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These Air Fryer cheese curds are crispy, chewy and absolutely addictive! Gooey melted cheese on the inside, and a crispy breaded coating on the outside- everyone is sure to love them!

These breaded cheese curds make a perfect snack or appetizer! You’ll need just a few simple ingredients, your Air Fryer and a few minutes to make these. Team them up with your favorite sauces like ranch or marinara- or my ultimate cheese sauce to make it more indulgent!

Golden breaded and fried melted cheese curds stacked on a white plate.

I’ve always been a mozzarella stick lover, so of course, I’ve tried making Air Fryer frozen mozzarella sticks and Air Fryer mozzarella sticks. When I’m entertaining, I like to switch things up a bit and try something different, and I recently tried making Air Fryer mozzarella cheese balls and my favorite Air Fryer Babybel cheese and they both turned out SO delicious.

And that’s when it struck me- cheese curds! I tried breading the cheese curds and air frying them- just like I did with the other cheese(s) and oh boy- I’m SO glad I did!

Quick Look At This Recipe

Flavor: Salty and crunchy.

⏱️ Prep time: 20 minutes.

🔥 Cook time: 6 minutes.

⏲️ Total time: 26 minutes.

👥 Servings: 10 servings.

🥄 Tools: Air Fryer.

❄️ Freezer friendly: Yes.

👩🏻‍🍳 Tip: If you live in a warmer climate, refrigerate or freeze the coated cheese curds for 10-15 minutes before you air fry them. This will help keep them from melting.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Air fried cheese curds are crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside- just like my Air Fryer frozen mozzarella sticks.
  • They are so fun to eat and make great finger snacks for parties or after school.
  • They use so much less oil as compared to their deep fried counterparts, and yet, turn out SO delicious!
Pic of Jen Gamble

Recipe Ingredients

Ingredients measured on a white marble table
  • Cheese curds: These squeaky little bites of cheese are the perfect snack or appetizer to serve for game day! My favorite cheese curds, are these Tillamook’s squeaky cheese curds, but of course, you can use whatever you prefer.
  • Flour: Just some regular all purpose flour.
  • Breadcrumbs: I love using Panko breadcrumbs here for that crunchiness. You can totally use regular breadcrumbs too though.
  • Eggs: To help the breadcrumbs stick to the cheese curds.
  • Seasonings: I kept it simple and just used some garlic powder, salt and pepper. You can also try using the seasoning mix I made for my Air Fryer seasoned fries recipe.
  • Olive oil: For the crispiness. You can also use avocado oil spray if you want to.

See recipe card for quantities.

Variations

  • Use seasoned breadcrumbs to make things quicker. Italian breadcrumbs are also a great choice.
  • To make these extra cheesy, you can also add some shredded Parmesan (or any other kind of cheese) to the breadcrumb mixture.
  • Another great idea is to use a seasoning of your choice for extra flavor. I love using my homemade poultry seasoning and some store-bought Cajun seasoning mix here!
  • To make the dish gluten free, you can use gluten free flour and gluten free breadcrumbs to coat the cheese curds.

How to Make Air Fryer Cheese Curds

Cheese curds being dipped into three different stages of coatings and then put in the air fryer.
  1. Preheat the air fryer to 350°F (177°C). Set up a dredging station with breadcrumbs and seasonings in one bowl, flour in another, and whisked eggs in the third. Dip cheese curds in flour, then in the eggs, and finally in the breadcrumbs.
Breaded cheese curds in the air fryer basket before being cooked
  1. Lightly spray the Air Fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray. Then place the cheese curds in the basket, in a single layer, without stacking or overlapping.
Golden fried breaded cheese curds in the air fryer basket.
  1. Air fry at 350°F (177°C) for 3-4 minutes, shake the basket once and cook again for 3 more minutes.
Crispy golden fried cheese curds stacked on a plate with melted cheese pulled out.
  1. Once the cheese curds look golden brown and crispy, get them out and serve!

Are you new to Air Fryers? If you are, we have a great article about What is an Air Fryer. It talks about what you can make, how to use it, and more.

Looking for the BEST accessories to use with your Air Fryer? We’ve put together this list of our favorite Air Fryer Accessories.

Serving Ideas & Suggestions

The best way to enjoy these Air Fryer cheese curds is to pair them with some more appetizers and crispy snacks like Air Fryer potato chips, Air Fryer plantain and some classic Air Fryer tater tots and an assortment of dips including ranch and marinara.

I personally love teaming them up with my Air Fryer blooming onion– the combination works SO great- you should try it too!

Recipe Tips & Tricks

  • If you’re making a couple of batches of air fried cheese curds, place the remaining coated ones in the refrigerator on a baking sheet, until you’re done with the first batch.
  • Make sure each piece is well coated with the bread crumb mixture so the cheese doesn’t melt through when air frying. You can even re-dip in the eggs and panko breadcrumbs to double coat them if you want to. This will actually make them extra crispy.
  • I made this recipe in my Cosori Air Fryer. Depending on the kind of device you’re using and the size of the Air Fryer basket, you may need to adjust the cooking time by 1-2 minutes.
Cheese being pulled apart after being melted in the air fryer.

Recipe FAQs

Why did my cheese melt out of the coating?

You have to stick them in the freezer after you dip them in the breading. This helps the cheese stay firm during air frying.

How do I store leftover air fried cheese curds?

Store leftover cheese curds in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for 3-4 days. 

How do I reheat refrigerated Air Fryer cheese curds?

To reheat them in the Air Fryer, pop them in at 350°F (177°C) for 2-4 minutes.

Can I use frozen cheese curds for this recipe?

If you want to use frozen cheese curds, try my Air Fryer frozen cheese curds recipe to make it accurately!

More Air Fryer Snacks to Try

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Cheese being pulled apart after being melted in the air fryer.
5 from 1 vote
Servings: 10

Air Fryer Cheese Curds

Air Fryer Cheese Curds make a perfect snack! Each bite is gooey melted cheese on the inside, with a crispy breaded coating on the outside!
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 6 minutes
Total: 26 minutes
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Equipment

  • 1 Air Fryer

Ingredients 

  • 10 ounces cheese curds, 2-5 ounce packages
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions 

  • Preheat air fryer to 350 degrees F.
  • Add the flour to a small shallow bowl. In a small shallow second bowl, whisk the eggs. In a third small bowl, combine panko bread crumbs with the garlic powder, salt, and pepper. 
  • Dip cheese curds in the flour, lightly shake off excess coating of flour, then dip into the eggs to coat cheese curds, and then finally dredge through the panko and seasonings. 
  • Lightly spray the basket with nonstick cooking spray. Then place the cheese curds in air fryer basket, in a single layer, without stacking or overlapping.
  • To make sure you get a crispy coating, spritz the curds with olive oil spray-or avocado oil. (Any remaining coated curds that won't fit in air fryer basket, place on a small baking sheet and keep in the refrigerator until ready to air fry.) Air fry at 350 degrees F for 3-4 minutes, then turn curds and air fryer for an additional 3-4 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. 

Notes

  • Arrange the coated cheese curds in a single layer in the Air Fryer basket and keep an eye on them at the 5-6 minute mark. You don’t want them to melt and fall apart. 
  • Make sure each piece is well coated with the bread crumb mixture so the cheese doesn’t melt through when air frying. You can even re-dip in the eggs and panko breadcrumbs to double coat. 

Nutrition

Calories: 227kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 86mg, Sodium: 408mg, Potassium: 62mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 81IU, Vitamin C: 0.004mg, Calcium: 235mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Becky Abbott

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