Perfect frozen mozzarella cheese sticks in air fryer every time! How could you make soft, stretchy mozzarella cheese any better? How about wrapping the cheese in a crispy, crumbed coating and throwing it in the air fryer?

It’s really easy to make mozzarella sticks in the air fryer, and pretty much everyone likes cheese. The hot air circulating around the air fryer will cook these perfectly every time, and you’ll have the perfect snack or side dish in a matter of minutes. Curious? Read on!

Air Fry Frozen Mozzarella Sticks or Cheese Sticks ( Tips)

You’ll never go back to pan frying or deep frying your mozzarella sticks after you’ve tried it in the air fryer.

The first thing you need to know is not to thaw your sticks before frying. Thawing them out can make the sticks soggy. Just put your frozen mozzarella sticks straight into the air fryer when you remove them from the freezer. This gives them a beautifully crispy outer coating.
You’ll also want to spread your sticks in an even layer when air frying. There’s no need to stack them. This will actually impede your cooking! Overcrowding or stacking the sticks will prevent the hot air that cooks your cheese sticks from reaching every surface. You’ll end up with unevenly cooked sticks, or worse, soggy ones! It’s OK to cook in smaller batches.
Use a small first batch to work out how hot, and for how long, you need to cook your sticks.
You don’t need to use an oil spray on your mozzarella sticks, either. There’s plenty of oil in the crust, so any more is just overkill.

How To Cook Frozen Mozzarella Cheese Sticks in Air Fryer

Because air fryers differ from one make and model to the next, and different brands of cheese sticks will come in different sizes and thicknesses, you’ll want to adjust your cooking time and temperature accordingly.

We recommend that you first try air frying your mozzarella sticks at 356°F |180°C for 5 minutes. Next, you’re going to gently shake the basket, or turn the sticks over. Then air fry them again at 356°F |180°C for another 1-2 minutes. You’ll know the sticks are done when the molten cheese is almost oozing out of the sticks.

You should always allow your cheese sticks to cool before eating. The melted cheese inside the bread sticks will be much hotter than the crumbed coating, so you’ll want to let it cool gently for a few minutes before you eat them.

If you have thicker or bigger cheese sticks, you might need more time to cook them. Similarly, smaller or skinner cheese sticks will need less cooking time.

We based the cooking time here on a preheated air fryer. Your subsequent batches may cook more quickly than the first one if you’re keeping the air fryer hot in between batches.

Serving

We strongly recommend that you serve your cheese sticks with a dip or two. Marinara sauce (passata) is a classic pairing for this flavor palate, but Ranch sauce and barbecue sauce are awesome, too. You could even double down on the cheesy goodness and get yourself a blue cheese dipping sauce.

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