads will cook at different times, some bread cooks faster than others which means you’ll need to check on your sandwich every minute or so to ensure it is not burning.
Likewise with the cheese, some cheeses will cook faster than others. If you slice your own cheese, you should aim for thin slices to ensure an even consistency.
Take care because melted cheese is extremely hot, you should let the sandwich cool down slightly before eating to avoid burning your mouth.
Air Fryer Easy Cheesy Chips
This classic snack is such an easy snack to cook in an air fryer. It takes around 15 minutes and only needs two ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 lb of frozen chips
- 225 g (8 ounces/1 cup) grated cheese
Method
- Place the frozen chips into the air fryer basket
- Air fry for 8 minutes at 180 C (350 F)
- Open the basket and shake the chips about
- Air fry for a further 5 minutes
- Spread the grated cheese evenly across the chips
- Air fry for a further minute or until the cheese has all melted
And, if you’re worried about washing up…
How To Cut Down On Washing Up Using An Air Fryer
The main issue most people have when using cheese in an air fryer is the mess that’s left behind after the meal is over. Specifically the mess that’s left in the air fryer.
The problem with cheese is as it melts, it spreads and starts to burn too. This can leave you with an almost burnt plastic type substance in the perforations of your air fryer’s basket and also on the actual body of the air fryer.
If this is a concern of yours, keep reading because we have a couple of hacks which will save you from all of these problems. Which means you’ll be able to enjoy air fried cheese without the messy aftermath.
Baking Paper
- PROWRAP PARCHMENT PAPER—Contains roll of 300mm x 50m.
Using baking paper (or parchment paper as it is also known) in the air fryer is a great way to prevent a nasty mess after cooking.
You need to be careful because baking paper is quite lightweight which means unless it’s pinned down, it could get blown by the powerful fan onto the heating element and cause a fire.
However, placing the food directly onto the parchment paper in the air fryer basket (or shelf) will prevent it from flying up to the element.
After use, the baking paper can be recycled in many areas or if you have a compost bin, it can be added to that.
Disposable Paper Air Fryer Liners
- [Disposable Air Fryer Liners for NINJA FOODIE DUAL]- These Parchment Liners are also compatible with Major brand Ninja AF300UK AF400UK, Tower T17088 Vortex, EMtronics, Tower Instant Vortex fryer, Salter, Daewoo and other Dual air fryers.
Made from reinforced baking (parchment) paper, there are various size disposable liners available to fit most air fryers. They are waterproof, grease proof, non-stick and can be used in an air fryer up to a temperature of 220 C (428 F).
All of the grease and melted cheese will collect in the liner which means in many cases, you won’t need to wash the air fryer at all after use.
The paper liner can be composted or recycled in many areas or simply thrown away with the waste.
Silicone Air Fryer Liners
- Food-Grade Silicone Material: Silicone Air Fryer Liners are non-toxic, and have no fluorescence 100% Healthy. They are non-stick, waterproof, and oil-proof. They can withstand temperatures up to 428 degrees Fahrenheit and have no effect on the taste of food.
These work in the same way as the disposable paper liners by fitting inside the air fryer’s basket to prevent any grease or melted cheese from burning onto the air fryer.
Made from food grade silicone, these air fryer liners are available in different shapes and sizes to fit virtually any air fryer.
They are grease proof, waterproof, non-stick and can be washed in the sink or dishwasher and reused time after time. This makes silicone air fryer liners an eco friendly option too.
SEE ALSO:
- Do Air Fryer Disposable Paper Liners Work? (and are they worth it)
- Can You Put Breaded Chicken In An Air Fryer?
- Can You Put Broccoli In An Air Fryer?
- Can You Put Bread In An Air Fryer?
- Can You Put Battered Fish In An Air Fryer?
Frequently Asked Questions
You can make cheesy chips in an air fryer. Place the frozen chips in the air fryer basket and cook at 180 C for 8 minutes. Then shake the basket and cook for another 5 minutes then sprinkle grated cheese over the chips and cook for another 1 minute or until the cheese has melted.
You can make a toasted cheese sandwich in an air fryer. Butter the outside of the bread and place a layer of cheese in between the two slices. Then air fry at 180 C for 4 to 5 minutes until the bread is crispy and the cheese has melted.
You can cook cheese on toast in an air fryer. Butter the bread and place it butter side down in the air fryer basket. Then place your cheese on top of the bread and air fry at 180 C for 4 to 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the toast is crisp.
The best way to prevent any cheese from burning in your air fryer is to use a disposable paper air fryer liner or a silicone air fryer liner. These liners fit inside the air fryer’s basket and prevent any food from coming into contact with the air fryer.
You can use virtually any kind of cheese in your air fryer as long as you don’t use too much. Using too much cheese means there is a good chance that the melted cheese will drip into the basket and onto the floor of the air fryer and burn.
