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    Home » Appetizers

    Air Fryer Frozen Mozzarella Sticks

    Published: Aug 5, 2021 by Sherri Hall · This post may contain affiliate links.

    pin showing mozzarella sticks on plate with side of sauce with text title overlay

    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.

    Jump to Recipe
    overhead of mozzarella sticks on a white plate with tomato sauce and garnished with Parmesan and parsley

    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. 🙂

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients you'll need
    • How to air fry frozen mozzarella sticks
    • Equipment
    • Storing and reheating
    • Top tips
    • Frequently asked questions
    • More air fryer recipes
    • Recipe
    • mozzarella sticks on a plate with the one in the front opened to show the cheese
    • pulling two ends of a mozzarella stick to show the cheese

    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.

    front view of 5 mozzarella sticks on white plate with side of marinara and garnished with Parmesan and parsley

    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.

    frozen mozzarella sticks in air fryer before cooking

    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.

    frozen mozzarella sticks in air fryer after cooking

    Garnish with grated Parmesan and/or parsley or Italian seasoning and serve with a side of tomato or marinara sauce if desired.

    Enjoy!

    overhead of 4 mozzarella sticks on white plate garnished with Parmesan and parsley with side of marinara sauce

    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.

    front view of mozzarella sticks on white plate with marinara sauce and garnished with Parmesan and parsley

    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.
    overhead of 5 mozzarella sticks garnished with parsley and Parmesan and cup of sauce on left side of dish

    Frequently asked questions

    How long should I cook frozen mozzarella sticks in an air fryer?

    It takes about 5-8 minutes to cook up to 12 frozen mozzarella sticks in an air fryer.

    At what temperature do you cook frozen mozzarella sticks in an air fryer?

    I found that frozen mozzarella sticks cook best at 390° F in the air fryer.

    More air fryer recipes

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

    Recipe

    close-up overhead of plate of 5 mozzarella sticks with tomato sauce on the side
    Print Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    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 and other helpful information 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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    ©Watch Learn Eat. All content and images are copyright protected. Recipes and images are not to be used or republished without prior permission. If you adapt this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, and link back to this post for the original recipe.

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    Sherri

    About Sherri

    Founder, Author, Recipe Developer, & Photographer

    With a lifelong passion for cooking, I specialize in creating easy meatless meals that are omnivore-approved!

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