The BEST Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks

These crispy air fryer mozzarella sticks are easy to make plus perfectly gooey and crunchy every time. Just a few minutes in the air fryer gives you a lightened up mozzarella stick that is a healthier take on party time classic.

Why We Love The BEST Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks

• Gooey And Delicious– It’s hard to say no to gooey, melty cheesy goodness. Mozzarella cheese dipped in warm marinara sauce is so tasty. You don’t need much oil with these mozzarella sticks, especially compared with deep frying!
• Great For Game Day– These are the perfect snack to throw in the air fryer for football season or a party. I sometimes make them when my kid has a few friends over too.
• Delicious Flavor– These mozzarella sticks have flavors like oregano and garlic in the coating, making them burst with flavor in every bite!
• Easy To Prep Ahead– Not only are these mozzarella sticks easy to make, they are totally an easy recipe to prep ahead and add to your freezer. Then whenever you want gooey mozzarella sticks you can just throw a few in the air fryer! Delicious, and perhaps a little dangerous!

These crispy mozzarella sticks didn’t take very long and the air fryer was the clear champion! Served with warm marinara this recipe is always a crowd pleaser, with it’s super gooey cheese and crunchy outside!

Use skim milk string cheese dipped in panko, flour, egg and a mix of Italian spices for a delicious snack to share.

Ingredients For Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks

• string cheese sticks – Can use any string cheese
• all purpose flour
• paprika
• oregano
• parsley
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• salt
• panko breadcrumbs – also known as japanese panko breadcrumbs
• egg

How To Make Mozzarella Cheese Sticks In The Air Fryer

Prepping The Mozzarella Cheese Sticks

• Slice all cheese sticks in half so you have 16 equal pieces.
• In a small bowl combine panko, paprika, oregano, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder and salt. In a second small bowl add one egg and beat with a fork (or whisk). In a third small bowl add the flour.

• Dip each piece of cheese first in the flour, then in the egg mixture, then in the spices and panko mixture. Once covered place the cheese stick on your cookie sheet. I like to line the cookie sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.

• Using a fork to lift the string cheese out of the breading can help to keep too much breading from sticking to the cheese in bigger clumps. This helps to coat cheese sticks evenly so when they cook, they are cripsy.

• Continue coating all pieces of cheese in the breadcrumb mixture, lining them up on the cookie sheet.

• Place cheese sticks in the freezer for a minimum of two hours or until frozen solid. Cheese sticks can then be placed in a freezer bag to be stored or cooked in the air fryer.

Cooking The Mozzarella Cheese Sticks In The Air Fryer

• Set air fryer to 400 degrees. Allow the air fryer machine to preheat for a minute or two until warm. Spray air fryer basket with a light mist of oil spray away from the machine.

• Add frozen mozzarella cheese sticks to air fryer basket in a single layer so they are not touching. ( I was able to fit 7-8 frozen sticks in my basket) If they touch they can stick together sometimes as they cook.

• Heat cheese sticks for 3-4 minutes, then open the air fryer and shake them around the basket or flip them with tongs. Cook an additional 3-4 minutes on the other side until crispy, brown, and gooey inside. If they aren’t quite crispy enough, pop them in for an additional minute, easy peasy!

• Serve the cheese sticks while hot with a side of marinara for dipping! You can use your favorite marinara sauce, ranch, or any other favorite dipping sauce you like! (Try them with a tangy BBQ sauce, yum!)

How To Keep The Cheese From Melting Through The Breadcrumbs

People often ask won’t the cheese just melt out of the breading into a puddle all over my air fryer? The short answer is that it is possible this could happen but by following these cooking tips, that won’t happen!

The first time you cook cheese sticks in the air fryer I don’t recommend just popping them into the machine and walking away. You may need to watch them a little bit to know how they cook best in your air fryer. Luckily the cheese sticks cook fast.

Here are my top tips for getting the best results and making sure your mozzarella sticks don’t melt in the air fryer, but ARE crispy and delicious.

• TIP 1: Freezing- One of the tricks to keeping the cheese from melting through the coating is to have your mozzarella sticks completely frozen and your air fryer super hot for this recipe. This gives the outside time to become a golden brown before the cheese gets too hot and turns to liquid.
• TIP 2: Coating – The other thing I’ve found that can make or break your mozzarella sticks is making sure both the flour and egg coating are completely covering your mozzarella sticks as you are coating them. Spots where the flour and egg aren’t coating the mozzarella completely tend to be where they later potentially melt out.
• TIP 3- Time and Temperature– My air fryer works best when you heat the mozzarella sticks at 400 degrees for about 8 minutes and flip them after about four minutes. Air fryer temperatures can vary between the models, so if your cheese is melting out try reducing the temperature by 10-15 degrees.

