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Air fryer fried brie is a whole wheel of brie coated in flour, egg, and panko, then air-fried until the crust turns golden and the inside goes completely molten. It cooks in about 16 minutes, needs no deep frying or oil bath, and gets finished with a drizzle of honey. Slice it open and the center pours out.
I have a running joke with myself about whether anything can be katsu’d, and brie was the test that settled it. Spoiler: yes, emphatically. Breading a whole wheel of soft cheese feels a little unhinged right up until you cut into it and the middle oozes out over the crispy panko shell.
This is the same crunchy-coating trick I use on my air fryer spam musubi katsu, just wrapped around a gooey wheel of cheese instead. If melty, fried cheese is your love language, you already know where this is going.
What Makes Air Fryer Fried Brie So Good
The contrast is everything. You get a crackly, deep-golden panko crust on the outside and a warm, flowing brie center that behaves like fondue the second you cut in. Honey on top pulls it together, adding just enough sweetness to play off the salty, savory cheese. If that sweet-and-salty combo is your thing, my crispy air fryer hot honey mozzarella sticks hit the same note with a hot honey drizzle over a crunchy panko shell.
Do you take the rind off brie before air frying?
No, leave the rind on. The rind is the wall that holds the wheel together and keeps all that melted cheese from leaking out into your air fryer basket. It is fully edible, soft, and mild, and once it is breaded and crisped you won’t even notice it is there.
What sauce goes best with brie?
Honey is the classic match, and it is all you need here. A drizzle of honey over the hot, crispy wheel balances the rich, salty cheese with a little floral sweetness. If you want options, hot honey adds a gentle kick, while fig jam or a quick berry compote both lean into the sweet-and-savory thing brie does best.
If you want to stretch that honey-and-brie combination into a full meal, the Brie Croissant Sandwich presses a croissant in the waffle maker with melted brie, fruit jam, and a honey drizzle for a savory-sweet sandwich that comes together just as fast.
Tips for Making Air Fryer Fried Brie
1. Keep the rind on
Resist the urge to trim it. The rind is structural, and without it the cheese melts straight through the breading and makes a mess. On a whole wheel, the rind is what lets you get that dramatic molten-center cut.
2. Chill the breaded wheel first
Pop the breaded brie in the fridge or freezer for 10 minutes before it goes in. A cold wheel holds its shape longer in the heat, so the crust sets before the inside fully liquefies and tries to escape.
3. Press the panko on
Really pack the panko onto the egg-coated wheel so every spot is covered. Bare patches are where blowouts happen. A thick, even coat gives you the sturdiest, crunchiest shell.
4. Do not skip the flip
Air-fry 10 minutes, then carefully flip and go another 6 so both sides crisp evenly. Use a thin spatula and a gentle hand, since the wheel is soft and getting softer by the second inside.
5. Time it to serve hot
Fried brie waits for no one. It is at its molten best straight out of the basket and firms up as it cools, so plan to serve it the moment people can gather around. Like a lot of hot party food, the magic has a short window.
Storage and Leftovers
Fried brie is really a make-and-eat dish, but leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. The cheese firms up completely once chilled, so reheat slices in the air fryer at 350F for a few minutes to bring back the crisp and re-melt the center. The microwave works in a pinch, though you lose the crunchy shell.
Serving a crowd? Set the wheel out as the centerpiece of a spread. It plays beautifully alongside the prosciutto, crackers, and fruit on my party charcuterie board.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (8 oz) wheel of Brie
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 Egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup panko
- honey, to taste
Swap notes: Camembert works in place of brie and behaves almost identically, just keep the rind on. Use gluten-free flour and gluten-free panko to make it gluten-free. No honey on hand? Hot honey, fig jam, or a spoon of berry compote all finish it nicely.
For another way to put that brie wheel to work, Cheesy Brie Mashed Potatoes layer sliced brie over instant potato cups and bake everything until the cheese goes completely melty, a 3-ingredient side that comes together even faster.
Instructions
- Put the flour, beaten egg, and panko into three separate bowls. Use a fork or small whisk to beat the egg.
- Coat the whole wheel of brie first in flour, then egg, then panko, pressing the panko on so it sticks all over.
- Air-fry at 350F for 10 minutes.
- Carefully flip the wheel with a thin spatula and air-fry another 6 minutes, until golden and crispy.
- Move it to a plate, drizzle with honey, and serve right away while the center is molten.
If you would rather use the stovetop, a pan-fried brie with peppered honey hits a similar note, and this whole-wheel pan-fried version uses the same flour, egg, and panko coat.
If you give this one a go, I would love to hear how dramatic your cheese pull turned out, so leave a star rating on the recipe card and a comment below. And tell me what I should try to katsu next.
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Air Fryer Fried Brie (Brie Katsu)
- Total Time: 26
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Air fryer fried brie is a whole wheel of brie breaded in panko and air-fried until crispy outside and molten inside, then finished with honey. An easy, fast hot appetizer.
Ingredients
- 1 (8 oz) wheel of Brie
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 Egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup panko
- honey, to taste
Equipment
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Set up a breading station. Put the flour, beaten egg, and panko in three separate bowls.
- Bread the wheel. Coat the whole wheel of brie in flour, then egg, then panko, pressing the panko on so it sticks.
- Air fry. Air-fry at 350F for 10 minutes.
- Flip and finish. Carefully flip the wheel and air-fry another 6 minutes, until golden and crispy.
- Drizzle and serve. Move to a plate, drizzle with honey, and serve hot.
Notes
- Leave the rind on; it is the wall that keeps the melted cheese inside.
- Chill the breaded wheel for 10 minutes before air frying for a sturdier crust.
- Use a thin spatula to flip so the breading does not tear.
- Serve immediately, since brie firms up as it cools.
- No honey? Hot honey, fig jam, or berry compote all work.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 16
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 230mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 7g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 45mg