Chilli Cheese Toast is a quick and easy appetizer, snack, or breakfast recipe made with bread, cheese, chilies, and veggies. This popular Indian street food is colorful, crispy, cheesy, and easy to make at home in 15 mins. Perfect for parties and school lunchboxes too!
I’m sharing how to make Chili cheese toast in the Airfryer, in the oven, and on the pan/Tawa (stovetop).
Chilli Cheese Toast is another easy and delicious appetizer or snack recipe that you will love just on its own or with a side of dip or with soup.
We love it for breakfast and kids' lunchbox too! Ready in 15mins and loaded with veggies, and cheese, it's a great recipe to have on hand.
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What is Chilli Cheese Toast
Chilli Cheese Toast is a quick and easy appetizer, snack, or breakfast recipe made with a mixture of cheese, chilies, and veggies, spread on bread, and baked until the bread is crisp and the cheese has melted.
It is crispy, cheesy, loaded with veggies, delicious, and immensely satisfying! Plus it's really quick and easy to make in 15 minutes using the ingredients, usually stocked in the fridge and pantry.
Typically Chili cheese toast recipe is an open sandwich but you can also make this as a chili cheese sandwich.
I like to add green chilies along with veggies like onions and bell peppers which gives the toast a nice crunch and color. But you could totally add other veggies like finely chopped carrots, broccoli, or cabbage too.
Basically, this cheese chilli toast recipe is highly customizable be it the ingredients or cooking method.
You can make it on a pan/Tawa (griddle) on the stovetop, in the oven, or air fryer, and turns out delicious always!
It's a crowd-pleaser recipe that is perfect for parties and also great as a snack when you want something spicy and cheesy to go with your glass of milk or tea/coffee.
My kids love it in their lunchbox too, I just skip the chilies for them.
Recipe Ingredients
Bread - Use good quality bread. I prefer Sourdough bread but you can also use french bread, texas toast, white, whole wheat, Italian, Multigrain, or your favorite bread.
Cheese - I like to use a mix of Mozzarella cheese and a Mexican cheese blend. You can also use other cheeses like Pepper Jack, or Cheddar cheese, or even Amul cheese for that Indian touch.
Veggies - I prefer using red and green bell peppers along with red onions. They add color, flavor, and crunch to the toast and boost its nutritional value. In addition, you can also use other veggies like shredded carrots, boiled corn, broccoli, spinach and cabbage.
Chili - Chili cheese toast is incomplete without chilies! I’ve used 3 types of chilies in this recipe because I love it spicy. I have used Thai green chilies and red chili flakes in the cheese mixture and topped it with Jalapeños for an additional mild kick. Feel free to adjust the spice/heat to your taste preference.
Seasoning - Salt, black pepper, dry oregano, garlic powder, and chaat masala (optional). Instead of garlic powder, you can also use minced garlic for a stronger garlic flavor.
Cream cheese or Butter – to apply to the toasted bread. You can use salted or unsalted butter or even cream cheese (plain or flavored for creamier toast). You can skip it too but highly recommend not. It acts as a barrier and prevents the toast from getting soggy from the moisture of the mixture.
Please refer to the recipe card for exact measurements of ingredients.
How To Make Chili Cheese Toast (Step-by-Step Method)
Prepare cheese mixture
1 and 3 - In a large mixing bowl add all the ingredients for filling like onion, bell pepper, cheese, green chili, cilantro, and spices.
4 - Mix well and keep aside. Divide it into 4 portions roughly.
Making Chili Cheese Toast
5 - Toast the bread slices. Place the bread slices in the air fryer and air fry for 2-3 mins at 350°F or until lightly toasted. You don't need to brown them. Just toast until the surface turns crispy. This helps hold the filling better.
Note: You can also toast them in a pan or in the oven (see recipe card for details).
6 - Spread cream cheese or butter on the toasted bread. I have used chive and onion-flavored cream cheese here.
7 - Next, add the chili cheese mixture and spread it evenly. Top with jalapeños (optional)
8 - Air fry at 400°F for 4-5 mins or until the cheese has melted and the top turns golden brown. Chili cheese toast is ready!
Alternately you can cover and cook in a pan on medium-low heat until the cheese has melted. Or bake it in preheated oven at 400°F for 4-5 mins or until the cheese has melted and the top turns golden brown. You can also broil the toast for 1-2 mins for that nice golden top (keep a close watch so it doesn't burn). See detailed instructions in the recipe card.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve chili cheese toast as an appetizer or snack with some tomato ketchup or any sauce of your choice or for breakfast topped with an egg with chai (tea) or coffee.
