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Mozzarella Sticks · Air Fryer

Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks

String cheese double-coated in seasoned crumbs, frozen so it holds its shape, then air-fried until golden and gooey. Game-day crunch with far less oil than deep-frying.

New, no ratings yet0 reviewsby Simmerbee Kitchen

Prep
20 min
Cook
9 min
Total
1 hr 29 min
Serves
12 sticks
Level
Medium
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Ingredients

  • 12 string cheese, mozzarella sticks, unwrapped
  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour ≈ 42 g
    Swaps for all-purpose flour

    Instead of all-purpose flour

    • Gluten-free 1:1 baking flour: The same amount, a blend that includes xanthan gum. A little grittier and more crumbly, browns faster and dries out sooner.
    • Bread flour: The same amount. More gluten: chewier cookies and bread, tougher cakes.
    • Whole wheat flour: Up to half of the flour. Nuttier, darker and denser.

    All 4 swaps for all-purpose flour

    Cooking for an allergy? Check every label.

  • 2 large eggs
    Swaps for eggs

    Instead of eggs

    • Flax egg: 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water for each egg. Binds well but gives less lift, so bakes are a little denser and flatter, with a mild nutty taste and brown flecks.
    • Chia egg: 1 tbsp chia seeds + 3 tbsp water for each egg. Works like a flax egg: good binding, little lift, slightly denser crumb.
    • Unsweetened applesauce: ¼ cup for each egg. Moister and denser, with a soft, slightly gummy crumb if you swap more than one egg.

    All 5 swaps for eggs

    Cooking for an allergy? Check every label.

  • 1 cup breadcrumbs, Italian-style, or plain plus 1 tsp Italian seasoning ≈ 108 g
    Swaps for breadcrumbs

    Instead of breadcrumbs

    • Panko and dry breadcrumbs: The same amount, either way. Panko is lighter and crunchier; fine crumbs make a denser, more even coating and a firmer binder.
    • Crushed crackers or cornflakes: The same amount. Crackers are saltier (cut other salt); cornflakes are extra crunchy and slightly sweet.
    • Rolled or quick oats: The same amount. A moist, tender binder; they don't crisp like crumbs.

    All 4 swaps for breadcrumbs

  • ½ cup panko
    Swaps for panko

    Instead of breadcrumbs

    • Panko and dry breadcrumbs: The same amount, either way. Panko is lighter and crunchier; fine crumbs make a denser, more even coating and a firmer binder.
    • Crushed crackers or cornflakes: The same amount. Crackers are saltier (cut other salt); cornflakes are extra crunchy and slightly sweet.
    • Rolled or quick oats: The same amount. A moist, tender binder; they don't crisp like crumbs.

    All 4 swaps for breadcrumbs

  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated ≈ 25 g
    Swaps for Parmesan cheese

    Instead of parmesan

    • Pecorino Romano: The same amount. Sharper and saltier (it is made from sheep's milk), so go easy on other salt.
    • Grana Padano: The same amount. Milder and a little softer, very close otherwise.
    • Nutritional yeast: 2 tbsp for each ¼ cup grated parmesan. Nutty and cheesy, but it doesn't melt or brown.

    More for parmesan

    Cooking for an allergy? Check every label.

  • ½ tsp garlic powder
    Swaps for garlic powder

    Instead of garlic

    • Fresh garlic: 1 clove for each ⅛ tsp powder, minced fine. Sharper and stronger.
    • Granulated garlic: About twice as much as the powder. The same flavor in coarser grains, which blend better into rubs.

    More for garlic

  • cooking spray
  • To serve
  • 1 cup marinara sauce, warmed, for dipping

Missing something? Tap Swaps next to an ingredient, or see all substitutions.