This is a great recipe to make ahead and then keep in the freezer. You’ll be ready for tailgating or game day or unexpected guests.

I pulled a batch of these mozzarella sticks made with this recipe out from the freezer when my father in law came to visit. These cheese sticks were a big hit and cooked fast.

Do You Have To Preheat An Air Fryer?

Preheating the air fryer takes only a minute or two compared to the oven, but you don’t have to preheat it. If you chose not to preheat your air fryer your first batch of mozzarella cheese sticks may need to be cooked for an additional minute or two.

If your mozzarella sticks aren’t quite cooked and gooey enough, throw them back into the machine for a minute or two extra.

Can You Use Cooking Spray In Your Air Fryer?

You can use PAM and similar sprays in your air fryer, but over time the oil will buildup on your machine.

This is normal as cooking sprays contain propellant which will build up on any cooking surface over time whether it’s generic cooking oil or olive oil spray.

I choose instead to use either a Misto or this avocado oil spray that doesn’t include propellant for this recipe. I usually buy my avocado oil at Costco as it usually is the best deal.

Avocado oil won’t make your mozzarella sticks taste like avocado. (Though air-fried avocado could be good too!)

Do You Have To Use Panko In This recipe?

You can use any type of plain breadcrumb you prefer in this recipe. Panko is my personal favorite as it tends to make a crunchier outside.

You could also go wild with the coating, trying ground up pretzels, tortilla chips, or whatever else crunchy you have around that could be made into crumbs. I’ve even seen people starting to use Hot Cheetos ground up as the coating.

Can I put Aluminum Foil In My Air Fryer?

You technically can put aluminum foil in your air fryer but I don’t recommend it. You aluminum foil must be waited down by your food when you make and cook it or it might move around the machine.

The air fryer is designed to circulate warm air quickly, and those little holes in the basket help allow the air to move around the machine. It’s the technology that makes it hot fast without having to cook food very long.

If you use aluminum foil, you are blocking some of the airflow in your machine. Your results may end with mozzarella sticks recipe that is not as crunchy.

Can You Cook Boxed Frozen Mozzarella Sticks In The Air Fryer?

Yes, you can make air fryer frozen mozzarella sticks that you buy from the store by following the same heating directions below at the bottom of the page in the recipe card for cooking the homemade mozzarella sticks.

Typically boxed frozen mozzarella sticks are pre-fried before frozen, so they may not even need the extra spritz of oil.

How Do You Store Leftover Cheese Sticks?

Store any leftover mozzarella cheese sticks in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. I recommend reheating them quickly in the air fryer when warming up leftovers.

How Do You Cook these Mozzarella Sticks In an Oven?

I’ve baked mozzarella cheese sticks before in the oven. They often end up slightly flatter and less crispy than in the air fryer but are tasty and I find that the air fryer is the best way. If you don’t have an air fryer though, you can bake them in the oven like this.

• Start by following the directions to coat and add the breadcrumbs to the cheese sticks, then freeze them.

• If you are baking these mozzarella sticks in the oven, bake them at 400 degrees for 4-5 minutes on each side. Make sure to preheat the oven or it will take longer.

• Spray them with little oil both before you put them in the oven, and when you flip them to help them get more crispy.

Other Party Recipes You Will Love:

Easy Homemade Pepperoni Rolls– Quick and easy pepperoni rolls are delicious and when dipped in sauce taste like pizza! Homemade air fryer pizza rolls will have all the kids at your house after school!

Crispy Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Fries– Made in the air fryer or oven, this crispy zucchini is so delicious!

Ham and Cheese Sliders– This includes instructions for both the air fryer or the oven, the sauce is SO good!

Turkey Burger Sliders With Cheese – Juicy little turkey burgers that the whole family will love, perfect size for snacking!

Pull Apart Cheesy Garlic Bread– Whether you serve it as an appetizer or a side dish, this super cheesy pull-apart garlic bread is tasty. It starts with store-bought biscuit dough and ends with a cheesy loaf that everyone will cheer for.

Easy Tortilla Pizza Rollups – A quick and easy snack or appetizer, who doesn’t love pizza?

Pigs In A Blanket– Make’m in the air fryer or oven, these savory pigs in a blanket are a super easy and delicious appetizer for any party, game day or board game night.