Vent: My attempt at air fryer mozzarella sticks in my Chicago apartment turned into a cheesy lake disaster.

Honestly, I was following a recipe that said 400 degrees for 8 minutes, but the cheese completely erupted after 4, coating the basket and setting off my smoke alarm, so now I'm asking if anyone has a foolproof method for breaded cheese that actually stays inside the breading.

3 comments

3 Comments

jordan6533mo ago

Man, that takes me back. I tried making those once and ended up with the same cheesy flood. My whole kitchen smelled like burnt cheese and regret for two days. I wonder if freezing them solid first is the real key, like rock hard for an hour? Mine were just kinda cold from the fridge and it was a total meltdown.

craig.parker29d ago

370 is the sweet spot, you're right about that. I ruined a whole batch myself before I figured it out. The trick for me was actually freezing them overnight on a parchment-lined tray, not just touching each other. Then I pull them straight from the freezer, drop them in at 375, and flip them halfway through. @river_hart18 is dead on about the temp, 400 is just asking for a mess. I also found that blotting them dry with a paper towel before the freezer helps cut down on the moisture that causes the flood. Now it's just a little greasy slick on the pan instead of a cheese lake.

river_hart183mo ago

Yeah, @jordan653 is onto something with freezing, but an hour isn't enough. You gotta freeze them solid overnight, like a brick. That temp is way too high, too. I do 370 for maybe 10 minutes and check them.