Serve yummy Air-Fried Mozzarella Bites with marinara dipping sauce and watch how fast they disappear! Crisp outside and melted cheese inside!
If you have an air fryer and enjoy “fried” mozzarella and sauce that is popular on restaurant menus, then check out the recipe today to see how to make them at home (for a fraction of the price)!
There’s not too much prep involved, and these delicious appetizers or snacks can even be frozen for a later date, which makes them convenient to have around! I love to make them in my air fryer instead of frying them in a skillet full of hot oil.
Air-Fried Mozzarella Bites come out crispy and golden on the outside, with warm, gooey melted cheese inside. They’re a favorite party food or game day appetizer to serve your family and friends. Here’s how to make them.
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
Prepare The Mozzarella Cheese And Dipping Station
Open 6 individual packages of mozzarella string cheese, discarding the wrappers. Cut each piece in half in the middle so you end up with 12 string cheese halves.
Set out 3 separate “cereal-sized” bowls for the seasoning and dipping “station”. It works well to place them next to each other on the kitchen counter, so the dipping process is easier to manage.
FIRST BOWL: Place ½ cup of all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon of salt in the bowl and stir together until combined.
SECOND BOWL: Place 2 large eggs and beat them well with a whisk or fork until fully combined.
THIRD BOWL: Place 1 cup of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir until fully combined.
Pat the mozzarella half-sticks well using paper towels, so they are fully dry, then put them right in front of the seasoning bowls. Now it’s time to get the mozzarella bites ready!
Time To Coat The Mozzarella Bites
The best way I’ve found to coat the mozzarella bites is to do ONE AT A TIME! Place the mozzarella in the flour and turn it until it is covered on all sides.
Put the flour-covered cheese in the egg mixture and use a fork (it’s messy!) to turn it until all sides are covered with egg. Lift the cheese up to let any excess egg drip back down into the bowl.
Lay the floured, egg-coated piece of cheese into the seasoned breadcrumbs and roll it in this mixture until it is well-coated on all sides.
IMPORTANT: Now repeat this process again on the same piece of cheese! Dip it back in the flour, back in the egg, then give it a final roll in the breadcrumbs!
Each piece of mozzarella needs to be processed this way (2 times for each piece of mozzarella!). As you finish each one, place it on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, then go to the next piece.
Ready To Freeze
When you’re done, you should have 12 mozzarella bites that have each been “covered” two times. Lay them with a space in between each one (in a single layer) on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet and place them in the freezer for 2 hours. This will “flash-freeze them. Don’t skip this step!
This freezing time is very important so the air-fried mozzarella bites will be solid and hold together once they are in the hot air fryer! This recipe will yield 12 air-fried mozzarella bites. When they’ve been flash-frozen for two hours they can be removed and air-fried immediately.
Can They Be Made Ahead?
YES! You can pre-make the mozzarella bites, flash-freeze them for two hours and keep them in the freezer for several weeks or until you want to cook all or a few of them).
If you will be doing this, transfer the frozen mozzarella sticks off the baking sheet and store them in a freezer-safe resealable bag or container.
Time To Cook The Air-Fried Mozzarella Bites
Preheat your air fryer to 400°F. Spritz the mozzarella sticks lightly (on top) with cooking spray, olive oil or vegetable oil. Lay the frozen (do not thaw) mozzarella sticks in a single layer, spritzed side UP in the basket.
Cook them for 3 minutes, then open the air fryer and gently turn the cheese bites over to the other side. Lightly spritz the other side with oil or cooking spray, then continue cooking for about 3 more minutes (approx. 6 minutes total time).
When done, the air-fried mozzarella bites should be heated all the way through and should be crispy and golden in color on the outside. Some of the melted cheese could also be present on the surface as it oozes out very slightly while cooking.
Serve And Enjoy!
Transfer the HOT mozzarella bites to a serving plate with a small dish of warm marinara sauce on the side, for dipping! TIP: Let the mozzarella bites cool very slightly before digging in because the cheese inside is very hot when they first come out of the air fryer!
It is fun taking that first bite because the string cheese is gooey, melted, and has a good long “pull” of warm, stringy cheese! YUM!
Lots of melted cheese inside each bite and dipping each air-fried crispy bite in marinara sauce adds to the overall great taste! YUM!
I hope you have the opportunity to make these fun appetizers for those you love, and trust you’ll love them as much as we do! Thank for stopping by, and please come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a wonderful day.
Looking For More APPETIZER Recipes?
You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have a wonderful variety of appetizer recipes (no air fryer necessary) to check out, including:
- Apricot Pineapple Kielbasa Bites
- Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers
- Coconut Candied Cashews
- Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
- Baked Parmesan Zucchini Fries
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Original recipe source: “Food Network Magazine”, January/February 2021 issue, page 41
↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
Serve yummy Air-Fried Mozzarella Bites with marinara dipping sauce and watch how fast they disappear! Crisp outside and melted cheese inside!
- 6 1 oz. sticks mozzarella string cheese (part-skim) cut in half across width
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt (DIVIDED USE)
- 2 large eggs beaten/whisked until combined
- 1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
Cut each piece of string cheese in half widthwise. Pat pieces dry with paper towel.
Set out 3 small bowls side by side with the following ingredients. FIRST BOWL: Place flour and 1 tsp. of salt in bowl; stir together until combined. SECOND BOWL: Add eggs; beat with a whisk or fork until combined. THIRD BOWL: Stir seasoned breadcrumbs and 1 tsp. of salt together until combined.
Place one cheese piece in flour mixture; turn until covered on all sides. Put flour-covered cheese in the egg mixture; use a fork to turn it until all sides are covered with egg. Let excess egg drip back down into the bowl. Lay floured, egg-coated cheese in the breadcrumbs; roll until well-coated on all sides. IMPORTANT: Repeat this process again on the same piece of coated cheese! Dip it back in the flour, back in the egg, then give it a final roll in the breadcrumbs! **Finish all remaining cheese pieces the same way (coating each piece 2 times)
Lay each piece with a space in between each one (in a single layer) on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. You should have 12 mozzarella bites that have each been "covered" two times. Place them in the freezer for 2 hours. This will "flash-freeze them. Don't skip this step!
To Cook: Preheat air fryer to 400°F. Spritz each piece lightly (on top) with cooking spray, olive oil or vegetable oil. Lay frozen mozzarella bites (do not thaw) in a single layer, spritzed side UP in the basket. Cook for 3 minutes, then turn each piece over. Lightly spritz top side with oil or cooking spray; continue cooking for about 3 more minutes (approx. 6 minutes total time). When done, mozzarella bites should be heated through and crispy, golden brown on the outside.
Transfer mozzarella bites to a serving plate with a dish of warm marinara sauce on the side, for dipping! TIP: Let mozzarella bites cool slightly before serving because the cheese inside is very hot when they first come out of the air fryer! Enjoy.
NOTE: This caloric calculation is an estimate only, made using an online ingredient calculation program. It does not include marinara sauce because the amount used, or varieties may differ greatly. Also- please note that the FULL calorie amounts for the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs are included in the caloric calculation, but you may not use the entire amount for the preparation.
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!