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Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks Recipe

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4.87 from 61 votes
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These air fryer mozzarella sticks are a healthier take on a favorite snack classic! Skim string cheese sticks dipped in whole wheat flour, egg, panko breadcrumbs and spices: onion powder, garlic powder, salt, chili powder, and smoked paprika!

These air fryer mozzarella sticks are a healthier take on a favorite snack classic! Skim string cheese sticks dipped in whole wheat flour, egg, panko breadcrumbs and spices: onion powder, garlic powder, salt, chili powder, and smoked paprika! showmetheyummy.com #airfryer #mozzarellasticks

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I’m not gonna lie.

I reeeeeeally went back and forth about buying an air fryer.

  • Um. What the heck is an air fryer?
  • Do I really need another gadget?
  • Will it actually work?
  • Is it going to be hard to use?

I’m guessing you guys are having/had the same thoughts.

Here’s the thing though.

I freaking LOVE my air fryer. And no, this isn’t sponsored, I’m just genuinely impressed with it.

So to answer my own questions . . .

  • Um. What the heck is an air fryer? Think deep fryer without the oil. 
  • Do I really need another gadget? Do you ever really NEED another gadget? No, but we’ve already used this 6 times since we had it! 
  • Will it actually work? YES. It’s actually really cool. You often can find recipes for “oven baked ‘fried’ xyz” and it comes out ok, but it’s often not as good and crispy. The air fryer, while still not as good as deep frying, DEFINITELY gets food crispier and more like the traditional recipe minus a HUGE chunk of the calories. 
  • Is it going to be hard to use? Nope! Surprisingly easy. WAY easier (and far less messy) than deep frying. 

So what did I make first?

Air fryer mozzarella sticks, duh!

These air fryer mozzarella sticks are a healthier take on a favorite snack classic! Skim string cheese sticks dipped in whole wheat flour, egg, panko breadcrumbs and spices: onion powder, garlic powder, salt, chili powder, and smoked paprika! showmetheyummy.com #airfryer #mozzarellasticks

These air fryer mozzarella sticks are a healthier take on a favorite snack classic! Skim string cheese sticks dipped in whole wheat flour, egg, panko breadcrumbs and spices: onion powder, garlic powder, salt, chili powder, and smoked paprika! showmetheyummy.com #airfryer #mozzarellasticks I freaking LOVE mozzarella sticks, but I never make them at home, because helllooooo I only deep fry when absolutely necessary, because it’s kind of a pain in the butt.

I HAVE tried baking mozzarella sticks, but to be totally honest, they didn’t turn out that great. They were ok, because helloooo, gooey melty cheese, but the outsides were not crispy at all!

Enter: air fryer mozzarella sticks.

Now. They’re still not AS crispy as the real deal, but beggars can’t be choosers, and these air fryer mozzarella sticks are

  1. Significantly quick and easier than deep frying mozzarella sticks
  2. WAY healthier. Like, there’s no comparison. You don’t use ANY oil in today’s recipe.

So. How DO we make air fryer mozzarella sticks?!

Step One: Grab a package of mozzarella string cheese and cut each of the sticks in half. Place them into a baggie and freeze.

Step Two: Shake. Dunk. Dip.

  • Place frozen cheese and whole wheat flour into another baggie and shake ’em up until they’re completely coated in flour.
  • Dunk each cheese stick in egg.
  • Dip into the outer coating: breadcrumbs, panko, and spices: onion powder, garlic powder, salt, chili powder, and smoked paprika

Step Three: Freeze! You really do need to freeze these, so the outside has a chance to get crispy before the cheese melts too much.

Step Four: Air fry! All you do is pre-heat, place the mozzarella stick into the air fryer, and “fry” for 5 minutes.

Boom! Air fryer mozzarella sticks.

Some cheese *will* escape out of the outer coating, but have no fear, they’re still delish.

I LOVE dipping these in marinara sauce and ranch and I love that these can be made in advance and air fried at a moment’s notice!

Easy. Healthier. Yummy.

