Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks

Classic and crispy, these Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks are a crowd pleasing appetizer that are so easy to make in your own kitchen!

Whether you need a quick and cheesy snack for a party or for watching the game, these air fried mozzarella sticks will always hit the spot.

With a golden brown crunchy coating and served with marinara sauce, this appetizer is simple to make but bursting with flavor.

Best of all, these can be made from frozen for ultimate convenience! Have a platter of gooey and melty mozzarella sticks ready in just minutes with this recipe.

Better yet, pair them with these Air Fryer Mozzarella Bites for even more variation on this yummy dish! Or, how about these delicious Loaded Baked Potato Bites?

While you’ve got the air fryer out, why not make these Air Fryer Hamburgers? Served the mozza sticks and a side salad and dinners ready.

Why You’ll Love these Homemade Mozzarella Sticks

No need to go out and buy a bag of frozen appetizers for your next game night or party! Make these super easy 5-ingredient mozzarella sticks yourself.

Full of yummy cheese and covered with a simple but flavorful breading, it’s hard to beat this classic appetizer.

Sure to be a hit with all ages, the air fryer makes these mozzarella sticks extremely easy to prepare. Prep can be done in under 30 minutes, and after some time in the freezer they’ll need less than 10 minutes to cook!

Pair with marinara or your favorite dipping sauce and be the hero of your next party with this iconic dish. These cheesy sticks go perfectly with these little creamy stuffed peppers.

Want to serve these along with some delicious chicken wings? This Buffalo Wings recipe is made in the instant pot, so it’s super easy to make up a batch!

 

Air Fried Mozzarella Sticks Ingredients

• Egg – ensures the crispy coating will adhere to the cheese.
• Italian Seasoning – gives your breadcrumb coating lots of flavor that pairs well with the mozzarella.
• Salt – helps bring out the flavors of the seasoning and makes the cheese pop.
• Panko Breadcrumbs – already light and crispy, these Panko bread crumbs are ideal for air frying and will produce a satisfying crunchy coating on the outside of your mozzarella sticks.
• Mozzarella String Cheese – easy to work with, mozzarella is known for melting well and its mild flavor makes it perfect as the base for these cheese sticks.

 

How to Make Homemade Mozzarella Sticks in the Air Fryer

1. Beat egg in a wide, shallow bowl.  In a separate wide, shallow bowl, combine the Italian seasoning, salt, and breadcrumbs.
   

   Panko bread crumbs provide a delicate but crunchy breading and will get perfectly golden brown in the air fryer!

2. Dip each mozzarella stick into the beaten egg then into the bread crumb mixture. Place in the freezer for about 1 hour.
   

   Once your air fryer is preheated, it takes less than 10 minutes of cook time to have gooey and satisfying mozzarella sticks ready.

3. Preheat the air fryer to 390 degrees F. Place breaded mozzarella sticks in the air fryer basket in a single layer and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until crispy and golden brown.
   

   These mozzarella sticks don’t even require any added oil to get crispy in the air fryer!

4. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Serve hot along with marinara sauce.

 

Mozzarella Stick FAQs

How long to cook mozzarella sticks in the air fryer?

Depending on your air fryer, it can take as few as 5 and as many as 10 minutes to properly cook your mozzarella sticks.

It also depends if you’ve given them the proper space in a single layer in the air fryer basket, which will promote even cooking and less cooking time.

Once you get to know your particular air fryer, you’ll have a better idea of how long your air fried mozzarella sticks will need until they’re perfectly crispy and golden brown.

What can I use if I don’t have marinara sauce for mozzarella sticks?

There are so many other dipping sauces that pair well with mozzarella sticks! Because mozzarella is a mild tasting cheese, it works well with lots of flavor combinations.

Serve air fryer mozzarella sticks with hot sauce, ranch dressing, ketchup, buffalo blue cheese sauce, honey mustard, cheese dipping sauce, or even something like a soy ginger sauce.

You can easily change the seasonings in the breading to better match whatever sauce you plan to serve with.

Mozzarella sticks could also be used as a companion to your favorite appetizer dip recipes!

Can I cook frozen mozzarella sticks in the air fryer?

Yes, and in fact cooking them from frozen ensures that the breading stays together while also allowing the cheese to get nice and melty!

Make large batches of mozzarella sticks and keep them around in the freezer.

Then air fry a handful whenever you need a quick snack or do a larger batch when serving a crowd. You can also reheat mozzarella sticks in the air fryer if they’ve already been cooked.

 

 

Popular Variations and Substitutions

• Instead of mozzarella, buy cheese sticks of a different kind for a slightly different take on these cheese sticks. Cheddar, colby jack, or pepper jack are other good options. There are also cheese sticks made of blends of 2 or 3 kinds of cheeses.
• For even more flavor in the breading, use seasonings like onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, mustard powder, or even something like ranch dressing powder or taco seasoning for a unique take.
• Cooking in the air fryer is one of the healthiest options, but you can also deep fry your mozzarella sticks or line them up on a baking sheet and bake them in the oven.
• Hot Cheeto Mozzarella Sticks – For a bold and super colorful variation on mozzarella sticks, use finely crushed Hot Cheetos instead of panko bread crumbs (or go half and half), then bread, freeze, and air fry as instructed.

 

More Recipes You’ll Love

• Air Fryer Tortilla Pizza – If you love quick and simple air fryer recipes, try this easy one that will revolutionize pizza night!
• Air Fryer Bang Bang Shrimp – With a tangy and bold sauce, this delicious shrimp recipe is perfect as an appetizer or side dish.
• Air Fryer BBQ Wings – You’ll end up with perfectly cooked wings every time with this recipe!
• Baileys Strawberries and Cream Martini – Enjoy the flavors of a strawberry shortcake in this creamy and unique martini cocktail.
• Zucchini Pie with Mozzarella – Can’t get enough mozzarella? Make this zucchini pie from Colavita and serve any time of day for any occasion!

 

Easy Air Fried Mozzarella Sticks