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My low carb keto mozzarella sticks air fryer recipe has only 1.4 grams of net carbs per serving! You’ll love these pork rind mozzarella sticks with their savory, crisp coating and warm, melty cheese centers. YUM! Keep reading to learn how to make keto mozzarella sticks with pork rinds. These are bready, delicious cheese sticks with no flour made of grains!
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Have you ever wondered how to make mozzarella sticks without breadcrumbs? Whether you are gluten free due to celiac disease or using a keto diet for weight loss, a lot of people are cutting back on wheat. Luckily, it’s extremely easy to make air fryer mozzarella sticks keto.
You might always want to make keto fried cheese sticks in the air fryer!
Just picture those warm and melty keto mozzarella cheese sticks with this low sodium marinara sauce. Pull one apart and admire the beautiful cheese pull. Ahhh…
Everyone will love this amazingly scrumptious keto appetizer. I know that we can’t get enough of them in my house!
🧀 Keto Mozzarella Sticks (Air Fryer) Ingredients
Let’s cover what you need to make this keto air fryer mozzarella sticks recipe! First up, you are going to need 5 low moisture, part skim refrigerated cheese sticks or string cheese sticks. I used Costco mozzarella sticks, but your favorite brand should work.
The other ingredients you’ll use in this recipe will be separated into three bowls. The mozzarella sticks will be dipped in the ingredients in each of the bowls twice. Here’s bowl one:
- ½ cup almond flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill super fine almond flour)
- ½ teaspoon salt
Here’s the second bowl:
- 2 large eggs
And here is bowl three:
- 1 cup pork panko (crushed pork rinds)
- 1 teaspoon each: garlic powder, dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon each: dried oregano, dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon each: dried thyme, dried rosemary
I also like to have some low carb marinara sauce on hand for dipping! I used Bacon Heir’s Pork Panko for this recipe. The only ingredients in this product are pork rinds (cooked in pork fat) and salt.
If you are looking for a keto substitute for bread crumbs, I cannot recommend this product enough. It makes really delicious keto breaded foods!
You can probably make this air fryer recipe work no matter what type of air fryer you have (Ninja Foodi, Power Air Fryer, Cosori air fryer, Philips air fryer, etc.). I use a Kalorik Air Fryer Oven to develop my air fryer recipes.
If your air fryer is smaller, you may need to make the keto mozzarella sticks in the air fryer in multiple batches. You may also need to adjust the cooking times.
Hot tip: Get a printable recipe card at the end of the post!
➕ How to Make Keto Mozzarella Sticks in Air Fryer
Here are the step-by-step instructions to air fry frozen mozzarella sticks:
- Start this recipe at least 3-4 hours before it’s time to eat. Your low carb mozzarella sticks need time to freeze. Start by cutting the 5 mozzarella sticks in half widthwise. You should now have 10 mini cheese sticks.
- Get out three medium-sized bowls. In the first bowl, stir together the almond flour and salt. In the second bowl, whisk together two large eggs.
- For bowl three, you should stir together the pork panko, garlic powder, and dried herbs (essentially a DIY Italian seasoning). There is no need to add additional salt to the pork panko- it is already very salty!
- Line a large baking tray with parchment paper. Now you’re ready to bread mozzarella sticks!
- Dip each mozzarella stick in the almond flour mixture, the egg, and then the pork panko mixture. Then go through the steps again, breading the coated mozzarella stick with another layer of almond flour, egg, and panko. Put the mozzarella sticks that have been coated twice on the lined baking tray in a single non-touching layer.
- Make sure that the cheese sticks are completely coated, with no cheese peeking through. I like to pat the pork panko mixture on with my hands, it helps it to stick better.
After all of the low carb keto cheese sticks are wearing their low carb breading, put the baking sheet into the freezer. Let the mozzarella sticks freeze for at least 2-4 hours before air frying. This step is important to help them cook properly without cheese oozing out!
