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how to make fried mozzarella balls in air fryer?
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4.50 from 12 votes

Crispy Air Fryer Mozzarella Balls Recipe

These crispy mozzarella balls are so easy to make in air fryer. Air fryer version is helathier and it is so delicious. Makes perfect appetizer/snack or a side to any meal.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Freezing Time30 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: Air Fryer Mozzarella Balls, Fried Mozzarella, Mozzarella Sticks
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 334kcal
Author: simplyvegetarian777

Equipment

  • Measuring Spoons, Measuring Cups, Stirring Spoon,
  • Air Fryer
  • Air fryer parchment paper
  • mixing bowl
  • Kitchen Tongs
  • plate

Ingredients

  • 16 small Mozzarella Balls or use 5 mozzarella sticks cut into 3 pieces each
  • 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
  • 1 tbsp Cornflour
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1&1/2 cups Panko Breadcrumbs
  • 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
  • To taste Salt & Black Pepper
  • Few sprays of Olive Oil

Instructions

ALWAYS READ THE FULL RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST. THEN GATHER YOUR INGREDIENTS. PREP AND GET GOING. DO NOT FORGET TO CHECK THE NOTES FOR ADDITIONAL INFO & TIPS. WATCH THE ATTACHED VIDEO.

    Prepare the Mozzarella Cheese

    • If you are using mozzarella balls, then separate them. If you plan to use mozzarella sticks, then cut each mozzarella stick into 3 equal parts.

    Drench, Dip & Coat the Mozzarella Balls for air frying

    • Take 3 Mixing Bowls. In one bowl, add All Purpose Flour + Cornflour and mix well. In the second bowl, add 2 eggs and whisk well till they are mixed. Further in the third bowl, add Panko Breadcrumbs + Italian Seasoning + Salt & Black Pepper. Mix well.
      fried mozzarella stick recipe
    • LINE THE BOWLS UP - Now set these 3 bowls with the respective ingredients in an assembly line in this order - Flour Bowl then Whisked Eggs Bowl and then Breadcrumbs Bowl.
    • FIRST COATING STEP - Further pick 1 mozzarella ball with a Small Kitchen Tong and then drench it completely from all the sides in the flour mix. Now dip this flour coated mozzarella ball in the ehisked eggs and coat from all the sides. Pick these with tongs and then place these in the breadcrumbs bowl. Roll & Press it in the breadcrumb tightly and coat from all the sides. Set it on a plate lined with parchemnt paper. Finish all the Mozzarella Balls Likewise.
    • SECOND COATING STEP - Now is the time for second coating. This is important to seal the cheese inside properly. For the second coating you need Egg Bath and Breadcrumb coating. Pick the coated mozzarella ball and dip in egg bath and then roll it toghtly again in the breadcrumbs. Use hands to seal the crumbs tightly. WATCH THE VIDEO.

    Freeze the prepared Mozzarella Balls before Air-frying

    • Once you finish preparing all the mozzarella balls, plate them up and then put the plate in freezer for 30 minutes minimum.
      fried mozzarella sticks recipe

    Air frying Mozzarella Balls

    • Preheat the airfryer. I use Instant Vortex Air fryer and it requires pre-heating. I recommend it for even cooking.
      air fried mozzarella balls recipe
    • Further take out the air fryer basket and line it with air fryer parchment paper. Now place the frozen mozzarella bites on the parchment paper. Place these little spaced out. Depending upon the size of your airfryer, you might have to do 2 batches.
    • Spray these with Olive Oil Spray. Or coat them gently with pastry brush with olive oil.
    • AIR FRY at 350*F for about 5-8 minutes. The time can vary depending upon your airfryer brand. Flip the mozzarella balls gently in between. for even cooking.
    • Once browned nicely from all the sides, these are done. If you see a few of them leaking cheese, it is normal. You can still pick these up and gobble. Kids won't leave anything behind, I promise.

    Serving Suggestion

    • Serve these hot alongside warm Marinara Sauce.

    OVEN BAKE OPTIONS

    • Prep the mozzarella balls as instructed above. Freeze these for 30 minutes.
    • Preheat the oven at 400*F. Bake these for 20-22 minutes till golden brown from all the sides. Make sure to flip them after 10 minutes for even baking.

    Video

    Notes

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    PRO-TIPS to make Crispy Air Fryer Mozzarella Bites

      • Do not skip pre-heating the airfryer. This helps with even cooking and crisping up the panko breadcrumbs coating properly.
      • Do not skip the SECOND COATING in Egg bath and then Pressing into the breadcrumbs. This seals the mozzarella balls inside properly and reduces the chances of exploding while air-frying.
      • Also FREEZING these before ai-frying is a very important step. Do not skip this step.This step is actually fabulous because you can airfry the quantity you want after freezing. You can make a large batch of it and take out few at a time to air fry.
      • You can use either Mozzarella Balls or Mozzarella Sticks (cut into 3 pieces) for this recipe. Even the low fat cheese would work with the same recipe.
      • Use the Olive Oil Spray and coat these cheese balls properly for browning them.
      • Place them in a single layer and a little far from each other in the air-fryer basket.

    STORAGE of leftover Mozzarella Balls

    You can refrigerate the leftovers in an air tight container. These stay good for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.
    REHEATING the cold Mozzarella Balls
    Pre-heat the airfryer at 350*F and heat for 1-2 minutes till warm.

    Can I freeze them?

    Yes, you can freeze these cheese balls before you air fry them. Prep them as directed and then flash freeze them. Once the breading is frozen, place the frozen mozzarella balls in a freezer bag and freeze for 2-3 months.

    Why I love making Mozzarella Balls at home in Air fryer?

    • Home-made Mozzarella Balls are easy and use only few ingredients. Whereas market bought frozen ones or restaurant ones either have tons of additives or bad re-used oil.
    • The best part is that you can prep these in advance and freeze these. And then air fry as needed.
    • Since these are air-fried, you can eat these guilt-free.
    • You can use mozzarella sticks or mozzarella balls for these, as available.
    • You can season these to your desire. Flavor these fried cheese balls simple or heavy.

    What are the ingredients of Fried Mozzarella Balls?

    To make Mozzarella Balls, you need only handful ingredients. Also, you can use the same ingredients to make Mozzarella Sticks.
    Mozzarella Balls - Although I normally buy the box of seasoned mozzarella balls from Costco, but you can pick these up from your local grocery store as well. And if you can not find any, then you can use mozzarella sticks cut into 3-4 pieces.
    All Purpose Flour - It helps locking the mozzarella balls in its shell and help air frying without leaking or exploding.
    Cornflour - Mixed with all purpose flour, cornflour makes a secure coating.
    Panko Breadcrumbs - These breadcrumbs add the required crispiness to the mozzarella balls. Although I use the panko ones, but you can use any kind of breadcrumbs that you like.
    Italian Seasoning - Adds subtle flavor to the fried cheese balls.
    Salt & Black Pepper
    Eggs

    Nutrition

    Serving: 8people | Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.004g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 357mg | Potassium: 103mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 64IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 286mg | Iron: 2mg