These homemade Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks are absolute heaven. Hot cheese encased in a crisp crumb layer. Dipped in marinara or eaten plain, you will be eating well! These cheese sticks are quick and easy to make and are a great air fryer appetizer or snack. We have directions for homemade or from frozen.
These are delicious year round, and by making them in the air fryer they can be made in the summer without heating up the house!
This was inspired by our Air Fryer Zucchini Fritters and Air Fryer Taquitos on this site, and pairs well with Big Mac Sloppy Joes. Other fun appetizers are Air Fryer Gnocchi and Air Fryer Frozen Sweet Potato Fries and Air Fryer Pizza Rolls.
For more air fryer recipes and tips be sure to check out our How To Use an Air Fryer guide.
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Why I Love This Recipe:
They are just SO DELICIOUS homemade. We absolutely love them. I'm not always a huge mozzarella stick fan, but the flavor and texture of them homemade is just so yummy. The whole family loves them and just eats them up.
Directions for Frozen
Sometimes life is busy and we get in a hurry and buying frozen mozzarella sticks to make in the air fryer is what we do. Whether you use Trader Joe's, TGI Fridays, Farm Rich or another brand, they all cook about the same.
How to cook frozen mozzarella sticks in the air fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 360*F. Once preheated, add the sticks and cook 6-8 minutes, shaking the basket or flipping the sticks at about minute 4.
Ingredients
Below is a list of ingredients needed for this recipe. Follow our tips on each ingredient for best results.
- cheese sticks/ string cheese - the cheese sticks are obviously the highlight of this dish. While testing this recipe, we found that a quality brand made for a better end result, but when made with off-brand they were still good.
- panko - we recommend panko for this recipe, you can use bread crumbs instead, but we liked the crispness that came from the panko.
- avocado oil - you can use another cooking oil, we chose avocado for it's high smoke point.
- flour
- eggs
- salt
- pepper
- garlic powder, parsley, basil and oregano - We tested this recipe over and over to get the perfect balance of flavors that didn't over power, but enhanced the overall taste.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Mozzarella Sticks in the Air Fryer
Use these process shots to help get the results you are wanting. The pictures can help with texture and be a visual guide for best results.
1. Cut cheese sticks in half. Beat eggs in a bowl or container. Mix together flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley, basil and oregano in a bowl. Measure panko into a bowl and mix in avocado oil. It takes a minute or two, mix until well combined and no clumps of oil remain.
2. Place a piece of string cheese in beaten egg mixture and roll to coat thoroughly. Don't miss the ends!
3. Transfer to the bowl of flour and spices. Roll around to generously coat, making sure to get the ends.
4. Move back to the beaten egg bowl and roll in the eggs until well coated. It's okay if a little bit of the flour gets in the eggs. Coat thoroughly.
5. Transfer to the bowl of Panko crumbs and roll around until generously coated. Make sure all of it is covered in the crumbs.
6. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet or some parchment lined plates or glass dishes. Repeat steps 2-6 until all pieces of string cheese are coated and finished. Freeze for 30 or more minutes.
7. Preheat air fryer to 360*F. Remove from the freezer and place directly into the preheated air fryer. Place them on a single level, don't stack them. Air fry for 6-8 minutes, shaking the basket at minute 4. They will be crispy on the outside with that yummy melty cheese inside.
Hint: Coating the cheese sticks in the egg, then flour, then egg and Panko crumbs will get messy. Embrace the mess and don't worry about the eggs, flour or Panko getting messy or bits of other stuff in their bowls. It will be fine!
Substitutions and Variations
We love switching things up when we're in the kitchen. Try any of these variations for something a little different.
- Spices- use 1 ½ teaspoons of Italian seasoning instead of parsley, basil and oregano.
- Panko- fine bread crumbs may be used instead of Panko.
- Italian Panko- Italian Panko may be used. If using Italian, skip the parsley basil and oregano.
