With basically no prep & 4 minutes of cooking you can make Air Fryer Frozen Mozzarella Sticks. Perfectly cooked and ready to serve with your favorite dipping sauces!
Preheat the air fryer by running it at 360°F (180°C) for 5 minutes.
Brush the frozen mozzarella sticks with oil, then spread them out in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
6 frozen mozzarella sticks, ½ teaspoon vegetable oil
Air fry at 360°F (180°C) for 4 minutes, shaking them around once halfway.
Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce!
Notes
This recipe for air fryer frozen mozzarella sticks was created in a Philips HD9252/90 Air Fryer*. Cooking time can vary with your air fryer model.
Ingredient notes & substitutions
Frozen mozzarella sticks can be store bought or homemade. The thicker the breading, the easier to keep the cheese from oozing out. A few good store brands are TGI Friday's Mozzarella Sticks, Great Value Mozzarella Sticks and Farm Rich Mozzarella Sticks.
Frozen mozzarella sticks can be swapped for other frozen cheese sticks
Vegetable oil can be swapped for cooking spray, or skipped, and mainly adds a nice touch of color
Don't defrost the mozzarella sticks but cook them straight from frozen
Cook mozzarella sticks in one layer for an even cook. If making a lot, cook them in batches.
Shake the mozzarella sticks around halfway for an even cook
Cook time can vary with different air fryers
Don't overcook them, to avoid the cheese oozing out
To check if they are done, grab a mozzarella stick and squeeze it gently, if it's done it should feel a bit soft inside - like a stuffed animal!
Store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days - but I recommend not air frying more than you will finish
Reheat leftovers in the air fryer* at 360°F (180°C) for 2 minutes
How do you keep the cheese from oozing out from mozzarella sticks in the air fryer?
This is prone to happen, any way you cook them. There are two main ways to avoid this:1. Thicker breading to help keep that cheese inside 2. Not overcooking them since too-hot cheese is what breaks through the breadingThis recipe has been tested with mozzarella sticks with a very thin breading, so the times recommended here should help avoid this.However, all air fryers are different, so if you're worried about this, try air frying just one of them first to determine the optimal time for your air fryer.