Frozen mozzarella sticks in air fryer are so easy to make and crunchier than cooking them in your oven! Love fried cheese? This will be your favorite snack. 

air fryer mozzarella sticks
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Frozen mozzarella sticks in air fryer are so good!! Since we got this air fryer I’ve been tinkering with cooking all the things in it. These cheese sticks are no exception to the rule that everything is better air fried! (affiliate links present)

Air Fryer Cheese Sticks

These and our air fryer cheese curds are probably my biggest weaknesses. I love being able to add just a few for a quick snack. My teenagers love how crunchy they get, and can “cook” by themselves when I am away.

If you have not transitioned to baking things right out of your freezer in this hot air basket you are in for a real treat. Everything is so so so much better, takes less time and tastes like what you get served at a restaurant for way cheaper.

If you love extra crispy food and quick recipes, here are some resources to start with:

A close-up photo of a hand pulling out the basket of an open air fryer on a light-colored surface. The interior of the air fryer basket is empty and features a mesh design, perfect for cooking your favorite dishes like bang bang shrimp. The edge of the air fryer has a latch mechanism for securing the basket.

Air Fryer Frozen Mozzarella Sticks

If you too are obsessed with how to air fry everything, we have a few tips for you here. You literally need NO prep work at all when it comes to foods that are frozen. Just like if you used your oven you do NOT want to defrost them ahead of time, at all.

Ninja Foodi Frozen Mozzarella Sticks

You can use any of the machines out there on the market. I have a few and there really aren’t a lot of differences. If you are using your Foodi then the lid that IS attached is the correct one. Use the air crisp button and you’re good to go!

Cooking frozen foods in an air fryer

It was a big surprise to me just how much I enjoyed everything cooked in this thing to be quite honest. I thought “why bother” until I tried it with these air fryer frozen chicken nuggets.

  • We will NEVER cook them in the oven again after this.
    • They just don’t come out nearly as crispy, and the cook time is so much faster. Game over.

Then we moved on to making air fryer mozzarella sticks and we were convinced. This little kitchen appliance is pure magic y’all.

air fryer frozen mozzarella sticks

Farm Rich mozzarella sticks air fryer

Let’s talk about the biggest tip when it comes to air frying food: Do NOT overlap pieces! You need all areas to have a bit of space so browning and crisping can occur.

Now for me the exception to this rule is when I’m cooking air fryer vegetables. There’s no breading on those so it doesn’t matter as much.

Are Farm rich mozzarella sticks good?

Yes!! They’re just one of many brands we’ve tried and the cheese comes out nice and gooey inside. Rarely does the outside break while cooking, only if you mistakingly overcook them. ๐Ÿ˜‰

Let’s talk about the machines we have and use. The one you see here in the photos is our Cosori machine. We also have a large air fryer if we want to make a large batch of something, that’s handy.

  • The final air fryer and pressure cooker we have, the Ninja Foodi works great too! If you’re looking for both of those functions I’d suggest this model.

It is a bit larger than the other 2 but you do get a multi function appliance and can even replace your rice cooker with this. Take your pick, they all work great.

Frozen Mozzarella Sticks in Air Fryer

Ninja Foodi Mozzarella Sticks

When it comes to frozen foods in an air fryer it is very important to only have one layer in your basket though. 

  • How do you know how long to cook each item though?? Well this air fryer cooking times printable is a huge help! Go ahead and print this out now and tape it to your fridge. I will wait. ๐Ÿ˜‰
air fryer cook times

How long do you air fry frozen mozzarella sticks?

Now let’s get to a few quick instructions: Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Spray basket with cooking spray. Add as many as you like into your air fryer basket without allowing them to overlap. Close drawer and cook for 6 minutes or until as crispy as you’d like. Enjoy immediately for best results.

  1. Cook frozen mozzarella sticks for 6 minutes.
    1. timing will vary depending on how thick the brand you use is, and how crispy you want the outsides but this timing works well for us with every type we’ve used

Eat immediately as is or dipped in marinara sauce!

air fryer frozen food

What are mozzarella sticks made of?

  • This popular once deep fried appetizer consists of long slices of mozzarella cheese coated in seasoned bread crumbs and cooked until golden brown and cheese is melted inside.

