Air-Fryer Homemade Mozzarella Sticks Recipe

Mozzarella sticks first appeared on the appetizer scene back in the mid-20th century, but the concept of deep-fried cheese is actually centuries old. It could be said, in fact, that mozzarella sticks' roots lie in medieval France. Once the mini convection ovens popularly known as air fryers became trendy in the 20-teens, though, people began adapting deep-fried recipes for making in this new appliance. As developer Katie Rosenhouse says of this appetizer, "I love an air fryer recipe that stands up to traditional fried versions, and this mozzarella stick recipe definitely delivers."

The ingredients in the breading — these being a blend of breadcrumbs, cornmeal and spices — are something she says make for "a flavorful, crispy exterior," with the cheese being triple-dipped to ensure that the coating clings on while the mozzarella sticks bake. As for the cheese itself, her choice is whole milk mozzarella as she feels this ingredient "offers that luscious, satisfying cheese pull." If it's more convenient, you can also use string cheese, although the results might not be quite so photogenic.

This recipe serves six, but you can always make an extra batch or two if you're planning to entertain more than half a dozen people. It's also just as easy to heat up a few mozzarella sticks at a time for a solo celebration.

The cheese sticks themselves are made with mozzarella, Italian-style breadcrumbs, cornmeal, garlic powder, salt, flour, and eggs. For the marinara sauce, you'll also need olive oil, a yellow onion, garlic, crushed tomatoes, pepper, oregano, sugar, and basil.

Line a small baking sheet or plate with parchment paper. Set aside.

Unwrap mozzarella block and cut in half horizontally, then into even rectangles.

Mix to combine breadcrumbs, cornmeal, garlic powder, and salt in a rimmed plate or bowl.

Place flour into another rimmed plate or bowl, and beat eggs in an additional bowl.

Working with one piece of cheese at a time, dip into flour to coat, then eggs, then breadcrumb mixture.

Repeat twice, then transfer to prepared baking sheet. Repeat the process with remaining mozzarella.

Wrap tightly and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Prepare the marinara: In a small saucepan, heat oil over low to medium heat until shimmering.

Add onions and cook, stirring, until translucent.

Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.

Add crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, and sugar.

Simmer partially covered over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes.

Stir in basil. Transfer to a serving bowl or store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Depending on the size of your air fryer, spray to coat 5 to 6 mozzarella sticks with cooking spray (or brush with olive oil) on all sides. Keep remaining sticks frozen until ready to use.

Set into air fryer basket, and air-fry for 8 minutes at 390 F until golden brown.

Transfer to a serving platter and repeat with remaining mozzarella sticks.

Serve hot with marinara.

The biggest problem with mozzarella sticks is that they do tend to leak, but we have a few tips to prevent that from happening. Freezing is the most important element, since chilled cheese will remain intact longer as the outer coating heats up in the air fryer. In fact, you might even want to freeze the mozzarella sticks for 30 minutes in between repeated dips in the flour, egg, and crumb coating. This extra step, while time-consuming, is extra insurance that the coating will stay put rather than slip off the cheese.

It's also essential to cook the mozzarella sticks at the proper temperature, and it will help if you're able to preheat your air fryer. You can do this even if it doesn't have a preheat setting by simply turning the dial to the proper temperature and letting it run for 5 minutes before you start cooking. Having the air fryer already hot when you put the cheese sticks in means that the coating will brown more quickly before the insides have time to melt.

Mozzarella sticks are something you can absolutely make ahead of time, and it won't even require adding a single step to the recipe. All you do is proceed to the point where you crumb-coat and freeze the sticks, then press pause indefinitely. Frozen foods are safe to consume as long as the freezer doesn't fail, although there may be a drop-off in quality after about a year. Still, this should be enough advance time for anyone. Once you're ready to cook any number of the sticks (it needn't be a whole batch), you won't have to thaw them. As per the recipe, they're meant to remain frozen until you stick them in the air fryer.

As for the marinara sauce, that, too, can be prepared as far in advance as you like. Homemade marinara can be refrigerated for up to five days, but after that, it can also be frozen. In this case, however, you will need to heat it in the microwave or on the stovetop before you can use it for dipping.