Air Fryer Kimchi Grilled Cheese
Ahh – grilled cheese. What a classic and sexy sandwich. I love the satisfying ooey-gooey texture that comes oozing out of the perfectly golden crusted bread when you take a bite. Glorious! Better yet – it can be done in an air fryer with no hassle! Introducing, my Air Fryer Kimchi Grilled Cheese. Why wait? Let’s make this guilty pleasure yours today! Let’s get it!
What is kimchi? And why kimchi in a grilled cheese?
You may be wondering.. Andrew, what the.. why kimchi? Well, for starters, Kimchi is a well known & widely respected and loved Korean food. It’s like one of the most iconic things native to Korea. You can read more about it HERE.
Second, I’m Korean and I LOVE kimchi (I even make my own at home all the time). It’s just a personal favorite staple of mine & I love eating it with almost everything. I crave it a lot, everywhere I go (ESPECIALLY when I’m out eating other cuisines). You can learn how to make it yourself at home, too (Check out my Kkakdugi & Cabbage Kimchi recipes)
Third, even the world’s famous chef (Gordon Ramsay) includes some kimchi in his Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich!
What happens if you put cheese in an air fryer?
It melts to perfection. I LOVE the fact that we could use an air fryer to easily heat up some cheese and still get that ooey-gooey texture.
How long does it take for cheese to melt in the air fryer?
Anywhere between 3-5 minutes varying by air fryer brands & the temperature at which you use to heat up the cheese (360-380 degrees).
Can you put foil in an air fryer?
Absolutely! Just like you would in a traditional oven, you could place a nice sheet of aluminum foil inside the air fryer basket (avoid using too small of a piece, as it may move out of place during air frying process).
How long should you preheat an air fryer?
Short answer: it depends. Depending on the air fryer brand, it will differ in preheating requirements (so definitely check your owner’s manual!). Mine does not require preheating, which makes it very convenient!
How do you make grilled cheese in the air fryer?
- Chop up some fresh kimchi (either store-bought from H-Mart, Walmart, Whole Foods or other local supermarket or homemade)
- Mix together some Kewpie Mayo and Sriracha (my secret ingredient) and set aside
- Assemble the cheese sandwich: slather on some of the sriracha mayo on both slices of bread. Flip one of them over to the clean side face up. Place 2 slices of American cheese on top. Add some of the chopped kimchi on top. Then, place 2 slices of Provolone on top. Finally close the sandwich with the other bread slice (mayo side face up).
- Grill it in the air fryer (lined with foil) at 360 degrees for 10 minutes, flipping it once halfway.
- That’s it! Slice it in half, if you’d like or eat it as is. You can serve it up with your favorite chips (my favorite is Ruffles Cheddar & Sour Cream)
What type of cheese is best for grilled cheese?
Here are a few great “melters” (according to an article by Fine Cooking Editors):
- Monterey/Pepper Jack – one of my favorites! I’m Korean and I love a good spicy kick in anything, especially my cheese haha.
- Gruyére – I never worked with this cheese before.. but once I tried it I realized that it’s freaking awesome! It has hints of a beautiful creamy, nutty & salty flavor! Traditionally used in fondues. You can definitely sub with this cheese if you’d like!
- Cheddar (some people like using cheddar cheese for grilled cheeses. But, the problem with cheddar is two things: “sharp cheddar” has a sharp punch of flavor but doesn’t give a satisfying ooey-gooey melt. And “mild cheddar” is a good melter but doesn’t quite have a lot of flavor. I don’t use cheddar in my grilled cheeses.
- Provolone (my personal go-to type of cheese for all Subway’s sandwiches and Philly cheesesteaks) – I chose to go with this cheese since I just love how versatile it is.
- and the list goes on and on..
I hope this definitely convinced you to at least give this recipe a try. It’s definitely a crowd pleaser in my family. When I served it to my brother-in-law and sister-in-law for the first time this past month, they absolutely LOVED it. According to my wife, he still kept talking about it even after he went home to Korea. Air Fryer Grilled Cheese is an excellent idea. Throw in some kimchi and spread some Sriracha mayo on there? GOLDEN.
White Bread – My favorite bread for sandwiches is Pepperidge Farm: Farmhouse Hearty White! You can find this at almost every local supermarket (feel free to substitute with whichever bread you love.. but keep in mind that a classic grilled cheese always uses white bread)
Kewpie Mayo – the fat that provides the flavor and the perfect golden exterior on the bread (you may substitute with regular mayonnaise)
Sriracha – my SECRET ingredient. Provides a nice amount of heat to the sandwich. I used to make grilled cheeses in college with my roomies all the time.. and my secret ingredient was always Sriracha! Just trust me on this. You’ll love it.
Kimchi – The perfect addition to this classic dish. It gives it a nice spicy kick and texture to every bite.
American Cheese – American is a classic choice for a grilled cheese sandwich.
Provolone Cheese – I chose to go with provolone mainly because I love it so much. I use it in everything (cold cuts, Subway subs, Philly cheesesteaks, etc). But feel free to use other white cheeses that I mentioned earlier!
Here’s a list of my recipes that might also interest you:
- Cacio E Gochugaru
- Cheese Buldak Cavatelli
- Kkaetnip Pesto Pasta
- Creamy Dwenjang Pasta
- Lamb Ragu Rice Cake
- Creamy Italian Ddukbokki
Other Air Fryer Recipes you would love:
Air Fryer Kimchi Grilled Cheese
Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 4 slices bread of your choice
- ¼ cup kimchi, chopped (may use more if desired)
- 4 slices American cheese
- 4 slices Provolone cheese
- 1 tsp Sriracha
- 2 tsp Kewpie Mayo
Instructions
- Finely chop 1/4 cup of kimchi into small pieces and set aside
- Assemble each cheese sandwich: start by mixing together the mayo and the sriracha and then slather it onto one side of both bread slices. Then, flip one bread (mayo side face down) and place 2 slices of American cheese on top of that bread slice. Add half of the chopped kimchi on top of that. Then, add 2 slices of provolone cheese on top of the kimchi. Finally, place the other bread slice on top to close the sandwich (mayo side facing up). Repeat the process for the second sandwich.
- Line the air fryer basket with some aluminum foil (optional). Place the assembled sandwiches on the foil next to each other (if they fit in your basket). Set temperature to 360 degrees and cook for 10 minutes, flipping it once halfway.
- Take sandwiches out of air fryer, slice diagonally in half & enjoy! Yummmy!
