Description
This recipe for air fryer mozzarella sticks offers a crispy, golden-brown appetizer that’s perfectly gooey inside without the extra oil from traditional frying. Using an air fryer, this method is quick, easy, and less messy, delivering delicious cheesy sticks ideal for parties, snacks, or game day treats.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheese
- 12 sticks mozzarella cheese (string cheese)
Breading
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (preferably Italian-seasoned)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
Other
- cooking spray as needed
Instructions
- Prepare Breading Stations: Set up three shallow bowls: one with the all-purpose flour, one with the beaten eggs, and one with the breadcrumb mixture combined with garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. This assembly line will make the breading process efficient.
- Coat in Flour: Take one mozzarella stick at a time and roll it thoroughly in the flour, shaking off any excess to ensure an even, light coating that helps the egg stick.
- Dip in Egg: Fully submerge the floured mozzarella stick into the beaten eggs to coat it completely; this moisture helps the breadcrumbs adhere perfectly.
- Roll in Breadcrumbs: Transfer the egg-coated stick into the breadcrumb mixture, pressing gently to make sure the crumbs stick well. Repeat these steps for all mozzarella sticks for uniform breading.
- Freeze Breaded Sticks: Place all the breaded mozzarella sticks on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze them for 10-15 minutes. This chilling step is crucial to prevent the cheese from melting too quickly and leaking during air frying.
- Preheat Air Fryer: Heat your air fryer to 390°F (200°C) to ensure it’s hot enough to crisp the cheese sticks without sogginess.
- Prepare Air Fryer Basket: Lightly spray the basket with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Arrange the frozen mozzarella sticks in a single layer, ensuring they don’t touch, to allow proper crispy airflow.
- Air Fry the Mozzarella Sticks: Cook the sticks for 6-8 minutes, flipping halfway through to promote even browning. Watch for a golden exterior and oozy cheese inside.
- Cool Before Serving: Carefully remove the sticks with tongs or a spatula and let them cool for a couple of minutes to avoid burning your mouth.
- Serve and Enjoy: Serve your homemade air fryer mozzarella sticks hot with marinara sauce or your favorite dipping sauce for a crowd-pleasing appetizer.
Notes
- Freezing the breaded mozzarella sticks before air frying is essential to keep the cheese from melting out during cooking.
- Using Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs adds extra flavor, but plain breadcrumbs with added herbs also work well.
- Be sure not to overcrowd the air fryer basket to allow proper air circulation and crispiness.
- Allow the mozzarella sticks to cool briefly after cooking as the cheese will be very hot inside.
- This recipe is best enjoyed fresh but can be reheated briefly in the air fryer for 2-3 minutes if needed.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Air Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mozzarella stick
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
Keywords: air fryer mozzarella sticks, crispy mozzarella sticks, easy appetizer, Italian cheese sticks, air fryer snacks
