Quick cooking foods like these air fryer mozzarella sticks are great for busy days. If you like cooking frozen foods in an air fryer, you have to try out Air Fryer French Fries, a quick cooking side dish. Or Frozen Popcorn Shrimp in Air Fryer that makes a perfect main dish. Frozen Rolls in the Air Fryer are the best to eat with a hot bowl of soup!
Air Fryer Cheese Sticks
Figuring out what snacks to give my kids once they get home from school, can be a chore. Luckily, they love eating these air fryer cheese sticks. They cook up so quickly and are easy enough to make that even my oldest can pop them into the air fryer himself.
I can also make air fryer frozen cheese sticks as an extremely quick appetizer for those last minute house guests. They are a comfort food that almost no one can resist!
These would also be great as a game day appetizer or a snack anytime, or even as a side dish with dinner.
If your family loves mozzarella cheese sticks as much as mine, you are definitely gonna want to try cheese sticks in air fryer. If you would like to try making your own homemade cheese sticks, try out this recipe!
Cooking frozen mozzarella sticks in air fryer is really quick and easy. And when they come out of the air fryer they are nice and hot and the cheese inside gets all melty. I highly recommend! Just make sure you let them cool a little or you could burn your mouth.
I like to make cheese sticks with marinara, so I included a doctored up marinara recipe also to serve right along with your mozzarella sticks.
I know I have talked a lot in the past about my love of the air fryer. I just want to air fry everything! It is such a miraculous device. Where has the air fryer been all my life??
Why Make Frozen Mozzarella Sticks in Air Fryer?
- They come out super crisp, dare I say crispier than baked in the oven? I think so, but that is just my opinion.
- It’s much healthier cooking mozzarella sticks in an air fryer than deep fryer. Plus there is way less mess than deep frying mozzarella sticks.
- It makes a quick snack, side dish, or appetizer that is perfect for football season get togethers, the Super Bowl parties, or just feeding your kids after school.
- Kids love these air fried cheese sticks!
What Goes with Mozzarella Sticks?
A variety of sauces pair well with mozzarella cheese sticks. My personal favorite pairing is marinara sauce, it makes it seem like you are eating bite sized pizzas. I also like ranch, bbq sauce, homemade chick-fil-a sauce (YUM), beer cheese dip (cheese on cheese, is that too much…I think not!), this chipotle mayo, fry sauce, this
magical aioli, or even just ketchup. Just pick your favorite and start dipping.
When I make my kids frozen mozzarella cheese sticks in the air fryer for a quick lunch, I like pair it with a small side salad or a bunch of cut up fruit.
Do I Need Oil for These Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks
No, these frozen mozzarella sticks do not need any extra oil added to them. They will come out of the oven perfectly crisped without any added oil.
What are the Best Frozen Mozzarella Sticks?
I normally use Farm Rich breaded mozzarella cheese sticks (not sponsored) when the craving strikes. They come out nice and crisp, with nice gooey cheese in the middle. And I have never really had a problem with the cheese leaking out.
Another brand we really like is the TGI Fridays mozzarella sticks, I really like their shape they are good for scooping up sauces. We have tried the store brands like Kroger mozzarella sticks, Walmart Great Value mozzarella sticks and Publix Breaded Mozzarella Sticks. There is also Trader Joes, Costco, Whole Foods 365, and Sam’s Club.
All of them taste pretty good when cooked, so just pick a brand you like.
How Long to Cook Frozen Mozzarella Sticks in Air Fryer
Air fryer mozzarella sticks cook up so quickly. I use a Cosori 5.8 quart air fryer, it is the basket style air fryer. Since all appliances cook differently the cook times on the air fried cheese sticks may be a little longer or shorter. I can cook them in my air fryer for around 6 minutes.
If you like yours a little crunchier add a minute or two to the cooking time. Just keep an eye on them so they don’t burn or explode.
Air Fry Frozen Mozzarella Sticks Ingredients
- Frozen Mozzarella Sticks: Pick out your favorite box of frozen mozzarella sticks to cook.
- Marinara Sauce: Serve these air fried cheese sticks with a store bought marinara sauce or make your own from scratch. I included a doctored up version of a store bought marinara in the recipe card to make it a little more tasty.
How to Cook Frozen Mozzarella Sticks in Air Fryer
- Preheat. Preheat air fryer for best results.
- Add sticks. Add cheese sticks into the air fryer.
