Can You Reheat a Sandwich in an Air Fryer? (Here’s Exactly How)
This is a question that is often asked by many people when using an air fryer for the first time.
Many times, grilled sandwiches are left out to cool and are then reheated in a conventional oven or, cringeworthy enough, a microwave. In order to find out how you can make sure your sandwich will be as good as it was the first time, here’s what we did:
We bought two cold ham rolls from our local grocery store, removed them from their packaging, and brushed some melted butter on both sides of each roll. We placed them on a baking tray. The rolls were sliced in half and left on the air fryer grill itself when heated from above and below by our air fryer’s heating element.
It took just under 4 minutes for the sandwich to cook without being anointed with butter, but what would happen if this sandwich had been brushed?
We let our sandwiches cook until they were golden brown before serving them up, and guess what?! It was delicious!
Can you heat up a sandwich in an Air Fryer?
Yes. You can heat up a sandwich in an air fryer. Sandwiches with ingredients such as mayonnaise, ketchup, tomatoes, and cheese can be reheated. However, if you want your sandwich to come out delicious, we suggest removing the top bread and flipping over to cook side by side with the rest of the sandwich.
If you’re wondering how sandwiches turn out reheated in an air fryer, we gotta tell you that a grilled cheese sandwich is one of our favorite sandwich choices to make in an air fryer.
When heating a sandwich in an air fryer, everything stays on the sandwich. The only thing you must do is preheat the air fryer. However, you might want to remove the lettuce and maybe even the tomatoes first to avert sogginess.
How do you reheat a sandwich in an Air Fryer?
To air fry, a sandwich is not as challenging as it might at first appear. All the condiments can remain on the sandwich as it is being reheated in the air fryer.
Your sandwich will not be soggy, in fact, just the opposite. Your sandwich will have a lovely, crisp, texture, particularly if you butter the outside of the bread first.
The steps for reheating a sandwich in an air fryer are:
- Preheat the air fryer.
- Place your leftover sandwich inside the frying basket.
- Remove the top part of your sandwich (This is an optional step) to ensure you cook your sandwich on medium heat for approximately eight minutes, depending on the level of crispiness you desire.
Verify the internal temperature of the sandwich using a digital thermometer. If you do not have a digital thermometer, no worries, you can use a butter knife to verify it’s hot. Insert the butter knife into the sandwich. If it comes out warm to the touch, it is ready to eat.
Here’s the thing, if you want to make your reheated sandwich super awesome, then you’re going to have to split up the sandwich layers and cook them side-by-side. With as much as you can fit into an air fryer, you can separate the bottom and top bread and leave the meat and cheese all into the air fryer to cook separately. This will cook all the different sections evenly along with creating a crispy interior Bread on both ends.
If the top or bottom section of the sandwich is removed, replace it and put it back in the fryer for another 30 seconds.
Take the sandwich out of the air fryer, serve, and enjoy!
How long should you air fry a sandwich?
How long you warm up a sandwich in the air fryer depends on personal preference. An air fryer is an excellent tool for heating and reheating crispy foods. You just need to adjust the temperature to 350-400 degrees Fahrenheit and set the timer for 3-4 minutes. The leftover sandwich will taste just as delicious and will retain its previous crispiness from the night prior.
Should I use the basket air fryer or an oven air fryer to reheat my sandwich?
It doesn’t matter if you use the basket or oven version of an air fryer. A sandwich will cook perfectly in either appliance. Air fryer baskets are simple to operate. An air fryer makes cooking smaller foods easier. Instead of using bulky tongs to remove the items, you simply shake the food basket.
Additionally, air fryers are also an effortless cooking option for larger quantities of food. However, you can use either option, as both work well when reheating a sandwich.
We use both machines interchangeably. It makes very little difference in our opinion something you might want to consider is the advantage with the oven air fryer. The oven air fryer allows us to look inside during the cooking process. We actually like this because we can monitor how the sandwich is doing.
The basket version is pretty opaque and you can’t really see what’s going on. However as long as you follow our steps and the recommended temperature and time, then you should be fine.
Can you air fry a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?
Yes! Air frying a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is possible. It is easier to use an air fryer than to fry the sandwich on the stove.
First, spread the peanut butter and jelly on two slices of bread as you normally would. Close the sandwich, then use a knife to spread butter on the outside of one slice of bread. Set the sandwich down on the fryer plate, butter side down. Now, put butter on the opposite side of the sandwich. Place the sandwich in the air fryer with the buttered side down. Air fry the sandwich and enjoy!
What other types of sandwiches can you reheat in an air fryer?
Additional sandwiches that can be reheated in an air fryer are:
- Chicken sandwiches
- Nutella sandwiches
- Grilled cheese sandwich
- Seafood sandwich
- Ham and cheese sandwiches
- Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato (BLT)
Can you reheat anything in an air fryer?
Other foods you should not reheat in an air fryer include:
- Fresh green vegetables- If you must cook fresh green vegetables, ensure to use olive oil. The oil adds weight to the vegetables so they don’t blow around.
- Whole roasts or other large meat products. Some roasts may not fit inside the air fryer basket or tray. If this is the case, never force it to go in. It is best to cook the roast, or other large food items, in a conventional oven.
- Battered foods- Unless these foods remain frozen, do not place foods that have wet batter into an air fryer. The wet batter on food will generate a mess in your air fryer.
Is heating your food in an air fryer better than using a microwave?
Reheating food in an air fryer is always better than using a microwave. Air fryers not only give your food a mouthwatering flavor, but they are a healthier alternative. Microwaves emit radiation that seeps into the food as it cooks. Air fryers are also a more nutritious option than cooking on a stove top.
If you’re interested in understanding more about how microwaves work, we wrote an article on the advantages and disadvantages of using a microwave here. It goes over what you should consider when using a microwave oven and what disadvantages you might see. This is especially true when it comes to cold zones.
Air fryers heat food quickly without giving off any harmful chemicals. They also allow you to control the amount of heat your food receives. You can set your air fryer at high heat if you desire, or you can choose to lower the temperature to save energy.
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