Alternately pair this with your favorite soup and or salad for that perfect meal.
Recipe Tips
Use sturdy bread. I prefer Sourdough bread but you can also use french bread, texas toast, white, whole wheat, Italian, Multigrain, or your favorite bread.
The number of chilies and spice levels can be adjusted as per your taste. If you are making this for kids, skip the green chilies. Instead of Thai green chilies, you can use just jalapeños or red chili flakes for moderate spice.
I've used mixed cheese blend and mozzarella but you can also use Pepper jack, cheddar, or even Amul cheese.
In addition to onions and bell peppers, you can add other veggies like grated carrots, cabbage, broccoli, spinach, and sweet corn kernels to make them more nutritious.
Use vegan cheese and butter to make it vegan chili cheese toast
Frequently Asked Questions
Chili cheese toast tastes best when served fresh. However, you can make it in advance and reheat it before serving. Alternately, prep the cheese mixture & toast the bread ahead of time and keep it ready. Just before serving assemble, bake, or air fry and serve.
Leftover cheese chili toast can be stored in an airtight container(separated with parchment paper). I would recommend consuming it within a day or two since it will get soggy. Reheat in the air fryer or oven to make it crispy before serving.
More Easy Bread Appetizer Recipes
I hope you enjoy this Veg Chili Cheese Toast Recipe !! If you try this recipe, please rate it by clicking stars ⭐️ on the recipe card. Thank you ❤️! You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram to see what’s cooking in my kitchen!!
Recipe Card
Chilli Cheese Toast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 slices sourdough bread or bread of choice
- 4 tablespoons cream cheese or butter
For cheese mixture
- ½ cup red onion finely chopped
- ½ cup bell pepper finely chopped (using mix of red and green)
- 1 cup Mexican cheese blend shredded
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1-2 green chillies or jalapeño, finely chopped (adjust to taste)
- ¼ cup cilantro finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon chaat masala optional
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder or use ½ teaspoon minced garlic.
- ⅛ - ¼ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes adjust to taste
Instructions
Prepare Cheese Mixture
- In a mixing bowl add all the ingredients for filling like onion, bell pepper, cheese, green chili, cilantro, and spices.
- Mix well and keep aside. Divide it into 4 portions roughly.
Making Chili Cheese Toast in Air fryer
- Place the bread slices in the air fryer and air fry for 2-3 mins at 350°F or until lightly toasted. You don't need to brown them. Just toast until the surface turns crispy. This helps hold the filling better.
- Spread cream cheese or butter on the toasted bread.
- Next add the chili cheese mixture and spread it evenly. Top with jalapeños (optional)
- Air fry at 400°F for 4-5 mins or until the cheese has melted and the top turns golden brown.
Making Chili Cheese Toast in the Oven
- Pre heat the oven to 400° F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Place the bread slices on the lined tray and baked for 4-5 mins or until lightly toasted. You don't need to brown them. Just toast until the surface turns crispy. This helps hold the filling better.
- Spread cream cheese or butter on the toasted bread. Next add the chili cheese mixture and spread it evenly. Top with jalapeños (optional).
- Now bake again at 400°F for 4-5 mins or until the cheese has melted and the top turns golden brown. You can also broil the toast for 1-2 mins for that nice golden top (keep a close watch so it doesn't burn).
Making Chili Cheese Toast in a Pan (Tawa)
- Heat a pan or griddle (tawa) on medium low heat and toast one side of the bread until its crispy and golden.
- Spread cream cheese or butter on the toasted side of the bread and layer with chili cheese mixture. Spread it evenly. Top with jalapeños (optional).
- Now place the toast back on griddle. Cover and cook until cheese has melted (4-5 mins) and bottom of the toast is crispy.
- Crispy and delicious chili cheese toast is ready! Serve immediately
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Update Notes: This post was originally published on Aug 25, 2014, but was republished with, step-by-step instructions, new photos, tips, and a video in Feb of 2023.
tempting toast dear,loved the clicks 🙂
Chili cheese toast looks delicious very nice.
Oh my hubby and I love chilly cheese toasts. Yours have come out really nice and pretty!
wow...so yumm. I love cheese chiili toast but with liitle boiled corn in it
Loved the 1st pic, great angle:)
Please join as at Saturday Snapshots:)
Lovely bread toast
Quick and delicious toast ....... Looks yumm !!
Hard to resist to this beautiful toast, i dont mind having some.
It sure looks to be an easy appetizer to prepare. Thanks for posting this wonderful looking Chinese cheese toast.
Deepa
jus yummmm