Air Fryer Paneer is a great snack, appetizer, or side dish. You can enjoy the most flavorful, warm, melty cheese in just a few minutes. Paneer is delicious on top of a salad for a great vegetarian entree.
Paneer cheese is one of our favorite things in Indian food. Being able to throw a hunk of cheese on the grill or in the air fryer and not have it melt is pretty amazing.
I first tried tandoori paneer tikka recipe from our local Indian take-out joint on top of a salad with grilled onions and peppers and a spicy cilantro sauce. It was hard to find paneer locally so when Costco started carrying it a couple of years ago I jumped for joy. Now we could have all the paneer we desired.
Our favorite way to serve these is on top of a light green salad with a cilantro avocado dressing. You can serve them as a vegetarian entree with grilled or roasted vegetables or as a party appetizer.
For a great option, serve the air fryer paneer with a cilantro chutney to dip.
Love this recipe? Try our Beef Masala recipe next!
For another great air fryer appetizer try these Air Fryer Empanadas!
Here is an official description of this great cheese:
Paneer (pronounced [pəniːr]) or Indian cottage cheese is a fresh acid-set cheese common in the Indian subcontinent (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh) made from cow or buffalo milk.[1] It is a non-aged, non-melting soft cheese made by curdling milk with a fruit- or vegetable-derived acid, such as lemon juice. - WikipediaThe most important part of that description is the words 'non-melting'. That means you can cook paneer in many (delicious) ways. Such as paneer tikka masala, grilled paneer, or paneer makhani!
Paneer is also one of the easiest cheeses to make at home. If you want to give it a try check out the tutorial here.
We use the air fryer attachment for our electric pressure cooker but any air fryer will work.
Step One: Preheat the air fryer to 400. Spray the air fry basket with cooking spray.Step Two: Cut skewers to fit in your air fryer basket.
Step Three: After that, put the paneer cheese cubes on the wooden skewers. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with seasoning.
Step Four: Finally, cook in a single layer for 6 minutes or until warm, soft on the inside, and crisp on the outside. You may need to do this in two batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
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Recipe
Air Fryer Paneer
Equipment
Ingredients
- 14 oz paneer
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon masala spice blend
- 1 teaspoon salt optional
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400.
- Cut wooden skewers small enough that they fit into your air fryer. Place the paneer cubes on the skewers. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the seasoning and salt.
- Cook the paneer for 6 minutes or until the inside is warm and the outside is crispy.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally Published May 12, 2021. Revised and Republished April 19, 2024.
Joshua says
These are great. So easy to make. Very flavorful.
Hanna says
Ok, this is going on the dinner menu this week. I'm hoping my Costco has it in stock too. I'm guessing in the refrigerated aisle by the specialty cheeses? I'm super excited to try the cilantro lime!
Jan says
This has got to be the best snack recipe that I have made in a while!