How to Make Frozen Mozzarella Sticks in the Air Fryer
Forget what’s on the package! Use this method to make the crispiest Frozen Mozzarella Sticks in the Air Fryer. Plus cook times for making all your favorite game day appetizers, like potato skins, jalapeno poppers, and cheese curds.
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe: Air fryers are perfect for frozen appetizers and you can keep the appetizers coming so you can enjoy them hot throughout the event.
We love football at our house! And with the big game coming up, we wanted to share our method of cooking air fryer frozen mozzarella sticks, jalapeño poppers, cheese curds, and potato skins.
We like to make a small batch of appetizers at a time to make sure that we don’t fill up on cheese sticks before the jalapeño poppers are ready.
We designed this recipe to make a continuous flow of melty, crispy appetizers coming hot out of the air fryer, with the next batch ready to go in when the previous one comes out.
It’s mostly hands off, no flipping or basket tossing required, so you can just set a timer for when to prep the next tray so you can focus on the big plays and your company.
Best of all, our method keeps the cook temperature the same for all of the appetizers, so your air fryer is always preheated to the proper temperature and you have one less thing to worry about.
Cooking Frozen Appetizers in an Air Fryer
We know the packaging lists certain air fryer times and temperatures; however, these defaults don’t typically cook frozen foods to our liking.
Our general rule of thumb is at least 10 degrees warmer and 1 to 2 minutes longer than it says on the packaging. (I’m not sure if that’s because we’re cooking at altitude or if we just like ours a bit on the crispier side).
We also prefer to cook with smaller stainless steel trays because they help the foods crisp better, are easier to remove, and are easier to switch out trays.
How to Make Crispy Frozen Mozzarella Sticks in an Air Fryer
✅ This easy recipe was tested in the Instant Vortex, Cosori TurboBlaze, and Instant Pot Pro Crisp. This recipe worked great in all three with no changes to the cook time for any brand.
For all of the appetizers, we tested with our local Kroger brand as well as the Farm Rich brands. (Because that’s what our local store had to offer.)
Cook Times and Temperatures
- Frozen mozzarella sticks: The brand of mozzarella sticks we tested had a packaging cook time of 6–7 minutes; however, we prefer 370°F for 9 minutes.
- Frozen loaded potato skins: The brand of potato skins we tested had a packaging cook time of 15 minutes; however, we prefer 370°F for 16 minutes.
- Frozen jalapeño poppers: The brand of stuffed jalapeño peppers we tested had a packaging cook time of 9 minutes; however, we prefer 370°F for 10 minutes.
- Frozen breaded cheese curds: The brand of cheese curds we tested had a packaging cook time of 5 minutes; however, we prefer 370°F for 6 minutes.
If you’re using a different brand, compare the time and temperature information listed on your brand and adjust based on our formula. These were the two brands of frozen apps for sale at our local store.
🔥 Remember these appetizers are best served hot! Don’t start cooking them until just before you’re ready to serve them. Make sure the rest of your spread is ready to go first!
Products for Making Crispy Mozzarella Sticks in an Air Fryer
Dehydrator racks with retriever tongs. This is our favorite air fryer accessory. The trays and retriever tongs make it SO easy to remove food from the air fryer. And, I honestly feel like we get crispier, better results when we use these trays.
(That’s why you’ll see them featured in so many recipes, including our Air Fryer Deep-Dish Chocolate Chip Cookies.)
Frequently Asked Questions about Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks
No worries if you don’t have the racks! The racks make it easier to switch out and helps the foods cook up extra crispy without flipping.
However, if you don’t have them, just place the mozzarella sticks in a single layer on the rack that comes with your air fryer and then toss or flip the mozzarella sticks halfway through for best results.
We love a classic marinara sauce or a pizza sauce to dip our mozzarella sticks in. If your box didn’t come with a batch, you can use your favorite jarred sauce, or make your own. Use the pot-in-pot method to make a batch of marinara in the pressure cooker or make homemade pizza sauce from scratch on the stovetop.
One of the reasons we like cooking in small batches is that smaller batches make it less likely your food will go to waste or cool off and need to be reheated.
I don’t generally recommend storing them in your fridge to reheat later, but if they cool off a bit too much and need a quick warm up, place them in your air fryer for 1 to 2 minutes to warm them up again.
More easy recipes for party foods that are perfect for game day
Here are a few other recipes that are sure to be a hit at your next get-together
- Grape Jelly Meatballs: This easy appetizer has just 3 ingredients and a 5 minute cook time!
- Teriyaki Wings: These wings pressure cook in a homemade teriyaki sauce, then get browned sticky and sweet in your oven or with your air fryer lid.
- Spinach Artichoke Dip: This restaurant favorite is quick to make from scratch at home in your pressure cooker, ready in under 15 minutes!
- Loaded Queso: A hearty Tex-Mex-inspired cheese sauce made with ground pork sausage, beans, jalapeño, and diced tomatoes.
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Air Fryer Frozen Mozzarella Sticks, Jalepeno Poppers, and Potato Skins
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 box frozen breaded mozzarella sticks
- 1 box frozen breaded jalapeno poppers
- 1 box frozen potato skins
- 1 box frozen breaded cheese curds
Instructions
- Select Air Fry and preheat to 370°F. If your air fryer came with an air flow rack in the basket, remove it before you start to preheat.
- As the air fryer is nearing temperature, place your appetizer in one of the dehydrator cooking racks. (We used as many as would fit in a single layer in the basket.
- When preheated, use the retriever tongs to lower the rack into the air fryer. Fry until golden brown.
- For the mozzarella sticks: Cook for 9 minutes.
- For the jalapeno poppers: Cook for 10 minutes.
- For the potato skins: Cook for 16 minutes.
- For the cheese curds: Cook for 6 minutes.
- If you’re making multiple types of apps, get the next tray ready to go in right shortly before the cook time ends. (Don't let them all sit out to thaw; they cook best from frozen.)
- Use the retriever tongs to remove the cooking tray from the air fryer. Serve immediately.
- If you’re making another appetizer, you may need to do a quick wipe out of the air fryer basket before you make the next batch. Just check the basket for debris.
Notes
Nutrition
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