- Gluten Free- For gluten free, use gluten free all purpose flour and gluten free bread crumbs.
- Spicy - add ⅛ teaspoon chili pepper flakes to the the flour when adding the other spices. We tested this recipe with the red pepper flakes and every person who liked spicy foods loved it with the red pepper flakes and thought it added the perfect touch of spice. We highly recommend this variation!
- Cajun- skip the garlic, parsley, basil and oregano and use 1 ½ teaspoons cajun seasoning instead.
- Bacon- add bacon bits to the panko for bacon mozzarella sticks
- Cheddar- use cheddar cheese sticks for a fun new twist of flavor!
Helpful Hints
When adding the oil to the panko mixture, make sure to mix it completely until no clumps remain otherwise you'll have little clumps on your cheese sticks.
Make sure to get both layers of flour and egg on the entire cheese stick then to get a full layer of the crumbs. While testing this recipe, we found that if we weren't careful about getting good layers, the mozzarella sticks were more likely to explode in the air fryer.
Storage
After coating in eggs, flour and Panko, freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
If already cooked, store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat in the air fryer on 360*F for 2-3 minutes.
Top tip
Make sure to freeze the mozzarella sticks. They work so much better in the air fryer. It is well worth the wait and will create less mess in the air fryer.
FAQ
Yes! And they are even better than in the oven. Hot, crisp and ooey gooey! Cook at 360*F for 6-8 minutes, turning the sticks at about minute 4.
Cook at 360*F for 6-8 minutes, turning the sticks at about minute 4.
Preheat to 360*F then cook for about 2-3 minutes.
Follow our recipe! Make sure to get a good coating whether it's the egg, flour or Panko. This will help it get a good seal.
Recipe
Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks
Ingredients
- 8 mozzarella cheese sticks/ string cheese
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup Panko
- 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
- ½ cup flour
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon parsley
- ¼ teaspoon basil
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cut cheese sticks in half. Beat eggs and place in a bowl or small baking dish. In a separate bowl, mix panko and avocado oil together. Mix thoroughly until all clumps are gone. Whisk together flour, garlic powder, salt, parsley, basil, oregano and pepper in a separate bowl.
- Place cheese stick half in the beaten eggs and coat well. Transfer to the flour and spice bowl and roll around in the flour until well coated, make sure to get the ends! Move back to the egg bowl and coat well in another coating of eggs. Transfer to the Panko and generously coat, making sure it is covered well.
- Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, plate or baking dish so that they aren't touching and freeze for 30 or more minutes.
- Preheat the air fryer to 360*F. Place frozen mozzarella sticks directly into the preheated air fryer and cook for 6-8 minutes. Shake the basket or flip the sticks at minute 4.
- Dip in your favorite marinara sauce or enjoy plain!
Notes
- After coating in eggs, flour and panko, freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
- If already cooked, store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat in the air fryer for 2-3 minutes at 360*F.
- Make sure to get the full coating of eggs and flour twice and a full coating of the panko or bread crumbs. This makes them less likely to explode in the air fryer.
- Our favorite variation that we tested was to add ⅛ teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the panko mixture. If you like spicy foods, these are absolutely delicious with that little kick of spice.
- Make sure to mix in the oil to the panko mixture all the way and that no clumps remain or you will end up with little clumps on your cheese sticks.
Nicole says
Holy cow, I can't believe how much better homemade mozzarella sticks are in the air fryer versus store bought. I'll never be able to buy them from the store again! delicious!
Dana says
These turned out amazingly, they were crispy and ooey gooey. Way better than store bought. and I'm afraid at how much I'm going to eat these things, lol.
Andrea says
I love these homemade mozzarella sticks. Bonus they are made in the air fryer. Easy and can make any time I want!
Jake says
MMMM I made these homemade air fryer mozzarella sticks and they were incredible. It was my first time not eating them store bought or in a restaurant... and I don't think I can ever eat them another way again! They were so much better and my roommate liked them too. thanks