Is there anything better than a freshly made mozzarella stick? The combination of a crunchy breading with an ooey-gooey cheese center, dipped in marinara sauce is like heaven in my mouth. Of course, we are trying to stay away from fried foods, so we’ve been making these air fryer mozzarella sticks.

They are even better than the pan-fried version, I promise! My family can’t get enough. They are light and don’t leave you feeling icky like a lot of deep-fried foods normally do.

Before I share our air fryer mozzarella sticks recipe, let me share a few tips.

I always spray my mozzarella sticks with avocado oil before I put them in the air fryer.

I prefer to dip the mozzarella cheese pieces using a toothpick (see images below). I find when I do it with my hands, I have to wash my hands a number of times throughout the breading process. With the toothpick, just place it in the bowl, and with a spoon, cover the piece of cheese. It’s fast and much less messy!

If you have one, I recommend using a silicone cutting board. They are super easy to clean!

What if I don’t have an Air Fryer?

If you don’t have an air fryer yet, this is a great opportunity to get one. We have the Powerxl 5qt and we absolutely love it. You can also bake them in an oven at 400º for 10 minutes.

Can I use string cheese?

You absolutely can use string cheese to save yourself time. You’ll want to cut them in half so that they aren’t as long. I have made them before this way, but we think they taste better when you use the block of low moisture mozzarella cheese.

Do I have to freeze them before air frying?

While you don’t have to, I do recommend it. It helps to keep the breading on and gives it more of a crispy texture.

Can I freeze them to air fry at a later time?

Yes! I do this all the time. Just bread them and instead of leaving them on the baking sheet, place them in a freezer-safe container until you are ready to air fry them. Pull them out of the freezer as needed.

Can I use seasoned bread crumbs?

I prefer to use unseasoned so that I can season them myself, but you can definitely use seasoned bread crumbs! If you do, you can eliminate the other spices listed.

I’ve tried to show the steps in the photos above for you, to make it a bit easier to make these air fryer mozzarella sticks.

Step 1: Slice the mozzarella cheese into 1/2 inch by 2-inch pieces (they don’t have to be perfect).

Step 2: Take out three bowls. You’ll put the eggs in one, the flour, salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese into another, and both breadcrumbs and the rest of the spices in the last bowl.

Step 3: Using a toothpick, dip one piece of mozzarella into the egg. Shake off excess.

Step 4: Dip the same piece of mozzarella into the flour and cover, using a spoon. Shake off excess.

Step 5: Dip the same piece of mozzarella back into the egg and cover. Shake off excess.

Step 6: Dip the same piece of mozzarella into the bread crumb mixture and cover, using a spoon. Shake off excess.

Step 7: Place the fully breaded mozzarella sticks on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and freeze for 1-2 hours.

Step 8: Place the mozzarella sticks into your air fryer basket. Leave space around each one. Air fry according to the directions below.