Croque madame is the French dream brunch in sandwich form: golden toasted bread, warm béchamel, mild ham, melted cheese and a soft fried egg crowning the top. When you cook it in the air fryer, the melted cheese stays put, the bread turns crisp all the way round, and you avoid the greasy, pan-fried result you get from the frying pan.
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It makes a quick brunch or a luxurious breakfast, and you have it ready in about 15 minutes from start to finish. The egg white sets just enough while the yolk stays runny, so it flows over the cheese when you cut into the sandwich.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Table of Contents:
Why I love Croque madame in the air fryer
The beautiful thing about making croque madame in the air fryer is that the hot circulating air dries out the bread crust without burning the cheese. In a frying pan the bottom often ends up too dark before the cheese on top has melted properly, and the béchamel can run down the sides. In the air fryer both sides of the bread get the same treatment, and the topping has time to bubble up nicely.
Another plus is that you can make several portions at once without having to stand at the pan flipping. If you place two sandwiches side by side, they are done at the same time, and you avoid serving the first one cold while you make the next.
The difference between air fryer and frying pan
The frying pan version is the classic one, but the air fryer has an advantage: the melted cheese doesn’t run into the bottom of the pan and burn, and you don’t need to spread much fat on the bread to get it crisp. A thin layer of butter on the outside is enough — the heat does the rest.
My kitchen test of Croque madame
I have tested this dish in my Cosori Dual Blaze at 180 °C, where 5-6 minutes is the sweet spot for a sandwich with two slices of good white bread, béchamel, ham and grated gruyère. I cook the egg in a small round silicone mould in the same basket, so the white gathers neatly around the yolk. The white is set after 5 minutes and the yolk is still runny — exactly what I want.
Compared with the oven version you save about 5 minutes. The oven needs preheating, and even at 200 °C it takes longer to give the bread the same crispness. The air fryer is lightning fast in the morning, when you don’t want to wait for anything to heat up.
Use a small silicone mould or round ramekin for the egg — that way the white stays gathered around the yolk instead of spreading out like a flat pancake.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The first mistake is setting the air fryer too hot. If you run it at 200 °C or more, the cheese on top burns before the bread has taken on proper colour, and the egg turns hard. Stick to 180 °C — that gives everything time to melt and bake together nicely. The second mistake is skipping the béchamel and just putting cheese on top of the ham. That thin butter-milk-flour sauce is what makes the dish creamy instead of dry, and it only takes four minutes to whisk together while the bread is toasting.
The third classic is using bread slices that are too thick. If you pick a 2 cm thick slice, the inside of the bread stays soft and doughy while the surface crisps up — and that ruins the sandwich’s contrast. Use regular sandwich bread slices of about 1 cm, or cut a good brioche loaf into 1.5 cm slices at most.
How to serve Croque madame
Serve the dish hot, ideally within a couple of minutes of it coming out of the air fryer. Here is what it goes well with:
- A crisp green salad with a simple mustard vinaigrette
- Fresh tomato slices with sea salt and a little black pepper
- Cornichons or other pickles for a tangy contrast
- A small dollop of Dijon mustard on the side
- A glass of cold rosé or a mimosa for weekend brunch
Storage and reheating
Croque madame tastes best fresh — the egg can’t be stored and still taste good the next day. If you have one left over, remove the egg, wrap the sandwich in foil and keep it in the fridge for up to one day. Reheat in the air fryer at 160 °C for 3-4 minutes, and fry a fresh egg to go with it.
Croque madame is one of those dishes where simple ingredients give a result that feels like café food. With the air fryer you have it ready faster than you can brew a cup of coffee, and you can confidently serve it for both weekend brunch and a lazy weekday lunch.
FAQ
Gruyère is the classic choice because it melts nicely and has a mild nutty flavour. You can also use emmental or a mix of gruyère and parmesan for extra depth.
Yes, but the result will be drier. The béchamel adds creaminess and binds the ham and cheese together. If you skip it, you can spread a thin layer of crème fraîche or softened butter on the bread instead.
About 5-6 minutes at 180 °C is ideal for a sandwich made with two regular slices of bread. Check the cheese after 4 minutes the first time, as air fryer models vary.
Recipe
Croque madame in the air fryer
Cooking Guide
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Start the guide and follow the recipe one step at a time.
Cost of the dish
Prices may vary depending on where you shop.
Our estimate is based on average food prices for the current year 2026.
Estimated price for the whole dish:
Airfryer size
All our recipes are tested in a Philips Airfryer 2000 Series NA230/00 – 6.2 L
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Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Lille gryde
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Brush
- 4 Silicone molds - Small moulds for the eggs
Shopping list
Ingredients
Béchamel sauce
- 25 g butter
- 25 g plain flour
- 250 ml whole milk
- 100 g grated gruyère
- 1 knivspids grated nutmeg
Croque madame
- 8 skive white bread
- 200 g cooked ham (8 thin slices)
- 100 g grated gruyère
- 4 pcs eggs
- 1 tbsp butter (Softened, for brushing)
How to make it
Preparation
- Melt 25 g butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add 25 g plain flour and whisk for 1-2 minutes until a pale roux forms.
- Add 250 ml whole milk a little at a time, whisking constantly. Let the sauce simmer for 3-4 minutes until it thickens and becomes smooth.
- Take the saucepan off the heat and stir 100 g grated gruyère and 1 knivspids grated nutmeg into the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and set the béchamel aside.
- Brush one side of all 8 skive white bread with 1 tbsp butter.
- Place 4 slices of bread buttered side down on a chopping board. Spread a thin layer of béchamel on each, add 200 g cooked ham and top with half of the 100 g grated gruyère. Place the remaining 4 slices of bread on top, buttered side up.
- Spread the rest of the béchamel sauce and the remaining grated cheese over the tops of the sandwiches.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 180 °C on the hot air setting.
- Place the sandwiches in the air fryer basket on a piece of baking paper. Cook at 180 °C for 7-8 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and the top is golden.
- For the last 4-5 minutes, carefully crack 4 pcs eggs into small silicone moulds and place them next to the sandwiches in the basket. The egg whites should set while the yolks stay runny.
Serving
- Arrange each croque madame on a plate, place a fried egg on top and sprinkle with a little freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately.
Our notes for the recipe
Use a sturdy white loaf — ideally slightly dry and a day old — so the toast doesn’t go soggy from the béchamel. Keep an eye on the fried eggs during the last few minutes so the yolk doesn’t set completely. Variation:
Swap the gruyère for emmental or comté for a milder flavour. A thin layer of Dijon mustard under the ham adds extra depth. Serving:
Serve with a small green salad with vinaigrette or a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice for a classic French breakfast or brunch. Portion size:
If your air fryer is smaller, you can make the sandwiches in two batches and cook the eggs as the last batch.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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