Air Fryer Mozzarella Bites

Air Fryer cooking

I love the idea of cooking with less oil and fat. And, the added bonus of not having to turn on the oven especially during the heat of summer, really appeals to me. This air fryer will be a lifesaver when football starts again. I mean, delicious crispy foods with 85% fewer calories than deep-frying.

The air fryer is a 1700 watt machine, whereas my oven is a 7800 watt machine. That’s a significant difference in electricity usage. And, the air fryer definitely doesn’t heat up the house the same way the oven does. With rapid air circulation both preheating and cooking are faster than the oven. That’s a ton of energy savings.

This 5.8-quart model is a great product at an affordable price. You can buy this COSORI 5.8-quart Air Fryer on Amazon.

How do I adapt oven recipes to the air fryer?

It’s easy to adapt oven recipes to the Air Fryer. Simply lower the oven temperature by 25° F, and cut the cooking time down by 20%. For example, if a recipe calls for 350° F for 20 minutes, simply air fry at 325° F for just 16 minutes.

Of course, you’ll want to check this and make sure your food is done to your liking. 

Other Great Air Fryer Recipes

I love my air fryer! Check out all my Air Fryer Recipes. Some of my favorites are simple roasted Air Fryer Green Beans, Corn on the Cob, Air Fryer Potato Skins, and Avocado Fries.

Just think of all the game day grub I can make for tailgating snacks month, like Southwestern Egg Rolls, Crispy Tortellini, and Vegetable Egg Rolls all done in the Air Fryer!

Why you’ll love this recipe

This recipe comes from the COSORI cookbook that’s included with the machine, “Fried” Mozzarella Bites. They’re amazing. Crunchy on the outside. Cheesy on the inside. Not greasy at all (like so many you get at restaurants).

I actually prefer these homemade air fryer mozzarella balls to those that you get at restaurants. These are way better! Who doesn’t love a good stringy crunchy on the outside, gooey on the inside Cheese Stick!

Looking for a healthy low carb tot? Try my Cottage Cheese Cauliflower Tots.

And, when they’re made in the Air Fryer with no mess, way less fat and calories, and no greasy taste, this is a win-win! This recipe is an easy to make, super tasty side dish, appetizer, or snack that your whole family will love!

How to make

How to make cheese bites in the air fryer! These are really easy. Just grab a handful of those packaged cheese sticks, (you know the ones you toss into the kids’ lunches) and cut them into thirds. I always have the low-fat string cheese sticks around for my husband to snack on, so that’s what I went with for this recipe! I also have instructions for Babybel cheese and premade frozen cheese balls.

The full printable recipe ingredients and instructions are available in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. You can find important tips and tricks in the post.

What is “mozzarella string cheese”?

I’ve learned that some people from other countries may not have or be familiar with the string cheese in this recipe.

Manufacturers place mozzarella into one ounce packages so they are a single serving. And, most kids peel the cheese apart making it “string” cheese.

Here’s a link to Amazon that hopefully will work in your country so you can see what I mean.

But basically it’s just mozzarella sticks. If you can’t find those prepackaged sticks, just chop a block of mozzarella into about 1 or 2 inch cubes.

Mix up the bowls of coatings

Mix up three bowls of coatings. One for the flour mixture. One for the egg mixture, and a third bowl for the Panko breadcrumbs.

Panko is Japanese breadcrumbs. It’s lighter and flakier than regular breadcrumbs, and they absorb less oil. They are perfect for the air fryer, because after “frying” they result in an incredibly crunchy texture. Mix up three bowls of coatings.

If you don’t have Panko and don’t want to buy any, yes, breadcrumbs will work. And feel free to add in garlic powder, dried herbs, or Italian seasoning if you want.

Dip the cheese

Dip the cheese in the flour, then in the egg, in the breadcrumbs, and then double dip into the egg and breadcrumbs again.

Set the coated cheese on a parchment lined baking sheet immediately after coating it, and set the coated cheeses in the freezer while you preheat the air fryer, or until you’re ready to cook them.

And cook or air fry

Then simply use the Frozen foods setting on your COSORI air fryer, or an air fry cook mode on another model of air fryer, and cook up until golden brown for some delicious and impressive cheese bites!

How long do you cook in the air fryer?

The simple answer is that I find Mozzarella bites work best in a preheated air fryer to 350° F. Cook them for about 8 minutes, until golden and crispy. And don’t forget to shake them halfway through so they cook evenly.
 
Cook them in batches if desired or necessary, as space permits, making sure that you only have a single layer of mozzarella bites in the air fryer at one time.
 
