How Long Do You Cook Frozen Mozzarella Sticks In An Air Fryer
How Long Do You Cook Frozen Mozzarella Sticks In An Air Fryer Before They Melt?
If you have the time to prepare homemade mozzarella, you should go for it because they are delicious. However, you won’t always have the time to make mozzarella sticks from fresh ingredients. What do you do then? Cook store-bought frozen mozzarella sticks! This post we’ll explore how long do you cook frozen mozzarella sticks in an air fryer before they melt?
If you have grocery store membership access, then finding your mozzarella sticks should be quite simple. They’re generally in the frozen foods section. If you don’t have a grocery store membership, they should also be available in your local grocery or variety stores in the freezer aisle.
What Brand of Mozzarella Sticks Are Best For Frying?
My favorite brand is Petite Cuisine. However, any brand will do, and should give you the same crispy finish. Let’s explore a few tips for when you’re cooking your frozen mozzarella sticks.
Top Two Tips For When You Cook Frozen Mozzarella Sticks In An Air Fryer
1. Know What To Look For
Don’t be confused when you go to the grocery store. You may see different names on the packets. Some may say Frozen Mozzarella Sticks, while others may say Frozen Cheese Sticks. They’re both the same. Any pack you get will do.
2. Use It As A Snack
Mozzarella sticks are perfect for an afterschool snack for your kids. For kids, it is best served with a dipping sauce. As with other fried foods, especially cheese, marinara sauce goes perfectly with them.
How To Cook Perfect Frozen Mozzarella Sticks In An Air Fryer
When you defrost frozen mozzarella sticks, the breading tends to become a bit pasty and gummy. No one wants to eat or see that, right? It also makes it a horror story for you to clean up after cooking. As such most store-brought packets will recommended that you cook the sticks directly from the freezer.
To do this, toss your pre-breaded frozen mozzarella sticks as is into your preheated air fryer. That is, if the air fryer needs to be preheated. The air fryer should generally be set to about 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss them in, set it for about five minutes and watch the air fryer do its work. The exterior of your mozzarella sticks will be crispy and delicious while the interior will be hot and creamy. Just the way the kids like it.
Try to place your sticks in an even layer. If you overflow the air fryer baskets, the mozzarella sticks will begin to steam, and leave you with a giant cheesy mess. That’s not what you want. So, if you have a lot of mozzarella sticks to get through, be sure to cook in batches. Once they’re in the air fryer basket, spritz with olive oil to help you get a nice golden color on the outside.
Be sure to keep an eye on your mozzarella sticks, as if you leave them in the air fryer too long, they will begin to melt. And again, this is not what you want. They should take a maximum of six minutes. So, be sure to check on them while they cook. Now that we’ve gone through a bit more about mozzarella sticks, let’s explore a few recipes for you to get started.
How Long Do You Cook Frozen Mozzarella Sticks In An Air Fryer: Recipes
Here is an easy recipe that will help you get started.
Plain Frozen Mozzarella Sticks In An Air Fryer
Serves: 2
Time: 20 mins.
Ingredients
- Mozzarella (1 cup, grated)
- All-Purpose Flour (2 tsp.)
- Salt (1/4 tsp.)
- Pepper (1/8 tsp.)
- Egg Whites (2, stiffly beaten)
- Seasoned Breadcrumbs (3/4 cup)
Directions
- Set your air fryer to preheat to 350 degrees F. If the air fryer doesn’t require preheating simply set to 350 when ready to cook.
- In a large bowl, combine all your ingredients except, egg whites and breadcrumbs.
- Next, add in egg whites and gently work in with your hands then form into sticks.
- Roll your sticks in breadcrumbs so that they are evenly quoted and add to your fryer basket to cook until golden on all sides.
- Serve with marinara or other tomato based sauce and enjoy!
Bonus Recipes
Let’s dive into a few salads that go well with mozzarella sticks. That way you’ll be able to enjoy it as a heavy lunch or dinner if you want.
Green Bean and Whole Grain Pasta Salad
Finally, a healthy meal filled with temptations.
Total Time Needed: 30 min
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- Penne (1 pack)
- Water (1 cup)
- Onion (¼ cup, chopped)
- Green Beans (1/2 lb., pre-cooked)
- Salt and Pepper (to taste)
- Eggs (3, hard – boiled, chopped)
- Dill (1 tbsp., chopped)
- Mayonnaise (½ Cup)
- Yellow Mustard (1 tsp.)
- Vinegar (1 tsp)
Directions
- Set your water to boil in your cooker.
- Once boiling pour in your penne and securely close the lid and allow to return to high pressure over a high flame.
- Cook for about 3 minutes. Remove the cooker from the flame and cool under cold running water.
- Layer penne alternately with green beans and onion.
- Season with salt and pepper then add your dill and chopped eggs.
- In a separate bowl combine the mustard, mayonnaise, and vinegar then fold the mixture gently into the penne.
- Chill, serve and enjoy!
Cucumber Salad
Simple never tasted so good!
Serves: 4
Time Needed: 5 min
Ingredients
- Cucumber (3, large, sliced)
- Vinegar (2 tbsp.)
- Sugar (1 tsp.)
- Salt (1/4 tsp.)
Directions
Set 4 salad bowls on the table and arrange your cucumber slices in all 4 bowls evenly, once distributed lightly dress with your vinegar. Season with salt and sugar to taste. Serve and enjoy.
Bottom Line
Mozzarella sticks, as you’ve seen, are pretty easy to cook. Cooking them is the easiest part to the whole process. What’s even better is that the dipping sauce is easy to make as well. I recommend you make your dipping sauce first. That way, you can have it on your stove going over a low flame, or if it’s a non-cook sauce, you can have it in a refrigerator chilling before your mozzarella sticks are ready.