- Cook sticks. Set the time to cook cheese sticks.
- Shake. Gently shake the basket at the halfway point.
- Cook. Finish cooking.
- Enjoy. Let the mozzarella sticks cool a little before enjoying with some dipping sauce like marinara.
How to Make Doctored Up Marinara Sauce
Ingredients:
- Marinara: You will need 1 cup of a store bought marinara sauce (I like RAOs, it’s great on its own also)
- Basil: 1/4 teaspoon of dried basil.
- Oregano: 1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano.
- Garlic: 1/4 teaspoon of ground garlic powder.
- Pepper: 1/8 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
- Lemon Juice or Red Wine Vinegar: This is optional and you just need a squeeze of lemon juice or splash of vinegar.
Combine all the ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Adjust seasoning as needed. The sauce can be heated in the microwave until warm.
Tips for Making the Best Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks
- Preheat air fryer. Make sure to preheat the air fryer before putting the cheese sticks in.
- No added oil. Don’t add any extra oil to the air fryer or the cheese sticks.
- Don’t thaw mozzarella sticks. You want to add frozen mozzarella cheese sticks in air fryer, do not thaw them out at all.
- Single layer. Don’t stack the frozen cheese sticks in air fryer, make sure to lay them in a single layer.
- Let them cool off. The mozzarella sticks come out of the air fryer super hot so make sure to let them cool a little before biting into them.
- Oozing cheese sticks. If the cheese is oozing out of the mozzarella sticks, it may be because they are overdone. Overcooking them causes them to explode. Next time try dropping the temperature down 10-20 degrees.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can frozen mozzarella sticks be cooked in oven type air fryer? Yes, this cheese stick recipe can also be made in a toaster oven type of air fryer like the Ninja Foodi or the Breville Smart Oven. Just make sure to cook mozz sticks on the center rack.
- Are frozen mozzarella sticks pre-fried? Unfortunately, you can’t get away from the fact that mozzarella sticks are already pre-fried before they are frozen. If you want a healthier option you can always make these sticks from scratch instead.
- Can you air fry frozen mozzarella sticks? Yes, you can definitely cook mozzarella sticks in air fryer.
- What are mozzarella sticks? They are mozzarella cheese sticks that have been coated in breading and then they are fried to perfection.
- How to air fry frozen mozzarella sticks? It is super simple to make frozen mozzarella sticks in air fryer, just preheat the air fryer, lay cheese stick in air fryer, cook, lightly shake, and enjoy with marinara sauce.
- How long to air fry frozen mozzarella sticks? They don’t need much time at all to cook, this air fryer mozzarella sticks recipe cooks in just 6-8 minutes.
How to Store Air Fried Cheese Sticks
- How to Refrigerate Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks: Let them cool and put in a glass container or BPA-free airtight plastic container or zipper bag. The cheese sticks should last about 3-4 days in the fridge.
- How to Reheat Mozzarella Sticks: Reheat cold mozzarella sticks in the air fryer for 3 minutes until desired warmth is reached.
Try these other air fryer favorites!
- Air Fryer Potato Skins
- Air Fryer Turkey Bacon
- Squash and Zucchini in Air Fryer
- Chicken Breast without Breading in Air Fryer
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Air Fryer Frozen Mozzarella Sticks
Ingredients
- 12 mozzarella cheese sticks, frozen
- sauce for serving: marinara, ranch, or bbq sauce
Instructions
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Preheat air fryer to 400°F.
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Add cheese sticks into the air fryer in a single layer, make sure they aren't overlapping. You may need to cook in batches if you need more.
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Cook for 5-7 minutes, setting a timer to flip the mozzarella cheese sticks over halfway through cooking time.
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Let the cheese sticks cool a little before enjoying. Serve with marinara (doctored up version in notes) or your favorite sauce.
Equipment
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Air Fryer
Recipe Notes
- No extra oil is needed to make these breaded cheese sticks.
- Don’t stack the frozen cheese sticks in air fryer, make sure to lay them in a single layer.
- Cooked cheese sticks will last about 3 days in an air tight container in the fridge.
To Make a Simple Doctored up Store Bought Marinara (I like RAO)
- Pour 1 cup of marinara into a bowl.
- Add in 1/4 teaspoon dried basil, 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of red wine vinegar (optional).
- Mix together and serve with cheese sticks.
* Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.
Nutrition Information
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