Easy Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks

top down view of air fryer mozzarella sticks with marinara sauce

Easy Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: 5 Ingredients or Less, Air Fryer, Easy, Family Friendly, Game Day, Super Bowl

Prep Time: 3

Cook Time: 8

Servings:

Calories: 51kcal

Author: Marilyn

Homemade mozzarella string cheese sticks are easier to make than you think. String cheese gets wrapped in an egg roll wrapper, brushed with an egg wash an quickly air fried to finger food perfection. These easy mozzarella sticks are perfect for game day, an easy snack or happy hour.

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Equipment

Air Fryer
Parchment paper

Ingredients

6 pieces string cheese
6 egg roll wrappers
1 egg
Canola oil optional, see tip

Instructions

Preheat the air fryer to 385°F.
Line the air fryer basket or tray with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, add the egg and beat with a fork or a whisk just until blended.
Place a mozzarella stick on one corner of an egg roll wrapper. Fold the corner end over the mozzarella stick and continue rolling until the center of the wrapper. Fold in the sides of the wrapper and continue rolling until just before the end.
Brush a little of the egg mixture on the inside of the pointed end of the wrapper. Fold up the wrapper and gently push to seal the wrapper closed. Brush the rolled mozzarella stick completely with more of the egg mixture. Arrange the sticks in the air fryer. Lightly brush the sticks with cooking oil, if using. (see cook's tip)
Air fry for 4 minutes or until browned and slightly crispy. Turn the sticks, brush with oil, and air fry for 2 to 4 minutes or until browned and crispy all over.
Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.

Notes

String cheese is a low fat mozzarella cheese that has been specially processed to pull apart in 'strings'. String cheese will melt nicely in air fryer mozzarella sticks and be perfectly gooey when you bite into it.

Preheat your air fryer before using. Air fryers differ between different brands and models, so cooking time can vary. Check your mozzarella sticks at 4 minutes or sooner to adapt to how your air fryer cooks.

Use cooking oil if you want your mozzarella sticks to have more of the oil-fried taste that you are used to with traditional sticks.

Do not use cooking spray in your air fryer. If you want to use some oil, either brush it on with a pastry brush or get an oil mister with pure oil of any kind added to it. The added chemicals in traditional non-stick cooking sprays can damage the non-stick finish in the air fryer. Caveat: You can use a non-stick cooking spray if you spray the sticks before adding to the air fryer and arrange the sticks on parchment paper.

Variations:

Garlicky sticks: Add a teaspoon of garlic powder to the egg wash mixture.
Italian seasoning: Add a teaspoon of an Italian seasoning blend to the egg wash mixture.
Extra crispy mozzarella sticks: Brush the wrapped sticks with oil and roll in seasoned bread crumbs or a combination of regular and Panko crumbs. Mist with oil before air frying.

Make Ahead: Mozzarella sticks can be prepared through step 5 and then frozen for later. To freeze, transfer the prepared sticks to a baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes to 2 hours. Transfer frozen sticks to an airtight container and freeze for 2 to 3 months.

If using store-bought mozzarella sticks, preheat your air fryer to 25° less than the recommended baking time on the package. Then, bake for 7 to 9 minutes, turning once.

Serving Suggestions: Dipping sauces such as a marinara sauce, ranch dip, or blue cheese dip pair wonderfully with mozzarella sticks.

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