Air Fryer Frozen Mozzarella Cheese Sticks
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Kids love mozzarella cheese sticks as a snack. Learning how to re-heat air fryer frozen mozzarella sticks is super quick and easy. It’s easily one of our favorite frozen food snacks to cook in the air fryer.
Can Frozen Mozzarella Sticks be Air Fried?
Yes, they are great and easy! Just pop the frozen cheese sticks directly in the air fryer. Then the hot air quickly cooks the mozzarella sticks from frozen. What you get is a crispy, crunchy outside and melty cheese on the inside, you’ll always want to make these air fried cheese sticks. We’ll never cook these frozen mozzarella sticks in any other way now except in the air fryer. The regular oven doesn’t cook them nearly as good or crispy.
Tips on How to Air Fry Frozen Mozzarella Sticks or Cheese Sticks
- Don’t thaw first. Air fry the cheese sticks straight from the freezer. It gives them a crispier outside coating.
- Spread into an even layer when air frying. Don’t stack the cheese sticks in the air fryer basket/tray. Crowding or stacking the cheese sticks makes them cook un-evenly. So cook in smaller batches if needed so there’s space for the hot air to circulate between the mozzarella sticks.
- No oil spray. There is no need for any oil spray to cook the cheese sticks. There is enough in the crust when they make them that you don’t need to add any more.
- Add your favorite dip and you’re ready to enjoy. We love serving them with a marinara sauce but we know lots of folks enjoy dipping them in ranch or bbq sauce too.
- All recipe details, time and temp are in the recipe box below.
- Pro-Tip: here’s our favorite tools to help make air frying easier:
We LOVE Evo Oil Sprayers. Not the prettiest, but they’re functional and spritz oil great! They don’t clog up like many others we’ve bought. There’s different styles, but all seem to have the same great spray head. Works great for grilling!
There are Square Mats & Round Mats. These perforated non-stick silicone mats are used to cook food in your air fryer or steamer to minimize sticking. Holes allow hot circulating air to cook the food & keeps the food from sticking.
Parchment sheets are great for your air fryer or bamboo steamer (food tends to stick most on wire basket or tray). Choose from different sizes, shapes, white and brown (unbleached). Holes allow air to cook food evenly.
Video: Air Fried Frozen Mozzarella Sticks
What Sauce to Serve with Mozzarella Sticks
Marinara sauce is always a classic. Warm it up and enjoy the deliciousness! Some other sauces to consider: ketchup, BBQ Sauce, salsa, hot sauce, this amazing 5-minute mustard sauce, pesto, ranch, chili garlic sauce, cocktail sauce, hot sauce, buffalo sauce, tzatziki, alfredo.
Air Fryer Frozen Mozzarella Sticks
Ingredients
- 6 Frozen Mozzarella Sticks
- Dipping Sauce Options: Marinara sauce, ketchup, ranch, sweet chili sauce, mustard sauce, etc…
Equipment
Instructions
- Place the frozen mozzarella sticks in the air fryer basket and spread out evenly in a single layer. No oil spray is needed.
- Air Fry at 380°F/193°C for 5 minutes. Gently shake or turn. Continue to Air Fry at 380°F/193°C for another 1-2 minutes OR until the cheese nearly starts to ooze out.
- Make sure to let them cool a little before eating. The cheese can be super hot. Serve with your favorite dip.
Notes
- No Oil Necessary. Cook Frozen – Do not thaw first.
- Shake or turn if needed. Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket.
- Recipe timing is based on a non-preheated air fryer. If cooking in multiple batches back to back, the following batches may cook a little quicker.
- Recipes were tested in 3.7 to 6 qt. air fryers. If using a larger air fryer, they might cook quicker so adjust cooking time.
- Remember to set a timer to shake/flip/toss as directed in recipe.
If your air fryer is preheated or if you are cooking multiple batches, you may need to reduce timing by a few minutes (unless preheating is called for in the recipe).
Video
Nutrition Information per Serving
Why Did the Cheese Sticks Burn?
It’s because your air fryer model cooks hotter than our test kitchen brands or it was already pre-heated. When you cook your next batch, decrease the cooking time by 2 minutes. Check the cheese sticks then add additional 1 minute of air frying time until the mozzarella sticks are cooked to your preferred doneness.
Best Dips: the best part is dipping these crunchy cheese sticks. There’s so many options:
- marinara sauce or pasta sauce: these are so much more flavorful than plain tomato sauce. Don’t use the cans of tomato sauce. Buy the seasoned pasta sauces.
- ketchup : can’t go wrong with this classic
- bbq sauce : we love the flavors of the smoky bbq sauces
- hot sauce: the spicy dips are an awesome balance against the rich cheese sticks! Use sriracha or even chili garlic crunch (chili crisp) for these air fried mozzarella sticks
- ranch : this creamy dip is always a favorite
- blue cheese dip: the tangy, rich flavors of blue cheese are great.
- honey mustard sauce : sweet, tangy and always delicious
- tarter sauce isn’t just for seafood. Try it with these mozzarella sticks from the air fryer
- thousand island dressing isn’t just for burgers!
Air fried mozzarella sticks on a party platter
Believe it or not, these air fried cheese sticks are delicious and elegant to serve at a party. To make the platter extra bountiful add some other sliced vegetables, two different dips, some sliced cheese, olives and maybe some salami. These crispy cheese sticks are fantastic on a cheese and charcuterie board. It’s always nice to have something different and delicious to serve on a platter, so these crunchy snacks are perfect!
History of Mozzarella Sticks
Ever wonder where this idea of coated mozzarella cheese sticks originated? Here’s a quick read and interesting time line of who invented mozzarella sticks?
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- More–> Air Fried Frozen Foods and All French Fries Recipes
This recipe was originally published in 2018 and republished with updated video. Hope you enjoy our air fryer frozen mozzarella sticks! Here’s more great ways to enjoy mozzarella sticks.
14 Comments on “Air Fryer Frozen Mozzarella Cheese Sticks”
I love how we don’t have to thaw them out first. This is such a time-saving snack.
I love how easy this was to heat up in the air fryer. I didn’t need to defrost them at all. Really great.
The microwave can’t heat these cheese sticks crispy the way the air fryer does. It’s so perfect cooking them in the air fryer.
Loved how quick it was to cook them in the air fryer. They also came out crispy which gave me bonus points from the kids.
Perfect! Came out great! Thank you!
Preheated, before I read do not preheat…then took out 2 min early
I think if I had left them in for two min they would of been perfect.
They ended up being not as hot as we would of liked …using instant vortex plus air fryer
sorry for the late review. I have used your recipes several times and it does great for me . tyvm 🙂
perfection on these 🙂 ty as i keep forgetting how long and come back here each time i make them
Yay Pam! So glad the timing works for you! But remember, every air fryer cooks differently so if you ever get a different one, you might have to adjust your timing again. Thanks for coming back! 🙂
Very easy to heat up in the air fryer. They come out crispy and perfect.
This was the easiest appetizer/snack for the whole family to enjoy during our quarantine. Cook it in the air fryer saved me so much time and the cheese sticks came out perfectly crispy.
Do you need to preheat the air fryer first?
Hi Regina, you do not need to preheat. Our timing is based on non-preheating. But if the air fryer is already heated from cooking something previously, then just cook the cheese sticks for a few less minutes. Enjoy!
My kids love these! They cook more crisp than the regular oven. I’m hooked.