⭐ Pork Rind Mozzarella Sticks Air Fryer Time and Temp
How long do you cook frozen mozzarella sticks in an air fryer? Air fryer frozen mozzarella sticks are baked for a total of 6-8 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200C). Start by preheating your air fryer for 5 minutes at 400F (200C). Keep the air fryer trays or air fryer basket in the air fryer so they get hot.
Once heated, carefully move a tray (or basket) from the air fryer. Place the frozen cheese sticks on the tray in a single, non-touching layer. I was able to fit them all on one tray.
Put the tray in the top rack position in the air fryer (closest to the heating element). Air fry for 3 minutes at 400F (200C). Then carefully flip the mozzarella sticks over and air fry them for an additional 3-5 minutes at 400F (200C).
Keto cheese sticks made in the air fryer will have a little give when they are done. You can give them a gentle squeeze if you’re unsure.
Be careful removing them from the air fryer- they are HOT! Let them cool 3-5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
💡 Tips for Air Frying Mozzarella Sticks
Everyone hates a messy, deflated mozzarella stick! Luckily, there are some simple things you can do to stop the cheese from melting out of the breading.
I used all of the following tips in this recipe. However, they can be applied to other cheese stick recipes as well. I picked up these tips from Food Network Magazine, and I think you’ll find them helpful:
- Bread your mozzarella sticks TWICE: Repeat the process of dipping your cheese sticks in the flour, egg mixture, and seasoned breading two times. The thick keto breading means your cheese can air fry until it is melty and oozy without leaking out.
- Freeze your low carb cheese sticks after breading: Don’t just pop your breaded cheese sticks in the air fryer! Freezing them first is another step you can take to prevent cheese from oozing out. This also makes it easier to air fry just the portion you need.
- Preheat the air fryer: Get your air fryer nice and hot before air frying mozzarella sticks. This will help the coating crisp and solidify faster, creating an enclosure for the cheese before it starts melting.
- Don’t overcook them: If you cook your air fryer mozzarella sticks for too long, they’ll eventually burst and deflate. This will leave you with pork rind shells and a cheesy mess in your air fryer. Prevent the mess and avoid overcooking your cheese sticks!
Dips for Mozzarella Sticks
IMVHO, the best dipping sauce for mozzarella sticks is warm marinara sauce. It’s a keto friendly, low calorie, lycopene-rich sauce option. Perhaps most importantly, it is a DELICIOUS complement to air fryer cheese sticks. Just perfect.
That said, you’re welcome to use another type of sauce for these gluten free mozzarella sticks if you would prefer. Here are a few options for you:
- BBQ sauce
- Hot sauce
- Ranch dressing
- Honey mustard sauce
How to reheat mozzarella sticks in air fryer?
For best results, I don’t recommend cooking more frozen mozzarella sticks than you are going to use. If you have leftover mozzarella sticks (cooked and refrigerated), try reheating them in a preheated air fryer at 400F (200C) for 1-2 minutes.
How do you make keto mozzarella sticks without pork rinds?
For vegetarian keto mozzarella sticks, try breading them with almond flour or coconut flour instead of pork panko. You’ll still need to coat them with the breading twice, just as I’ve done in this recipe.
How to make keto mozzarella sticks without almond flour?
To make keto mozzarella sticks no almond flour, substitute the almond flour in this recipe for coconut flour.
❓ How many carbs are in air fryer mozzarella sticks?
There are about 8g total carbs and 7g net carbs in cheese sticks (per Farm Rich cheese stick). To compare, these keto mozzarella sticks provide 1.4 grams of net carbs each. (Keep in mind though that you’re pretty likely to eat more than just one!)
Are mozzarella string cheese sticks keto?
Yes, plain mozzarella string cheese from the refrigerated section of the grocery store is naturally low carb. It is the breading on fried traditional mozzarella sticks that elevates the carb count.
Watch How to Make It!
Keto Mozzarella Sticks Air Fryer (Pork Rind Mozzarella Sticks)
Ingredients
- 5 mozzarella cheese sticks
- ½ cup almond flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup pork panko
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
Instructions
- Note: Start this recipe at least 3-4 hours before it’s time to eat. The low carb mozzarella sticks need time to freeze.Cut the mozzarella sticks in half widthwise. You should now have 10 mini cheese sticks.