These air fryer mozzarella sticks are a healthier take on a favorite snack classic! Skim string cheese sticks dipped in whole wheat flour, egg, panko breadcrumbs and spices: onion powder, garlic powder, salt, chili powder, and smoked paprika! showmetheyummy.com #airfryer #mozzarellasticks Air fryer mozzarella sticks for the win!

– Jennifer

Do you have an air fryer yet? What should I make next? Show Me the Yummy!

air fryer mozzarella sticks above

Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks

4.87 from 61 votes
These air fryer mozzarella sticks are a healthier take on a favorite snack classic! Skim string cheese sticks dipped in whole wheat flour, egg, panko breadcrumbs and spices: onion powder, garlic powder, salt, chili powder, and smoked paprika!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 24 sticks
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Ingredients

  • 1 (10 oz) package part skim mozzarella string cheese each stick cut in half
  • ¼ cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ cup breadcrumbs
  • ¼ cup panko
  • ½ - 1 teaspoon onion powder*
  • ½ - 1 teaspoon garlic powder*
  • ½ - 1 teaspoon salt*
  • ½ - 1 teaspoon chili powder*
  • ½ - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika*
  • Marinara sauce for dipping
  • Ranch for dipping

Instructions

  • Place halved cheese sticks into a ziplock baggie and place in freezer until frozen, at least 30 minutes.
  • Place egg into a shallow bowl and whisk until broken up. Set aside.
  • Place breadcrumbs, panko, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, chili powder, and smoked paprika in another shallow bowl and whisk until well combined. Set aside.
  • Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
  • Place frozen cheese sticks and flour into another ziplock baggie (the one from the freezer will have too many ice chunks) and shake until the cheese sticks and fully coated in the flour.
  • Discard excess flour.
  • Dunk one cheese stick in egg until fully coated and then in panko mixture until fully coated.
  • Place on lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining cheese sticks.
  • Place baking sheet in freezer until all the cheese sticks have re-frozen, at least an hour.
  • Preheat air fryer to 370 degrees F and grease the basket with cooking spray.
  • Place in the mozzarella sticks, work with about 6 at a time, so you don’t over crowd them.
  • Close the air fryer and cook for 5 minutes.
  • Repeat with as many mozzarella sticks as you’d like. Store uncooked leftovers in the freezer!
  • Serve with dipping sauces and enjoy!
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STORING
Room Temp:N/A
Refrigerator:2 Days
Freezer:N/A
Reheat:Recrisp in the air fryer.
*Storage times may vary based on temperature and conditions

Notes

Use 1 teaspoon each of spice if you want a more aggressively seasoned mozzarella stick!
If you'd like to make these ahead of time, after the mozzarella sticks are frozen on the baking sheet, move them to a ziplock baggie and store in freezer for 2-3 months. 

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Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts
Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks
Amount Per Serving
Calories 48 Calories from Fat 18
% Daily Value*
Fat 2g3%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 13mg4%
Sodium 206mg9%
Potassium 14mg0%
Carbohydrates 2g1%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 75IU2%
Calcium 13mg1%
Iron 0.2mg1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.

Keywords: air fryer mozzarella sticks
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Tag @showmetheyummy on Instagram and hashtag it #showmetheyummy
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American

Reader Interactions

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  8. Kim

    Sunbury, Pennsylvania

    5 stars Very helpful. First time air frying mozzarella sticks (w/different recipe)and had a mess. This time they were amazing. I’ll save this one forever!!!
    Reply

    • Mike

      Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

      3 stars I also had issues with the sticks holding their shape and half of them made a bit of a mess. I’m wondering if another layer of coating (what the Pioneer Lady does) or using part skim milk sticks (I used whole milk) would be the difference.

  9. JenC

    Toronto, Ontario

    Hi! I would like to take these to my Brother’s for New Year’s Eve. He doesn’t have an air fryer. Could they work out okay in the oven from frozen? Or could I air fry them at home and reheat later at his place? Thanks in advance! Would love to try these!
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi! I’d air fry them at home, then re-crisp in the oven. Maybe 425 degrees for 5 mins??

