Spiked Grilled Cheese Sriracha Mayo (Printable)

Crispy cheddar and Monterey Jack sandwiches glazed with creamy, spicy sriracha mayo for a bold twist.

# What You Need:

→ Bread & Cheese

01 - 4 slices hearty sourdough or white sandwich bread
02 - 4 slices sharp cheddar cheese (approximately 4.2 oz)
03 - 2 slices Monterey Jack cheese (optional, approximately 2.1 oz)

→ Sriracha Mayo

04 - 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
05 - 1 to 1.5 tablespoons sriracha sauce, adjusted to taste
06 - 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

→ Butter

07 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

# How-To:

01 - Combine mayonnaise, sriracha sauce, and lime juice in a small bowl, mixing until smooth. Adjust sriracha amount to preferred heat level.
02 - Spread a thin layer of softened butter on one side of each bread slice; these sides will form the sandwich exteriors.
03 - On the unbuttered sides of two bread slices, evenly arrange cheddar and optional Monterey Jack cheese.
04 - Place the remaining bread slices on top, buttered side facing out, forming two sandwiches.
05 - Spread a generous layer of sriracha mayo over the buttered exterior of each sandwich.
06 - Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-low heat.
07 - Place sandwiches mayo side down on the skillet. While the first side cooks, spread sriracha mayo on the exposed top sides.
08 - Grill sandwiches for 3 to 4 minutes per side, pressing gently with a spatula, until bread is golden and crispy and cheese is melted.
09 - Remove sandwiches from the skillet, allow to rest for 1 minute, then slice and serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It rescues grilled cheese from boredom without requiring any fancy techniques or hard-to-find ingredients.
  • That sriracha mayo hits different when it's caramelizing against hot bread, creating a crust that's crispy, tangy, and just the right amount of spicy.
  • You can have it on the table in under 20 minutes, making it perfect for when you want something restaurant-quality but refuse to change out of your sweatshirt.
02 -
  • The sriracha mayo will brown and caramelize during cooking, creating a deeply savory crust—this is not a mistake, it's the whole point, so don't panic if it looks darker than you expected.
  • Medium-low heat is non-negotiable; high heat will burn your bread to charcoal before the cheese has time to melt, leaving you with a crispy outside and cold cheese inside, which is its own kind of tragedy.
  • Softened butter spreads way more evenly and thinly than cold butter, and this matters because too much butter makes the sandwich greasy instead of crispy.
03 -
  • Spread the sriracha mayo thick and with confidence—it's not going to burn nearly as easily as you think, and the deeper browning creates a crust that tastes almost caramelized.
  • If your butter is straight from the fridge, leave it out for five minutes before spreading; cold butter tears the bread and refuses to distribute evenly, which undermines everything.
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