In the past we made mozzarella cheese sticks on a baking sheet in the oven. With the time it took to preheat and cook it took 3 times as long.

I also feel like this uses a lot less energy but the most important difference is how crispy these get!

  • Once you try them for yourself you will see the difference I tell you. Then you can go on to see the difference when air frying snack foods of other kinds.
  • Below are a few other favorites we make pretty often.

Our air fryer quesadilla recipe, air fryer grilled cheese, and frozen french fries in air fryer are probably our go to’s! Try our air fryer fish sticks for dinner too.

french fries in air fryer

What sauce do you use for mozzarella sticks?

Of course you can use whatever you wish but if you’re new to this cheesy snack here are a few suggestions. These work with frozen or homemade mozzarella sticks air fryer style:

  1. Fry sauce is probably top on our list
  2. Spaghetti sauce is what is usually served on the side in restaurants
  3. We love bang bang sauce too.

Is ranch good with mozzarella sticks?

  1. But of course!
  2. Blue cheese dressing can be an option
  3. Ketchup goes on anything really
  4. Honey mustard is my husband’s favorite

Here is the printable recipe below. Nutritional information will vary depending on brand and how many each person consumes.

Air Fryer Frozen Cheese Sticks

Frozen mozzarella sticks are neatly arranged in an air fryer basket, ready to be cooked.
4.75 from 8 votes

Frozen Mozzarella Sticks in Air Fryer

By The Typical Mom
Frozen mozzarella sticks in air fryer are so easy to make and crunchier than cooking them in your oven! Love fried cheese? This will be your favorite snack.
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 6 minutes
Servings: 6
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Equipment

  • 1 air fryer

Ingredients 

  • 1 bag mozzarella sticks, frozen
  • 1/4 c marinara sauce

Instructions 

  • Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees for 5 minutes.
  • Add as many as you like into your air fryer basket without allowing them to overlap.
  • Close drawer and cook for 6 minutes or until as crispy as you'd like. Enjoy immediately for best results.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 2oz, Calories: 3kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 0.2g, Fat: 0.1g, Saturated Fat: 0.03g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 0.1mg, Sodium: 50mg, Potassium: 30mg, Fiber: 0.2g, Sugar: 0.4g, Vitamin A: 44IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 2mg, Iron: 0.1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @thetypical_mom or tag #thetypicalmom!

About The Typical Mom

Justine is the creative mind behind The Typical Mom and The Typical Family on YouTube. She began blogging about easy recipes, budget friendly activities for kids, and fun family travel destinations in September 2012.

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4.75 from 8 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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15 Comments

  1. Seems like lots of folks have had luck with 6 minutes — but your “Air Fryer Cook Times” printable cheat-sheet says mozz sticks should be 8 minutes. Have you changed your mind and 8mins works better? Or is the PDF just outdated? Thanks for your time!

    1. Timing is just a base and it varies slightly depending on brand/thickness, how brown you want them really

  2. They taste amazing. Iโ€™ve used three different brands (two were the traditional โ€œtubeโ€, and the third were more flattened)… I did them all @ 400 for 6 minutes (allowing to preheat first). All three were perfect. Thanks!
    * We have the Emeril Air Fryer 360

  3. Man….. If eating cheese sticks makes you a bitch,
    I would do better to deep fry cheddar.
    If thinking for yourself is obsolete
    then a match in cooking we can’t compete.

  4. The box says that these mozzarella sticks are 270 calories per serving not 1 calorie. Please fix your nutrition information for your recipe.

      1. Uh. How about you find some chill. Itโ€™s a recipe blog, itโ€™s not that deep.

    1. The recipe card itself comes up with the calories for the average frozen stick would be, it is not my calculations. Also every brand is different and every serving size is different so refer to the box you are using for exact nutritional info.

  5. OK, I am kind of obsessed with these. I made them for lunch the other day and now I’ve made them twice since. So easy for the kiddos to eat lunch. And me to snack… and so much better than oven baked.

  6. This was awesome and super helpful! My husband just bought us an air fryer and has been obsessed with using it and we started to run out of recipes! Thanks !

  7. You couldn’t have just gotten right to the point? I had to scroll for what felt like an eternity just to see 400 degrees for 6 minutes. What a waste of time.

    1. Hahaha you are getting a free recipe/instructions and you are complaining? Take a chill pill!