  20. Margaret

    Buffalo, New York

    5 stars These look amazing! Great photos make me want to give this a try, for sure. I plan on assembling these in advance and keep them on hand for when the craving strikes. How long would you keep these in the freezer?
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi, Margaret! They will last up to 2-3 months in the freezer after assembly 🙂

  22. Jenn

    Las Vegas, Nevada

    Hi Jennifer. Can white flower or almond flower be used? This looks amazing but I don’t know the difference in flours and I’m not sure I’d want to buy a bag of wheat flower just for this recipe, or how/what else I could use wheat flower for other recipes. ( trying to save money as I’m still unemployed) I love your page and your recipes 🙂
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hm, that’s interesting. I wonder if maybe they just weren’t completely re-frozen? The time could depend on the type of freezer you have…

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Thanks, Mila! What a great gift! We’ve got plenty of other air fryer recipes you can try so hope you love them! 🙂

  38. Lily

    Chicago, Illinois

    5 stars I never leave comments, but I thought it should be necessary this time since I have never really liked mozzarella sticks, but my fiancee wanted to try cooking some with our new air fryer and these were fire. This recipe is probably the only mozzarella sticks I will ever like and I LOVE them.
    Reply

  45. Erin

    Trenton, New Jersey

    Anyone else having trouble getting the flour to coat the frozen cheese? I followed everything as stated, but the flour just seems to slide right off before even getting it into the egg wash.
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Erin! Could be the brand of cheese or maybe they’re slightly too frozen? I’ve never had that problem!

  46. Gwen

    Grand Prairie, Texas

    Is there a need to mist cheese sticks with olive oil or some other oil to ensure crispiness. If it’s in the recipe, I missed it. If so, my apology. Can’t wait to cook some.
    Reply

  49. jessie

    Atlanta, Georgia

    5 stars i just pulled out my air fryer after a few years. Had some mozzerela sticks that needed to be used. Made this today and i was impressed at how good and fresh it tasted. I made the sticks yesterday and let them freeze overnight.
    Reply

  56. Sya

    Petaling Jaya, Selangor

    5 stars I really love the recipe but how many degrees do I have to put it to to cook and for how long? I just assumed it was 187 degrees celcius and 5 mins. Hope I’m correct
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Thanks so much! The written recipe is in the recipe box above the comment section 🙂 You’ll see temperature and length of cook time listed! I’m not sure what the Fahrenheit to Celcius conversion is, you’ll have to google that!

  57. Leila

    Tampa, Florida

    5 stars I. wanted to make this for a long time, and now since i have an air fryer, i can make these! I have found the perfect recipe!
    Reply

  59. Jessica

    Antioch, California

    5 stars Yummy! I tweaked it and used gluten free flour and gluten free panko bread crumbs. I double dipped them in egg and panko. After the first round of egg and panko, do it again. Don’t skip the freezing part. We dipped them in Trader Joe’s bruschetta.
    Reply

  61. Chad

    United States

    5 stars Amazing recipe! I just made these today, and they’re better than the freezer aisle kind! It was a long recipe but it was worth it! My mom LOVED these! Thanks for this recipe! Pros: Very easy to make, tastes great. Cons: Pretty long recipe but it’s still great!
    Reply

  65. Kathleen

    Hi Jennifer! Great recipe and I’m anxious to try it! I have two air fryers and plan to get a third one. The first one I’m giving my sister to see how she likes air frying even though I still love it. We use them ALL the time and I think once you really get into it you will be saying it is “better” than deep fat frying not to mention the Health benefits .
    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Yes!! I’m really loving it so far!! I can’t wait to share more recipes! 🙂 Hope you love these 🙂

  66. Linda

    5 stars Thanks for the air fryer recipe, I just purchased one and collecting recipes. My husband loves mozzarella sticks so this will be one of my first attempts. I love your recipes, the pictures are always beautiful. Thanks again.
    Reply
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