Steps

Kid helper. A child can do steps 1, 2 and 5: no knife, no heat. Steps marked “Grown-up” use heat. Cooking with kids

  1. Line (how to line a pan) Line a pan Cover the bottom (and sometimes sides) of a pan with parchment or foil so food doesn't stick and lifts out easily. 1. For a sheet pan, tear parchment the size of the pan and lay it flat.2. For a round cake pan, trace the bottom on parchment, cut the circle out and press it in.3. For brownies and bars, leave two long sides hanging over to make handles (a "sling").4. A little grease under the paper holds it in place. Done when: The paper lies flat with no folds where the batter could run under it. How to line a baking pan with parchment: mistakes to avoid
    a sheet pan with parchment. Set up three shallow dishes: flour in one, beaten eggs in the second, and the breadcrumbs, panko, Parmesan and garlic powder mixed in the third.
    Kid step
  2. Roll each cheese stick in flour, dip it in egg and roll it in the crumbs, then dip it in the egg and the crumbs a second time, pressing so the coating sticks. Set it on the pan.
    Kid step
  3. Freeze the coated sticks until solid so the cheese doesn't melt out before the crust browns.
    ⏱ Freeze: 1 hrGrown-up: heat
  4. Heat the air fryer to 390°F and spray the basket with cooking spray.
    390°F⏱ Preheat: 3 minGrown-up: heat
  5. Arrange the frozen sticks in the basket in one layer with space between them, in batches, and spray the tops lightly.
    Kid step
  6. Air-fry until golden and just starting to soften. Watch closely after 5 minutes; once cheese leaks, they are done.
    390°F⏱ Air-fry: 6 minGrown-up: heat
  7. Let them sit for 1 minute, then serve with warm marinara.
    Grown-up: heat

Tap an underlined word for how to do it, or see all techniques.

Tips

  • The double coat is what keeps the cheese inside; don't skip the second dip.
  • Freeze extra breaded sticks in a bag up to 2 months and air-fry them straight from frozen.

Storage

Best eaten hot. Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days and reheat in the air fryer at 360°F for 2 to 3 minutes.

Make ahead

Freeze the breaded, uncooked sticks in a freezer bag up to 2 months and air-fry from frozen.

Cook once, eat twice: Double it (12 servings instead of 6): cook one batch and freeze the other before cooking, the way its make-ahead note says. It keeps 2 months frozen, by the make-ahead note above. Print a freezer label · More freezer meals

How long leftovers keep, and freezing and reheating: leftovers and storage.

Quick answers

Can I freeze it?

Freeze the breaded, uncooked sticks in a freezer bag up to 2 months and air-fry from frozen.

What can I swap?

Cooking for an allergy? Check every label.

Answered from this recipe's own storage, make-ahead and swap notes.

Estimated nutrition per serving

Calories
340
Protein
21 g
Carbohydrates
29 g
Fiber
2 g
Sugars
5 g
Fat
16 g
Saturated fat
8 g
Sodium
830 mg

Whole recipe, 6 servings: about 2,050 calories.

Estimate from USDA FoodData Central; not medical or dietary advice. Based on 8 of 8 ingredients.

How we estimate

We add up USDA FoodData Central values for each measured ingredient as written and divide by the recipe's 6 servings, so changing the servings or units here doesn't change a serving. Brands, swaps, trimming and cooking all change the real numbers.

Not counted: cooking spray (to taste or as needed).

Estimated cost

About $1.30 a serving

About $7.80 for the recipe as written (6 servings).

Estimate; prices vary by store and region. U.S. average prices for September 2026 from BLS Average Price Data and USDA ERS Purchase to Plate prices updated with the BLS Consumer Price Index. Priced: 7 of 8 ingredients, 100% by weight.

How we estimate

Each measured ingredient is weighed as in the nutrition estimate and priced at the U.S. average: BLS's average price where BLS publishes one, else USDA ERS's Purchase to Plate price for 2017-18 raised to September 2026 with the CPI for that food group. Whole packages, store brands, sales and regions all change the real cost: treat it as a ballpark.

  • string cheese $4.45 ERS
  • marinara sauce $1.05 ERS
  • breadcrumbs $1.05 ERS
  • Parmesan cheese $0.60 ERS
  • eggs $0.40 BLS
  • panko $0.25 ERS
  • all-purpose flour $0.05 BLS

Not priced (no official average price we can match, so not in the total): garlic powder.

Not counted: cooking spray (optional, or to taste).

More dishes for less: cheap eats.

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Cleanup score 3/5 (some cleanup): 3 things to wash, air fryer basket, sheet pan, mixing bowl.

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