Air-Fryer Mozzarella Sticks

In a small skillet, toast the bread crumbs until lightly browned, one to two minutes. Put them in a shallow bowl, and let them cool completely.

Place the flour in a shallow bowl. In another bowl, beat the eggs and water. Add the Italian seasoning, garlic powder and pepper to the cooled bread crumbs, and stir to combine. Create an assembly line with the three bowls and the cheese sticks. Coat the cheese sticks with flour, then dip in the egg mixture, then coat with bread crumb mixture. Repeat the egg and bread crumb coatings one time with all the cheese sticks.

Cover the coated mozzarella sticks, and freeze for eight hours or overnight. Editor’s Tip: Don't skip the freezing part! You really want to freeze these completely before air-frying so they cook evenly. If they’re not frozen, the coating will fall right off. The sticks should feel dry to the touch, no moisture or sogginess at all.

Preheat your air fryer to 400°F. Place the cheese sticks in a single layer on a greased tray in the air-fryer basket. Spritz evenly with cooking spray. Cook until golden brown and heated through, six to eight minutes, turning them halfway through the cooking time and spritzing with more cooking spray. Allow the mozzarella sticks to stand for three to five minutes before serving. Serve with marinara or pasta sauce for dipping. Test Kitchen Tip: In our testing, we find cook times vary dramatically between brands of air fryers. As a result, we give wider than normal ranges on suggested cook times. Begin checking at the first time listed, and adjust as needed.