CookDiaries

Skip the restaurant wait and make these easy, homemade cheese sticks right in your air fryer. Inspired by the giant Chili’s favorite, this simple recipe delivers a golden, extra-crunchy crust and an epic, molten cheese pull, finished with a spectacular buffalo hot honey drizzle.

Prep Time:15minutes mins
Cook Time:8minutes mins
Servings:10 sticks

Ingredients

• ▢1 block mozzarella or cheddar

Flour Container

• ▢1/2 cup plain flour

Breadcrumbs Seasoning

• ▢1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
• ▢1 tbsp all-purpose blend spice
• ▢1/2 tbsp Italian herbs mix

Egg Mix

• ▢4 eggs
• ▢1 tsp smoked paprika

Sauce

• ▢2 Tbsp butter
• ▢1/2 cup honey
• ▢1 tbsp Frank’s hot sauce
• ▢1/4 tsp garlic powder
• ▢1/2 tsp chicken salt
• ▢1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• ▢1/8 tsp black pepper

Instructions 

• Cut the block of mozzarella into 1/2 inch slices.

Coating Station

• Prepare 3 separate containers: Flour, eggs and breadcrumbs.
• Add all-purpose blend spices and Italian herbs to the breadcrumbs, and mix.
• Add smoked paprika to the eggs and mix.
• Coat each mozzarella piece: First in flour, Then in egg and Finish with breadcrumbs

Repeat the coating process one more time (double coating) to prevent the cheese from coming out when cooking. Repeat with all mozzarella pieces.

• Place them on a tray in a single layer and freeze for at least 1 to 2 hours before cooking.

Cooking

• Place mozzarella sticks inside.
• Cook for about 8 minutes, until golden brown and the cheese inside is melted.

Sauce

While the mozzarella is cooking, prepare the sauce.

• Add all sauce ingredients to a saucepan over medium-low heat.
• Whisk continuously for 2 to 3 minutes until the butter is completely melted and the sauce becomes smooth, glossy, and sticky

Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly before drizzling.

To Finish

• Drizzle sauce over the mozzarella sticks or in a separate dip container.

Notes:

Making Ahead: This recipe is absolutely perfect for meal prep. In fact, because freezing the coated cheese is a mandatory step to keep them from exploding, you can easily double or triple the batch. Once the sticks are fully frozen on your baking sheet, just transfer them into a heavy-duty freezer bag. They will keep beautifully in your freezer for up to two months, ready to be air fried straight from frozen whenever a craving hits.

Storage: If you happen to have any leftover cooked sticks, let them cool down completely so the crust stays intact. Place them in an airtight container lined with a paper towel to absorb any extra moisture and store them in the fridge for up to three days.

Reheating: Never use a microwave to reheat your leftovers, or you will end up with a sad, soggy puddle of cheese.

• From the fridge: Pop the cooked sticks back into a preheated air fryer at 180°C for 3 to 5 minutes until the outside crisps back up and the center is warm.
• From the freezer (raw): Do not thaw them. Always air fry them straight from frozen at 200°C for exactly 8 minutes.

Keep an eye on the clock during the last 60 seconds of cooking. Because every air fryer model circulates heat a little differently, that sweet spot between a perfect, molten cheese pull and a total cheese explosion happens fast. The very second you see a tiny bubble of cheese start to peek through the crust of one stick, pull the basket out immediately, they are officially ready!

Nutrition

Calories: 206kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 251mg | Potassium: 112mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 371IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation