American · 380°F · 18 min
Air Fryer French Fries
From-scratch fries: soaked, dried and blasted. Frozen fries are a shorter path. Do not treat them the same.
Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks
Mozzarella sticks fail when the cheese melts out before the crust sets. The fix is a double coat and a hard freeze. Then a hot basket gives you the fairground crunch without a pot of oil.
Freeze is mandatory
Thirty minutes in the freezer (or longer) keeps the cheese from exploding. Skipping this step is why homemade sticks leak.
Double bread
Flour, egg, crumbs, then egg and crumbs again. Gaps in the coating are escape hatches for molten cheese.
Do not overcrowd
Space between sticks lets the crust harden. Touching sticks fuse and tear open.
Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks
Prep 20 min · Cook 8 min · Total 28 min · 4 servings
Crowding. Leave gaps. Touching sticks tear open when you flip them.
From frozen. Cook straight from frozen after breading. Do not thaw.
Step-by-step instructions
Follow each step in order. Photos show what to look for so the basket finish matches the plate.
Bread and freeze
Mix panko with Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Coat each stick in flour, then egg, then crumbs. Dip again in egg and crumbs for a second coat. Press firmly.
Mozzarella sticks double-breaded before freezing Freeze the breaded sticks on a tray at least 30 minutes (up to overnight).
Air fry
Preheat the air fryer to 390°F (199°C). Arrange frozen sticks with space between them and mist with oil.
Breaded mozzarella sticks spaced in the air fryer basket Cook 6-8 minutes, turning once, until deep gold. Pull as soon as the crust is set: longer cooks leak cheese.
Rest 1 minute. Serve with warm marinara.
