Sandwich bread, cooked ham, and creamy Emmental, browned for 14 minutes at 180 °C in two batches: a classic brasserie croque with no pan to babysit.
It’s 7 p.m., no one feels like cooking, and a croque-monsieur solves the problem. The buttered bread crackles, the melted Emmental keeps the ham tucked inside, and the top turns golden in patches. The air fryer pulls it off in two 7-minute batches, with no greasy skillet. And the little trick that changes everything? A toothpick.
What is a croque-monsieur?
Two slices of sandwich bread filled with cooked ham, Emmental, and a cream mixture, then closed and browned until the cheese bubbles and gratinates. The dish first appeared in Parisian cafés in the early 20th century and has never left brasserie menus. Add an egg on top and it becomes a croque-madame.
In an air fryer, hot air circulates around the sandwich, so the bread browns faster than it does in the oven. But the top heating element colors the upper slice before the bottom has time to crisp, and a damp filling can make the crumb soggy. That’s why flipping halfway through cooking is essential here.
The key ingredients in a croque-monsieur
You’ll need eight slices of sandwich bread, four slices of cooked ham, 200 g of grated Emmental, 200 ml of thick crème fraîche, 15 ml of melted butter, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper. That’s enough for four croques.
A close-crumb sandwich bread holds the filling well and stands up to the dry airflow. Aim for slices 1 to 1.5 cm thick: any thinner, and the bread dries out and cracks. Choose a ham that doesn’t release water, or the bottom will never crisp properly.
Grated cheese melts more evenly than slices, which tend to slide around in a single sheet. Emmental and Gruyère are reliable choices; mozzarella releases too much moisture. Thick crème fraîche stands in for béchamel, but without flour to thicken it, it needs its own weight in cheese. If you skip the cream mixture, plan on 30 to 40 g of grated cheese per croque.
Tips for a great croque
The top slice lifting off is the number one problem. The fan blows just above the basket, and sandwich bread weighs almost nothing: it can stick to the heating element and burn in seconds. A toothpick through the center solves it. Just remove it before serving.
Press each croque gently with the palm of your hand before cooking: once compacted, it holds together and won’t flutter in the airflow. Leave a 1 cm border around the filling, or the cheese will ooze out, drop to the bottom of the drawer, and smoke up the kitchen.
Stick to 180 °C. Above 200 °C, the bread browns before the cheese in the center has melted. Preheat for 3 minutes, cook each batch for 7 minutes, flip after 3 to 4 minutes, and add 1 to 2 minutes more if the top is still pale. For a deeper gratin, raise the heat to 200 °C for the last 2 minutes only.
Work in a single layer only: a 3.5 to 4 L basket fits two croques, while a 5 to 6 L basket fits three to four. Stack them, and the ones underneath will steam instead of brown. A small sheet of perforated parchment paper catches any melted cheese; a large sheet lining the bottom blocks airflow. Perforated air fryer accessories do the same job.
Country bread or brioche, being denser, need 8 to 11 minutes; if starting from frozen, add 2 to 3 minutes. To reheat, warm at 150 °C for 3 to 4 minutes, with foil over the top for the first 2 minutes: at 180 °C, the edges toughen before the center heats through. The air fryer cooking chart covers other formats.
What to serve with it
Remove the toothpicks, let the croques rest for a minute, and serve while the crust is still crisp. A sharply dressed mustard vinaigrette salad and a few pickles cut through the richness of the cheese.
Let any leftover croques cool on a rack, then refrigerate them for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. Avoid reheating them in the microwave; it makes the bread rubbery.
Ingredients
Bread and Ham
- 8 slices of white sandwich bread
- 4 slices of ham
- 15 ml of butter melted
Cheese Filling
- 200 g of Emmental cheese grated
- 200 ml of crème fraîche
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 pinch of pepper
- 4 toothpicks to hold the sandwiches together
Instructions
Assembly
- In a bowl, mix the grated Emmental and crème fraîche.200 g of Emmental cheese, 200 ml of crème fraîche
- Season the cheese filling with salt and pepper.1 pinch of salt, 1 pinch of pepper
- Brush one side of each bread slice with melted butter.8 slices of white sandwich bread, 15 ml of butter
- Place a slice of ham on 4 slices of bread, with the unbuttered side facing up.4 slices of ham
- Spread the cheese filling over the ham, leaving a small border around the edges.
- Top with the remaining 4 slices, buttered side facing out.
- Press each croque gently with your palm to compact it.
- Insert a toothpick through the center of each croque, from top to bottom, to hold the slices together.4 toothpicks
Air Frying
- Preheat the air fryer to 180 °C for 3 minutes.
- Arrange 2 croques in the basket in a single layer, lying flat and not touching.
- Air-fry at 180 °C for 7 minutes (first batch). Carefully turn halfway through, after 3 to 4 minutes.
- Check the color: the bread should be golden on both sides and the cheese fully melted in the center. Add 1 to 2 more minutes if the top is still pale.
- Remove the first batch and cook the remaining 2 croques the same way (7 minutes plus 1 to 2 more minutes if needed), turning halfway through.
To Serve
- Remove the toothpicks.
- Let the croques rest for 1 minute, then serve immediately.
Notes
- To keep the top slice from lifting and burning, insert a toothpick through the center of each croque and remove it before serving.
- Press the sandwiches down well before cooking, and do not spread the filling all the way to the edges (leave about 1 cm) to minimize cheese leakage.
- Cook in a single layer, leaving at least 1 cm between each croque; turning halfway through is essential in most air fryers.
- Use a small perforated sheet of parchment paper cut to the size of each croque; a large sheet blocks air circulation.
- Preheating for 3 minutes improves browning; if you skip it, add 1 to 2 minutes.
- Do not go above 200 °C: the bread will brown too quickly before the center melts.
- To reheat, warm at 150 °C for 3 to 4 minutes (optionally cover with a small piece of aluminum foil for the first 2 minutes).
- For a croque-madame, top each one with a fried egg after cooking, then return to the air fryer for 3 minutes at 160 °C.