The more complicated answer is that cooking time may depend on what type and brand of air fryer you have, and how big the cooking area is.
 
The great thing about air fryers is that you can check for doneness at any time. You can pop the Air fryer mozzarella balls back in and cook longer if needed, and you can cook for a shorter time if desired too. 

How do you stop mozzarella sticks from exploding in the air fryer?

A good double breading will help keep your Air fryer cheese sticks from exploding while cooking. Make sure you get the egg wash and the bread crumbs on all parts of the mozzarella stick in each dip.
 
That’s why I suggest double breading them in the instructions. This will help keep all the ooey gooey cheese inside the mozzarella ball.
 
Placing them in the freezer while the air fryer preheats will also help to keep all the cheese from exploding. Keep that cheese as cool as possible so that the breading gets golden as the cheese gets melty.
 
Place them in a single layer in the basket of the air fryer so they aren’t touching. If they touch, they may leak more.
 
Spray them thoroughly with cooking spray before cooking them. This will help keep all the cheese inside the coating.
 
Make sure to shake the air fryer basket halfway through cooking too. This will help the Mozzarella bites cook evenly, and allow you to check the doneness before they burst all over.
 
Occasionally, some leaking may occur still. Those are the ones that I get to eat the cheese from the bottom of the air fryer. All crispy and golden, like the edges of a good lasagna.

Make ahead

These nuggets of cheesy goodness are a great make ahead recipe. Simply cut up the cheese, bread it, and pop them in the freezer. They can hang out there until you’re ready to cook them.

This makes them great for serving at parties ~ for tailgating, game day, birthday parties, summer pool parties, or holiday gatherings.

How to store leftovers

I don’t recommend pre-frying mozzarella sticks; they’re so much better fresh. The cheese pieces can be cooked from frozen when you’re ready for them.

If you do have leftovers, pop them in an airtight container and into the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat them in the air fryer for a few minutes until hot.

Air Fryer Babybel cheese

I’ve had several readers ask if they could use Babybel cheese in the air fryer instead of mozzarella. So, I decided to do some testing. Ya’ll, I really love that I get to test fried cheese for work!

What is Babybel?

Babybels are mini rounds or balls of Edam cheese. Edam, which is of Dutch origin, is a creamy semi-hard cow’s milk or sometimes goat’s milk cheese, with a nutty grassy flavor.

Mini Babybel comes in a net bag, with each piece wrapped in red wax coating. Side note, when I was a kid and got Babybels in my lunch box I always saved the red wax and molded it into little figures; the heat from your hands melts the wax so it’s nicely moldable.

Babybel flavors

There’re more than seven different flavors of Babybel cheese: Original, Sharp Original, Light, Bonbel, White Cheddar, Cheddar, Gouda, ones with added vitamins and minerals, and they even have a plant-based one now!

Where can you find Babybel?

My grocery store carries them in the deli section with the fancy cheeses. They may also be on the dairy aisle in your store.

Babybel testing

I grabbed the original flavor at the store. The net bag has six balls of cheese in the 4.5-ounce bag, and I followed the recipe as it was.

I am very impressed with the fried Babybel cheese in the air fryer. That soft creamy cheese inside the crunchy bread coating was amazing. These were perfect! I suspect that any of the flavors would work well in this recipe.

So, yes, you can air fry Babybel, and with great success! I’ll be making these again and again. I think it’d be fun to try all the Babybel flavors.

Can you air fry frozen mozzarella bites?

I’ve been asked by readers if you can air fry those pre-made frozen mozzarella bites. I hear that the most popular brand is Farm Rich mozzarella bites.

Yes, you can cook those frozen premade ones in the air fryer from frozen. Preheat the air fryer to 350° F.

Simply arrange the mozzarella balls in a single layer in the air fryer. This should be anywhere from 4 to 8 pieces depending on the size of your air fryer. And cook at 350° F for 6-7 minutes.

That is, of course, if you want to cook the pre-made bites, and not make air fried mozzarella balls from scratch. The homemade from scratch bites are economical and so tasty!

Serving suggestions

Don’t forget to serve your Mozzarella Sticks with some optional dipping sauces. Try homemade marinara sauce, Cottage Cheese Ranch, or Skinny Ranch dressing!

Or try a new flavor and go with my Candied Jalapeno Ranch!

Other appetizers that would be great for Super Bowl

Looking for other great appetizers for your Super Bowl watching? Some of my all time most popular are Mexican Corn Salad (which can be served as a salad, an a salsa for chips, or as a taco filling), Mac & Cheese Bites, Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad, and Garlic Dipping Oil.