Cooking frozen mozzarella sticks in the air fryer is the BEST way to make them! It's so easy and there's no heating up the oven or deep frying necessary! Perfect for snacking or serving as an appetizer with a side of your favorite tomato or marinara sauce.
If you're a fan of mozzarella sticks, you have got to try making them in the air fryer!
Cooking frozen foods in the air fryer is my absolute favorite way to make them.
Take these air fryer pizza rolls, air fryer frozen dumplings, air fryer frozen egg rolls, air fryer frozen sweet potato fries and air fryer frozen tater tots for example.
I mean, there's no waiting for the oven to preheat or no messy deep fryer to clean up.
In fact, there's absolutely no additional oil needed to cook frozen mozzarella sticks in the air fryer.
And they come out perfectly crispy on the outside with a soft, melty, cheesy center. 🙂
So what are you waiting for?
Let's get this cheesy party started...
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Ingredients you'll need
Technically, you only need ONE ingredient...12 frozen mozzarella sticks!
However, most people (myself included) like to serve the cheese sticks with some tomato or marinara sauce on the side.
You can also garnish them with some grated cheese and/or parsley or Italian seasoning if you'd like.
How to make frozen mozzarella sticks in the air fryer
If your air fryer has a separate elevated crisping tray or plate, be sure to insert it.
Add the mozzarella sticks to the air fryer basket in a single layer.
Set the air fryer to 390° F and cook for 5 minutes.
Check for doneness (they're done when they are golden brown and just before the cheese starts to ooze out).
If not done, return the basket to the air fryer and cook for 1-3 more minutes.
Garnish with grated Parmesan and/or parsley or Italian seasoning and serve with a side of tomato or marinara sauce if desired.
Enjoy!
Equipment
I used a 5.5 quart Ninja air fryer, but you can use any air fryer to make them.
Note that if you use a smaller air fryer, you may have to work in batches.
Storing and reheating
Store leftover mozzarella sticks in foil, a zip top bag, or a container with a lid in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Leftovers can be reheated in the air fryer or the oven/toaster oven.
Top tips
- Be sure to place the mozzarella sticks in a single layer so that they are not overlapping. This will ensure even cooking. If you can't fit all 12 without them overlapping, you will need to do this in two batches of 6 rather than all 12 at once.
- If you are working in batches, the mozzarella sticks will cook quicker and may be done at the 5 minute mark. If you are cooking all 12 at once, you will most likely have to continue to cook for a total of 7-8 minutes.
- You do not need to preheat the air fryer before cooking the frozen mozzarella sticks; however if you do, note that you may need to reduce the cooking time by 1-2 minutes.
More air fryer recipes
Recipe
Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks (Frozen)
Ingredients
- 12 frozen mozzarella sticks
- side of marinara or tomato sauce for serving (optional)
- grated Parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)
- parsley/Italian seasoning for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- If your air fryer has a separate elevated crisping tray or plate, be sure to insert it. Add the mozzarella sticks to the air fryer basket in a *single layer.
- Set the air fryer to 390° F and cook for 5 minutes. Check for doneness (they're done when golden brown and just before the cheese starts to break through). If not done, return the basket to the air fryer and cook for 1-3 more minutes, checking for doneness at 1-minute intervals.
- Garnish and serve with a side of tomato or marinara sauce if desired.
(Please refer to the post above for instructional photographs for this recipe)
Suggested Equipment/Tools
Notes
Nutrition
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