Air Fryer Mozzarella Balls
Air Fryer Mozzarella Balls are the crispiest appetizer without all the frying and extra oil! Kids love these bite-size cheese balls covered in a crispy seasoned breadcrumb coating.
My favorite appetizer when I am out at a restaurant is mozzarella sticks! Having a delicious sweet dip on the side, they are a tasty and ideal appetizer for many! I had never thought about making my own until recently, and when I decided to make this recipe up, they’d be way too hard to pull off. I decided on Mozzarella Balls instead of sticks, as they’d be a great app and small enough for little kids’ hands!
These are full of flavor and easy to make. Plus, kids love them; they are crispy and have a great crunch with a sweet, soft, cheesy filling! Pull out some deliciousness at your next get-together or potluck! Take fresh, not frozen, and be sure to make it known they were whipped up at home and fried in the air fryer — I bet your guests will be pleasantly surprised and pleased!
Ingredients
The full printable recipe card with measurements and instructions is found at the bottom of the post.
- Mozzarella: I have seen people whip up mozza sticks with cheese strings in many recipes. I am not a big fan of cheese strings, so I knew I didn’t want to go that route. To me, when it comes to cooking and baking – fresh is best!
- Eggs: You’ll want to use an egg wash to get the best mozzarella balls. It helps keep all the gooey cheese inside, and the breadcrumbs stuck to the sides.
- Italian breadcrumbs: For the best mozzarella bites, you need seasoned breadcrumbs, too! I mix mine with some Italian seasoning for extra flavor.
- Garlic powder: I love the sweetness of garlic powder versus raw garlic. I put it in almost everything!
- Parmesan: I know these are mozzarella balls, but who doesn’t love Parmesan cheese, too? I add some to the mozzarella mixture, but you can sprinkle some on top, too!
How To Make Air Fryer Mozzarella Balls
Follow along to learn how to make air fryer mozzarella balls.
- Step One: Mix the shredded mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, cornstarch, and water in a large bowl.
- Step Two: Roll the cheese mixture into bite-size balls and spread them on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Freeze until firm but not frozen solid.
- Step Three: Add the beaten eggs to a small bowl. In a small bowl, stir together breadcrumbs with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and a little salt.
- Step Four: Dip the solid cheese balls in the eggs to coat the mozzarella balls. Then, roll the dipped balls in breadcrumbs. Freeze for 20 minutes, then repeat the egg wash and breading steps.
- Step Five: Preheat your air fryer and add raw mozzarella balls to the basket. Be sure to shake the basket every few minutes to keep it from sticking! I like to serve mine with a simple marinara sauce.
How Do You Keep Them from Exploding in an Air Fryer?
There’s nothing worse than finding all your mozzarella sticks leaked during cooking! Luckily, this recipe is made to help keep that from happening.
A good double breading should keep the cheese on the inside and the golden brown crust on the outside. Ensure you get egg wash and crumbs on all parts of the mozzarella ball for every dip.
Make sure to shake your basket every few minutes, too. This helps them cook evenly and lets you check their doneness before an explosion strikes.
Storage Instructions
No one wants soggy mozzarella balls! Unfortunately, leftovers don’t keep very well in the fridge. You can refrigerate them for up to 4 days, but the breading can get soggy.
To help prevent this, keep them in a closed paper bag or put a paper towel in an airtight container. This helps draw the moisture out of the air and into the paper!
You can also stop before you air fry, freeze, and cook these prepped mozzarella bites later! No need to thaw — just toss the frozen balls into the basket.
This is a great make-ahead party food or afternoon snack. You can freeze these and make them the same day, or freeze them up to a week before air frying and they’ll still be just as delicious!
What To Serve With Them
Keep the oven off for your next tailgate party, and make these chicken wings in the air fryer instead! They’re covered in a garlic, lemon pepper, and Parmesan blend for the best, crispy wings ever.
These olive cheese balls are the perfect salty, cheesy appetizer with a kick! These baked cheese balls with cheddar dough are a little crispy on the outside with a tangy green olive on the inside for the best finger food on your Christmas party spread.
I guarantee you that if you make these Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts, they will not last long. I almost ate this entire batch myself. It’s the type of recipe where you cannot just have one. I eat one, and I’m in for it. I have to eat them ALL!
Deviled eggs are great — but these bacon ranch deviled eggs are even better. You’ll love this savory twist on the classic.
More Air Fryer Recipes You’ll Love
- Air Fryer Pizza Buns
- Garlic Cheese Stuffed Crescent Rolls in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Chocolate Croissants
- Air Fryer Cauliflower Bites
- Air Fried Oreos
- Air Fryer Potato Chips
- Air Fryer Crab Rangoon
- Air Fryer Bang Bang Shrimp
- Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp
- Air Fryer Corn Ribs
- Air Fryer Bisquick Sausage Balls
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Air Fryer Mozzarella Balls
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Ingredients
- 2 cups mozzarella shredded
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsp water
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Add mozzarella, Parmesan, cornstarch and water to a large bowl. Mix well.
- Roll mixture into bite sized balls (about 1 inch) and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Freeze for 1 hour.
- Add beaten eggs to a small bowl. In another bowl, stir together breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and salt.
- Dip cheeseballs in eggs to coat. Roll in breadcrumb mixture to cover completely and place back on the baking sheet. Put back in freezer for 20 minutes.
- Remove from freezer and dip cheeseballs in egg mixture and roll in breadcrumbs again.
- Preheat air fryer to 360°F. Once preheated, add cheeseballs to air fryer basket.
- Shake the air fryer every couple minutes to brown evenly. Serve with pizza or marinara sauce for dipping.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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When you say FRESH mozz… do you mean actual fresh mozz cheese that is soft, and difficult to grate because it is so soft, or do you mean a hunk firmer cheese freshly grated?
I found some gluten free bread crumbs at the store the other day-this would be a great recipe to try them out! Thanks for sharing your recipe at the Merry Monday Link Party! Can’t wait to see what you link up next week! Roseann from This Autoimmune Life
Thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with us at Full Plate Thursday. Hope you have a great St. Patrick’s Day and come back to see us real soon!
Miz Helen
These look delicious! I’ve been trying to decide if I want an air fryer or not. This might have tipped the scales. 😉
I followed you here from Miz Helen’s linkup. I shared my recipe for Chickpea Crumb Flounder with Tomato Cream Sauce this week. Have a beautiful day!
These look so good! Thank you for sharing! Feel free to share this at my Make it Pretty Monday party. Here is the link to this week’s party: http://www.thededicatedhouse.com/make-pretty-monday-week-245/ Hope to see you at the shindig! Have a great week! Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse