Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks

Yes, you read that correctly.

How does the hot air fryer work?

So the air fryer is a bit magical. It’s basically a convection oven that sits on your countertop. But because it’s small and mighty, it heats up faster than your oven and cooks pretty quickly too.

The air fryer works from the outside in, which means that if you don’t do your prep work for these mozzarella sticks well enough, you’ll literally end up with a hot mess on your hands. The sticks will explode and stick to the inside of your air fryer. (Lineing the basket with foil will help reduce the mess, but the sticks won’t cook evenly because the air won’t circulate through the aluminum foil. Use a little nonstick spray instead.)

• New to the air fryer? Check out our beginner’s guide to using an air fryer.

The secret to great mozzarella sticks

Admittedly, this is a bit of a tricky process, but not for nothing, as my grandmother used to say. TRUST ME. You do NOT want to go through the hassle of exploding those cheese sticks in your air fryer.

Here’s the secret: DOUBLE coat your mozzarella sticks.

You need to dip the mozzarella stick into the lightly beaten egg and then into the breadcrumbs; Freeze for a short time, then repeat the process again to add a second coating before air frying. These steps are crucial.

Otherwise, the coating will slide right off the cheese stick as soon as you put it in the fryer. It kind of forcibly sheds the layer like it’s an exoskeleton or something. The mozzarella stick is made edible. And messy too.

The double layering also adds extra crunch and added assurance that all parts of the stick will be coated in the egg panko mixture. (Have you ever tried dipping cheese in egg? It’s a slippery affair.)

There’s a lot more freezing time than you might expect, but I promise they don’t taste like the ones you make from a box you buy in the grocery store freezer section. It’s worth it.

Tips for making mozzarella sticks

• Choose your cheese sticks wisely: Not all cheese sticks are the same. I used regular, full-fat mozzarella sticks. You can also make these with low-fat sticks, but I found the texture slightly gummy. I can’t vouch for what will happen to fat-free mozzarella sticks.
• Freeze completely before air frying: Make sure they’re frozen before air frying them – if they’re even slightly moist in the freezer, they won’t cook evenly. The coating falls off immediately. The sticks should feel dry.
• Use non-stick spray: Smack the air fryer basket and chopsticks with some non-stick spray oil before placing them in the basket. That way they won’t stick to the basket and a little extra oil will help them brown.
• If necessary, work in batches. I didn’t like the way they sometimes stuck together when I made all eight at once, so I split the process into two batches.
• If you have a toaster and air fryer comboyou can place an extra rack under the frying basket and line it with foil to prevent mozzarella from dripping onto the heating elements.

Need something to dip those sticks in? Try our easy tomato sauce!

How to Stock Your Freezer With Mozzarella Sticks!

If you want to freeze mozzarella sticks for later, coat the sticks according to the recipe and allow freezing to set after the second coating. Once frozen, place in a ziplock bag and freeze for up to three months.

When you’re ready to bake a batch, reduce the temperature of your air fryer to 360°F and increase the cooking time to 8-10 minutes. This will ensure that the firm, frozen cheese sticks cook through and become gooey.

More recipes that justify buying an air fryer!

• How to make crispy air fryer french fries
• Air Fryer Chinese Spring Rolls
• Crispy Air Fryer Chickpeas
• Fried chicken from the air fryer