Air Fryer Mozzarella Bites

Crispy on the outside, cheesy and ooey gooey on the inside, these Air Fryer Mozzarella Bites are super easy to make and even easier to eat! Serve them as an appetizer or as a side dish, and since their made in the air fryer they have fewer calories and less fat, and no guilt. These are a must try!

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Air Fryer cooking

Cooking with an air fryer isn’t anything new and I’m so excited to get to share one of these miraculous machines with you.

So when COSORI reached out asking if I wanted to try out their 5.8-quart Air Fryer, I jumped at the chance. 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.

Review of the COSORI Air Fryer 5.8-quart

For starters, this countertop appliance is a sturdy and sizeable tool, with a sleek elegant brushed matte black finish. This heavy-duty machine can accommodate 5.8 quarts inside, making servings for 3-5 people, and has temperature settings from 170° to 400° F.

This air fryer will be a lifesaver when the football starts again. I mean, delicious crispy foods with 85% fewer calories than deep-frying. Just think of all the goodies I can make for tailgating snacks month!

This air fryer has user-friendly one-touch controls with 11 presets like shrimp, frozen food, French fries, and more that are easy to figure out. And the angled LED digital touchscreen display is easy to read when you stand in front of it.

The COSORI Air Fryer 5.8-quart has an easy to read and use control panel

How to adapt oven recipes

It’s easy to adapt oven recipes to the COSORI Air Fryer. Simply lower the 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.

The drawer that you see open in this photo is where the food goes. Nice and easy to use.

Air fryer tater tots

I did a second test of the COSORI Air Fryer with store-bought tater tots. The package directions called for 425° F for 20 minutes. I set the Air Fryer to 400° F and cooked the tots for only 10 minutes. They were crispy, crunchy, and delicious! Amazing!

The air fryer is a 1700 watt machine, whereas my oven is a 7800 watt machine. That’s a significant difference in electricity usage. Plus the fact that I only had to cook the tots for half as long as I would’ve in the oven. Another significant electricity savings. 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.

Air Fryer Mozzarella Bites as my first test

I decided that the best way to test out the appliance was to cook a recipe from the cookbook that’s included with the machine. I chose the “Fried” Mozzarella Bites from page 64.

They were 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 bites to those that you get at restaurants. These were way better!

Overall Thoughts

After spending some time with the COSORI air fryer I can confidently say that I’m in love with this machine! This 5.8-quart model is a great product at an affordable price.

Their customer service is top-notch, with a 2-year warranty, and a 90-day money-back guarantee, and lifetime support from COSORI. And with all of the recipes they provide in the air fryer recipe book, making a different dish each time you use it is an easy feat.

Buy this COSORI 5.8-quart Air Fryer on Amazon and don’t forget about Amazon Prime Day July 15 & 16 this year (2019).

Back to those Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks

Who doesn’t love a good stringy crunchy on the outside, gooey on the inside Mozzarella Cheese Stick! 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!

Make ahead

These are also a great make a head 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 up.

This makes them great for serving at parties!

They make a great cheesy treat for tailgating, game day, birthday parties, summer pool parties, or holiday gatherings.

I’ve placed some of the breaded mozzarella bites in the drawer of the COSORI Air Fryer 5.8-quart. In the background you can see additional bites still on the tray waiting to be cooked.

How to make Air Fryer Cheese Sticks

These are really easy. Just grab a handful of those packaged cheese sticks, you know the ones you toss into the kids’ lunches, and cu 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!

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. Panko is 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.

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.

Then simply use the Frozen foods setting on your COSORI air fryer, and cook up some delicious and impressive Air Fryer Mozzarella Bites!

Dipping sauces

Don’t forget to serve your Mozzarella Sticks with some homemade marinara sauce or Skinny Ranch dressing!

Homemade Crock Pot Marinara Sauce

The classic dipping sauce for mozzarella bites. You'll love this homemade crock pot version.

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Skinny Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Lighter in calories (but still delicious) to go along with your lighter in calories mozzarella sticks!

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Candied Jalapeno Ranch Dip

A kicked up version of the classic ranch dip for spicy mozzaella bites

Continue Reading

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Air Fryer Mozzarella Bites Recipe

5 from 8 votes

Print

Air Fryer Mozzarella Bites

Crispy on the outside, cheesy and ooey gooey on the inside, these Air Fryer Mozzarella Bites are super easy to make and even easier to eat! Serve them as an appetizer or as a side dish, and since their made in the air fryer they have fewer calories and less fat, and no guilt. These are a must try!

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword air fryer, mozzarella, sticks

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes

Total Time 18 minutes

Servings 18 pieces

Calories 25 kcal

Author Debi

Ingredients

• 6 pieces string cheese
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• nonstick cooking spray
• marinara sauce or ranch for serving

Instructions

1. Cut the string cheese into thirds, making 18 pieces.
2. Mix together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl. Whisk together the eggs and milk in a separate bowl. Combine the panko breadcrumbs and parsley flakes in an additional bowl.
3. Coat each piece of cheese with flour, then dip in egg, and then roll in breadcrumbs. Dip in egg and breadcrumbs again, pressing the breadcrumbs into the egg wash.
4. Select Preheat on the Cosori Air Fryer, adjust to 350° F, and press Start/Pause.
5. Set the mozzarella bites in the freezer while the air fryer is preheating.
6. Place the coated mozzarella bites into the preheated air fryer, and spray liberally with cooking spray.
7. Select Frozen Foods, set time for 8 minutes, and press Start/Pause.
8. Shake the baskets halfway through cooking (the Shake Reminder function will let you know when!).
9. Serve with a side of your favorite marinara sauce, or even better, ranch.

Recipe Notes

Makes 18 bites, or 3 servings

Nutrition Facts

Air Fryer Mozzarella Bites

Amount Per Serving

Calories 25 Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Cholesterol 18mg6%

Sodium 99mg4%

Potassium 13mg0%

Carbohydrates 3g1%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 25IU1%

Calcium 10mg1%

Iron 0.3mg2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.