- Get out three medium-sized bowls. In the first bowl, stir together the almond flour and salt. In the second bowl, whisk together the eggs. In bowl three, stir together the pork panko, garlic powder, parsley, oregano, basil, thyme, and rosemary. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Dip each mozzarella stick in the almond flour, the egg, and then the pork panko mixture (in that order). Then go through the steps again, breading the coated mozzarella stick with another layer of almond flour, egg, and panko.
- Make sure that the cheese sticks are completely coated, with no cheese peeking through. I like to pat the pork panko mixture on with my hands, it helps it to stick better.
- Put the mozzarella sticks that have been coated twice on the lined baking tray in a single non-touching layer. Freeze the tray of mozzarella sticks for 2-4 hours or more. Do not skip this step!
- Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 400°F (200°C). Keep the air fryer trays or air fryer basket in the air fryer so they get hot. Once heated, place the frozen cheese sticks on the tray in a single, non-touching layer. I was able to fit them all of the frozen breaded mozzarella sticks on one tray.
- Put the tray in the top rack position in the air fryer (closest to the heating element). Air fry for 3 minutes at 400°F (200°C). Then carefully flip the mozzarella sticks over and air fry them for an additional 3-5 minutes at 400°F (200°C). Let them cool 3-5 minutes before serving.
Equipment
Notes
💭 Expert Tips from Dietitian Summer Yule
This is a level 3 recipe (weight maintenance and active lifestyles). Why did I make a recipe that’s only 125 calories and 1.4 grams of net carbs level 3? That’s because I know it is pretty unrealistic to expect anyone will eat just one or two of these. (Truth time: I seriously snarfed like 4-5 of these and called it lunch. Haha) This recipe is very energy dense, high in fat from both the crushed pork rinds and the cheese. You’re not getting a good balance of macros from this recipe. Just because a recipe is keto does not automatically mean it is good for weight loss. If I had breaded these cheese sticks with whole grain breadcrumbs instead of pork panko, it would actually be lower calorie. You’d lose out on some protein, but gain a smidge of fiber from whole grains. So, does that mean cheese sticks breaded with whole grains are better? Honestly, not really. I know I could eat my weight in both keto and regular mozzarella sticks. Many find it difficult to eat an appropriately-sized portion of cheese when it is served in the form of cheese sticks. Something about the explosion of crispy, salty, melty, cheesy goodness makes this treat a difficult one to resist! That said, one of the things that is great about this tasty snack recipe is that the uncooked cheese sticks are stored in the freezer. You can make these low carb mozzarella sticks ahead, and only air fry what you need when you need them. This may help make portion control a teeny, tiny bit easier… maybe. 🙂 Nutrition information is for one serving without marinara sauce. Carbohydrates listed are net carbs (total carbs minus fiber). Nutrition information assumes only about half of the almond flour is used.
nutrition info disclaimer
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be inaccurate, so please don’t sweat the numbers too much.
“To taste” means to your preferences, which may have to be visual to follow food safety rules. Please don’t eat undercooked food x
Nutrition
👨🍳 More Keto Air Fryer Recipes
Do you love a good air fryer keto recipe? If so, I have some more very low carb air fryer recipes and sugar free recipes you may enjoy as well:
- Parmesan Crisps in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Chicken Schnitzel
- Air Fryer Radishes
- Keto Buffalo Wings in the Air Fryer
- Air Fried Chicken Leg Quarters
- Air Fryer Stuffed Burgers with Cheese
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Hello! I’m Summer, a registered dietitian and home chef who loves to cook, eat, and create recipes for you! Every recipe on this site has been tested by me to help ensure your success in the kitchen. All eaters are welcome here 🙂
No oil spray. ?
Hi William, pork panko is very high in fat, so you generally don’t need oil spray when you bread foods with it. It can make the pork panko too greasy/soggy.