Air Fryer Frozen Mozzarella Sticks

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 frozen pizza rolls, air fryer frozen pierogies, air fryer frozen dumplings, air fryer frozen egg rolls, air fryer bagel bites, 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 and 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...

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 air fry frozen mozzarella sticks

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.

Frequently asked questions

More air fryer recipes

• Air Fryer Carrots
• Air Fryer Home Fries
• Air Fryer Broccoli
• Air Fryer Asparagus

Recipe

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5 from 2 votes

Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks (Frozen)

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.

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine American, Italian, vegetarian

Keyword cheese, mozzarella, vegetarian

Prep Time 2 minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 270kcal

Author Sherri Hall

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

Air Fryer

Notes

*If you have a smaller air fryer and 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. Note that 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.

Timing was based on a non-preheated air fryer. If you preheat your air fryer, cooking time will decrease by 1-2 minutes.

 

If you are cooking multiple batches, you may need to reduce the cooking time by 1-2 minutes for subsequent batches.

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Accuracy is not guaranteed. Information shown should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. Nutrition was calculated without the optional side of sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Fiber: 1g

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