Description
These crispy air fryer mozzarella sticks are a quick and easy homemade snack with a crunchy coating and gooey cheese center, served with tangy marinara sauce.
Ingredients
- 10 mozzarella cheese sticks (preferably part-skim)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (120g)
- 2 large eggs, beaten, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups Italian-seasoned panko breadcrumbs (150g)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (50g)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- Cooking spray or olive oil spray
- Marinara sauce for dipping
Instructions
1. Prepare the coating stations: place flour in one shallow bowl, beaten eggs in a second bowl, and combine panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper in a third bowl.
2. Freeze the mozzarella sticks on a parchment-lined tray for 30 minutes to prevent cheese from melting too fast.
3. Coat each frozen mozzarella stick by dredging in flour, dipping in beaten eggs, rolling in breadcrumb mixture, then dipping again in egg and breadcrumbs for a double coating.
4. Lightly spray the coated sticks with cooking spray on all sides.
5. Preheat air fryer to 390°F (200°C). Place sticks in a single layer in the basket without touching.
6. Air fry for 6-8 minutes, flipping halfway through, until breadcrumbs are golden and cheese is melted inside without leaking.
7. Remove sticks and place on a cooling rack for a minute to keep crispy. Serve warm with marinara sauce.
Notes
Freezing the mozzarella sticks before breading is essential to prevent cheese leakage.
Double coating with breadcrumbs ensures extra crunch.
Do not overcrowd the air fryer basket; cook in batches if needed.
Serve immediately for best texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mozzarella stick
- Calories: 90
- Sugar: 0.5g
- Sodium: 250mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 15mg