Air Fryer Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Name: Air Fryer Grilled Ham and Cheese
Prep time: 1 min
Cook time: 9 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 2 slices bread (we use rye bread); 1-2 slices ham (more to taste); 2-4 slices cheese; 1 tablespoon mayonnaise or soft butter (more to taste)

Jump to Recipe

If you’re craving something cheesy that’s quick to make, air fryer grilled ham and cheese might be the creation for you.

Ready in just minutes for a nice quick meal, this air fried sandwich is stuffed with slices of cheese and ham – and definitely ready to be dipped!

grilled cheese with ham cut in half on white plate sitting on wooden board with ketchup behind. — This grilled ham and cheese sammy is ready to be enjoyed!

Ingredients

To make this grilled ham and cheese in the air fryer, here are the ingredients that you will need:

Bread – We use rye bread but you can use your preferred type of bread. Just keep in mind that the size will dictate how much cheese etc. you’ll need.
Ham – Slices of ham; we use black forest ham.
Cheese – We use cheddar cheese slices. You can use those individually wrapped slices if you prefer.
Mayonnaise or soft butter – Either will work.

Recipe Tips

Before you tackle this recipe for a hot ham and cheese in the air fryer, read through these recipe tips so that you know

You can use butter or mayonnaise to spread on the outside. We know this is a heated debate – we like mayo because it spreads easily and is readily available in our house.
The slices of bread should be about the same size.
Make sure you put butter or mayo on the right side of the bread slices so that when you assemble the sandwich, the mayo/butter sides are on the outside.
How many slices of ham and cheese you add depends on the size of the bread you are using. Just make sure that the ham is in the middle between two layers of cheese, otherwise the sandwich won’t stay together (the cheese is the “glue”!)
We use rye bread for our grilled cheese. You can use other types of bread but keep in mind that it may affect the cooking time and may be done sooner.
We use slices of real cheddar cheese. You can use other cheese or individually wrapped slices if you prefer.

We use this air fryer for our recipes and it has been great.

Step by Step Instructions

In this section, you’ll see exactly how to make a grilled ham and cheese sandwich in the air fryer.

We’ve included the recipe process photos so you can see every step of the way and compare how yours looks.

You can also find the full recipe card with all the details at the bottom of this post.

two pieces of rye bread covered in mayo sitting on wooden cutting board with ham and cheese slices above. — Spread the mayo or butter.

First, spread the mayo or soft butter on the outside of two slices of bread. We used mayo for this recipe. Make sure the slices are about the same size and fit together well.

slices of ham and cheese sitting on open face bread in black air fryer tray. — Assemble the sandwich in the air fryer.

Then place the mayo side down on the air fryer tray – you don’t need to preheat the air fryer.

Add one layer of cheese down onto the bread, then add the ham slices, then add a second layer of cheese on top of the ham.

piece of rye bread with mayo on top sitting on top of slices of ham and cheese in black air fryer tray. — Add the second slice of bread.

Finally place the second slice of bread on top with the mayo side facing up/out.

crispy brown outside of grilled ham and cheese sandwich sitting in black air fryer tray. — The cheese should be melted and the bread should be browned.

Air fry the ham and cheese sandwich at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 8-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and the outside of the bread is browned.

Flip the sandwich over halfway through cooking. The exact cooking time may vary depending on the air fryer and bread used.

air fried grilled cheese and ham sandwich cut in half on white plate with ketchup and greens behind. — Enjoy this delicious grilled ham and cheese.

When done and crispy, remove the sandwich from the air fryer and cut it if desired. Serve the sandwich with ketchup (optional) – and be careful, the inside is hot. Enjoy!

Storage Tips

It’s best to eat this grilled ham and cheese hot and fresh out of the air fryer.

If you do have some leftovers, put them in a sealed container and store them in the fridge.

The bread will get soft but we have reheated a sandwich like this at 280 degrees Fahrenheit in the air fryer and it did get hot again and the outside bread did get somewhat crispy again.

It won’t taste as good as freshly made, but will still be decent to eat. We’d eat it the next day, at the latest.

What to Serve Grilled Ham and Cheese With

When you have a nice grilled sandwich, it’s always great for dipping. We like ketchup, but you can also serve it with some soup.

Tomato-based soups are delicious with this flavor combo, so try a classic tomato or even a minestrone!

Of course, a green side salad is also a good idea.

FAQ

How to make grilled ham and cheese in air fryer?

To make grilled ham and cheese, spread the outside of the bread slices with butter or mayo. Place one slice mayo side down in the air fryer then stack cheese then ham then cheese again. Add the top slice of bread mayo side up and air fry at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes or until crispy on the outside and melted on the inside.

How long to cook grilled ham and cheese in air fryer?

In our Vortex air fryer, we cook our grilled ham and cheese at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes. The outside gets crispy and the inside gets melty.

Related Recipes

If you liked this grilled ham and cheese, check out these other toasty sandwiches – or things you can put in a sandwich!