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!
I have been sent product from COSORI to facilitate this post, however, all opinions are my own.
Recipes like my Nacho Cheese and Pizza Tarts are great for when you want a delicious and easy appetizer. I love a big appetizer spread (even if it’s just for my family), and this is one of my Appetizer Recipes you’ll want in your recipe box!
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Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please feel free to leave a comment and ask.
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.
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, and Avocado Fries.
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, like Southwestern Egg Rolls, Crispy Tortellini, and Vegetable Egg Rolls all done in the Air Fryer!
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.
You can buy this (affiliate link) COSORI 5.8-quart Air Fryer on Amazon.
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 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!
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!
What is “string cheese”?
Some people from other countries may not have or be familiar with string cheese. Manufacturers package 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.
Dipping sauces
Don’t forget to serve your Mozzarella Sticks with some homemade marinara sauce 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.
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Air Fryer Mozzarella Bites Recipe
Air Fryer Mozzarella Bites
Equipment
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
- Cut the string cheese into thirds, making 18 pieces.
- 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.
- 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.
- Select Preheat on the Cosori Air Fryer, adjust to 350° F, and press Start/Pause.
- Set the mozzarella bites in the freezer while the air fryer is preheating.
- Place the coated mozzarella bites into the preheated air fryer, and spray liberally with cooking spray.
- Select Frozen Foods, set time for 8 minutes, and press Start/Pause.
- Shake the baskets halfway through cooking (the Shake Reminder function will let you know when!).
- Serve with a side of your favorite marinara sauce, or even better, ranch.
These mozzarella bites look unbelievably good. They are one of my all-time favorite appetizers, but I never make them because I don’t want to fry them, so this air fryer version sounds like the perfect solution!
These mozzarella bites were so easy to make in the air-fryer. Your instructions were perfect for a novice air-fryer user like me.
These are definitely something I will be trying in my air fryer! They look like the perfect snack
Thanks for the air fryer recipe, I just purchased one and collecting recipes. My husband loves mozzarella bites so this will be one of my first attempts. I love your recipes, the pictures are always beautiful. Thanks again.
This looks like a fab recipe and a great new small appliance. I have one but am looking to upgrade. I can’t wait to try this recipe out! Hopefully ASAP!
Oh my goodness…these look INCREDIBLE! Making these ASAP, thanks for the recipe!
Love the crispy panko on these sticks and I think the air fryer made them as good as you can get – ever. Love this – thank you!
I . just LOVE my air fryer!! I was SO EXCITED when I came upon your recipe!! We enjoyed these poolside today with sangria, and EVERYONE loved them! Thank you!!
I’ve made these twice now. They were good the first time but seemed a little bland. The second time I substituted garlic salt for salt in the flour mixture and hot sauce for milk in the egg mixture. They were a little more difficult to pack the breading around but they were delicious! This is a great base recipe to adjust the flavor to!