Homemade air fryer mozzarella sticks are the perfect cheese snack or appetizer! You will love how easy it is to make your own crispy and gooey breaded cheese sticks in the air fryer.
This mozzarella cheese sticks recipe is easily one of my favorite snacks to make. After you air fry them, the inside will be gooey cheese, and the outside has a golden brown, crispy coating.
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WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE
Making homemade mozzarella sticks is so easy, and they can be done in no time! They are a great choice for party or game day appetizers, but they also make a delicious snack too. Which is why it's one of my favorite recipes!
It's so easy to use string cheese to make these mozzarella sticks, but if you like variety, grab your favorite block of cheese, and cut that into wedges to make these too! And the best part of making mozzarella sticks in the air fryer, is that you don't have the extra grease from a deep fryer.
I keep mozzarella sticks in the freezer so I can grab them quickly, cover them in the breadcrumb coating, and then throw them in the air fryer. The melty cheese with it's crisp exterior, is an amazing comfort food, and can be a fun side dish to soups and salads too!
There are so many simple ways to make classic tasty snacks in the air fryer, with just a few ingredients, and very little prep time. For more easy snacks, check out these air fryer recipes: air fryer zucchini chips, air fryer sweet potato fries, air fryer potato chips, air fryer crab cakes, or air fryer BBQ wings.
INGREDIENTS
- Mozzarella cheese sticks
- all-purpose flour
- eggs-whisked
- Italian seasoning breadcrumbs-or panko
DIRECTIONS
STEP 1
Freeze the cheese sticks for 1-2 hours. Once frozen, remove the wrapper and wax packaging around each piece of cheese, then set aside.
STEP 2
Make three separate dipping stations using shallow bowls. In the first bowl, add the flour. In a separate second bowl, whisk the eggs together. And in the third bowl, add the breadcrumbs.
STEP 3
First, dip the frozen mozzarella sticks in flour, until lightly coated. Next, dip the flour coated cheese in egg. You want to make sure it’s covered enough with whisked egg so the breadcrumb coating will stick.
STEP 4
Finally, dip the cheese into the breadcrumbs, until well coated, and shake off excess breading. Repeat until all cheese sticks are coated. If necessary, double dip into the breadcrumbs to make sure they are well coated so the cheese doesn’t melt out.
STEP 5
Preheat air fryer to 380 degrees F. If they have been sitting out during the breading process, place coated sticks on a baking sheet and return them to the freezer while the air fryer is preheating.
STEP 6
When the air fryer is ready, lightly spray the basket with nonstick spray or olive oil. Then place the coated cheese sticks in the air fryer basket, in a single layer, without touching or overlapping.
STEP 7
Air fry at 380 degrees F for 6-8 minutes, turning halfway through air frying, until the coating is golden brown. Remove from the air fryer and eat while warm.
EXPERT TIPS
Don't skip freezing the mozzarella sticks. This will help them keep their shape and will prevent the cheese from melting out of the breadcrumbs during air frying.
Dip the cheese sticks twice for a thicker and crispier coating and extra crunch.
Leave enough room in between the cheese sticks so they don't stick together during air frying.
I make these in a Cosori air fryer. Depending on your air fryer model, the first time you make this recipe, check them halfway through cooking. You may need to adjust the cook time by a minute or two.
If you don't have time to make these air-fried mozzarella sticks with this homemade recipe, you can also grab them already made in the frozen foods section at your local grocery store. Follow these air fryer frozen mozzarella cheese sticks directions.
Here are a few of our FAVORITE recommendations.
Cosori Dual Blaze Air Fryer - Digital Meat Thermometer - Air Fryer All Day
VARIATIONS
Substitute panko breadcrumbs for Italian breadcrumbs. Or add extra seasonings or even grated parmesan cheese to the breadcrumb mixture.
Use different cheese sticks when making this recipe. There are pepper jack, Colby jack, gouda cheese, and even cheddar cheese sticks you can find at the grocery store.
Serve with a choice of dipping sauces, like warm marinara sauce, blue cheese dip, ranch dressing, hot sauce, honey mustard sauce, BBQ sauce, or your favorite dipping sauce.
I use Italian seasoned breadcrumbs to save time, since all of the seasonings are already mixed in with the bread crumbs.
If you only have plain bread crumbs or panko bread crumbs, add ½ teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and black pepper. You can really add any of your favorite spices for flavor.
STORING AND REHEATING
These mozzarella sticks are best when they are first made. If you have leftover mozzarella sticks, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
To reheat leftovers, make sure they are very chilled first. Air fry them for 2-4 minutes, until they are warm and crispy.
FAQS
Be sure to have them very cold from being in the freezer for at least an hour, or do a double coating. Place them in the middle rack or tray, if not using a basket air fryer, so the mozzarella sticks are not so close to the heating element.
It doesn't matter what type of air fryer you have. Just follow the same directions, and the first time you make them, check them after a few minutes so you can adjust the time if necessary.
MORE AIR FRYER APPETIZER RECIPES
You will love the gooey cheese and crispy coating of these mozzarella bread sticks! They are so easy to make, they will be a favorite appetizer for sure!
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📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks
Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 8 mozzarella cheese sticks frozen
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 2 large eggs whisked
- 1 cup Italian Seasoned breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Freeze the cheese sticks for 1-2 hours. Once frozen, remove the wrapper and wax packaging around each piece of cheese, then set aside.
- Make three separate dipping stations using shallow bowls. In the first bowl, add the flour. In a separate second bowl, whisk the eggs together. And in the third bowl, add the breadcrumbs.
- First, dip the frozen mozzarella sticks in flour, until lightly coated. Next, dip the coated cheese in egg. You want to make sure it’s covered enough with whisked egg so the breadcrumb coating will stick.
- Finally, dip the cheese into the breadcrumbs, until well coated, and shake off excess breading. Repeat until all cheese sticks are coated. If necessary, double dip into the breadcrumbs to make sure they are well coated so the cheese doesn’t melt out.
- Preheat air fryer to 380 degrees F. If cheese sticks have been sitting out during the breading process, place them on a baking sheet and return them to the freezer while the air fryer is preheating.
- When the air fryer is ready, lightly spray the basket with nonstick spray or olive oil. Then place the coated cheese sticks in the air fryer basket, in a single layer, without touching or overlapping.
- Air fry at 380 degrees F for 6-8 minutes, turning halfway through air frying, until the coating is golden brown. Remove from the air fryer and eat while warm.
Notes
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is a calculated guesstimate. Please note that this can change with different brands and modifications you may make to the recipe. For the most accurate information, use a nutritional calculator with the exact brands and measurements you're using with each recipe.
©AirFryingFoodie 2024
Chard
Can I cut Mozzarella blocks of cheese into sticks and follow this recipe.
Absolutely! Slice the cheese first, then freeze the slices before air frying. That should work perfectly.
Chard`
Excellent! Thanks.