Air fryer mozzarella sticks
- Prepare
- 30 mins to 1 hour
- Cook
- 10 to 30 mins
- Serve
- Serves 3–4
- Dietary
- Nut-freeVegetarian
It's dangerously easy to make hot crunchy, gooey mozzarella sticks at home in the air fryer. Keep them on standby in the freezer for the perfect party food.
Ingredients
- 400g block mozzarella cucina
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tsp garlic granules
- 1 large free-range egg
- 40g/1½oz panko breadcrumbs
- olive oil cooking spray
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Cut the mozzarella into strips, roughly 1.5cm/⅝in wide, and pat dry using kitchen paper.
In a shallow dish, mix together the flour and the garlic granules. In another dish, beat the egg with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Spread the breadcrumbs in a third dish.
Roll the mozzarella strips in flour, then in egg, then in flour and egg again, to create a double coating. Make sure each piece is totally covered in flour each time; any gaps will cause the mozzarella sticks to leak in the air fryer. Coat well in the panko breadcrumbs.
Freeze for at least 30 minutes until solid.
Spray the bottom of the air fryer basket with olive oil spray and arrange a single layer of mozzarella sticks in the bottom. Spray the top of the mozzarella sticks with oil before air-frying for 10 minutes at 200C. Repeat until all the mozzarella sticks are cooked, keeping each batch warm, then serve immediately.
Recipe tips
Mozzarella cucina is a firm, low-moisture cooking mozzarella sold in a block. Often labelled as ideal for pizza, it is shrink-wrapped rather than packed in whey.
You can make an easy tomato sauce for dipping, or serve with sriracha, sweet chilli sauce or drizzle them with hot honey.
This recipe was tested working in two batches in a 3.2 litre/5½ pint basket air fryer; in a larger air fryer the sticks can be cooked in one batch. It is not suited to a model fitted with a stirring paddle.
