Air Fryer Cheese Curds

Air Fryer Cheese Curds is amazing! If you have ever gone to a festival and ordered a batch of hot Cheese Curds, you will so love these, and they might just become the best summer treat!

I love these. They’re so crispy on the outside but soft and tender on the inside, and the melted cheese–oh so good!

This is such a healthy option to prepare these with hardly any oil, and you get all of the flavor and none of the fat, thanks to the Air Fryer! Amazingly Delicious!

If you are looking for even more Air Fryer Appetizer Recipes, some of my favorites are AIR FRYER MOZZARELLA BITES, AIR FRYER BAKED BEAN BACON CUPS, AIR FRYER NAKED CHICKEN TENDERS, and AIR FRYER SWEET POTATO CHIPS.

What Are Cheese Curds?

If you are not from Wisconsin, you probably never heard of these before, although they’re popular at State Fairs and other events.

They are actually just pieces of cheddar cheese that have not been aged at all. The curds are separated from the whey during the cheesemaking process.

They are very distributed by the mild flavor and are usually breaded. Sometimes, depending on where you purchase them, they are served on top of Poutine.

Ingredients In Air Fryer Cheese Curds

• Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese Curds
• All-Purpose Flour
• Garlic Powder
• Eggs
• Minced Garlic
• Panko Bread Crumbs
• Italian Bread Crumbs
• Kosher Salt
• Chili Powder
• Dried Basil
• Ranch Seasoning
• Sour Cream
• Heavy Cream
• Black Pepper
• Chili Garlic Hot Sauce

How To Make Air Fryer Cheese Curds

Prepare a dredging station for the cheese curds. In one bowl, combine all-purpose flour and garlic powder. Then, in a second bowl, whisk together the eggs and minced garlic. In the third bowl, combine panko bread crumbs, plain bread crumbs, salt, chili powder, black pepper, and basil. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to place cheese curds after they are dredged. 

Work in batches of 4-5 cheese curds at a time. First, add to the flour and toss until coated. Then, dip in the eggs and allow excess egg to drip off. Last, roll the cheese curds in the bread crumbs. Repeat until all cheese curds are dredged and breaded.

Place into the refrigerator until the air fryer is preheated. **We have found that double breading the cheese curds prevents the cheese from seeping out of the breading as it cooks. Simply repeat dredging in flour, eggs, then bread crumbs a second time. Skip repeating this step if you are able to refrigerate the breaded cheese curds for at least 45 minutes. 

Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F, air fryer setting, for 5 minutes.  Line the air fryer basket with foil and spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Remove breaded cheese curds from the fridge and place them into the basket in a single layer with a finger space in between. Spray the cheese curds with cooking spray to lightly saturate the breading. Cook for 6 minutes, stopping halfway through the cooking time to flip them over to promote even browning. **Depending on the size of your air fryer, this may take multiple batches. (We use an instant pot vortex and this recipe took 2 batches.) Place remaining curds back into the refrigerator as you cook.

While the cheese curds cook, prepare chili-garlic ranch. In a small mixing bowl, whisk to combine ranch seasoning, sour cream, heavy cream, pepper, and chili garlic hot sauce. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Plate cheese curds in a bowl or on a platter and serve with ranch dip. Enjoy!

Some Pro Tips

• If you have a hard time covering the curds with panko, use your hands to pat them down.
• Since every air fryer is slightly different, check on the Air Fryer Cheese Curds several times during the cooking process.
• Make sure that there is space around the curds. Otherwise, they will not crisp up. Remember, an air fryer works by circulating hot air around the food, cooking it perfectly. When you crowd the basket, the food will not cook up properly.

How Do You Cook Frozen Cheese Curds in an Air Fryer?

This is a great and easy way to make cheese curds. Place the frozen cheese curds into the air fryer basket.

Set the temperature to 400 degrees F, air fryer setting, and cook for about 4 to 8 minutes. Flipping halfway.

Recipe Variations

You can easily add even more flavor to this dish by changing out some of the spices. Some of my favorites are:

• Cajun Seasoning or Cayenne Pepper into the bread crumb mixture
• Himalayan Salt
• Hot sauce into the egg mixture

How To Store Cheese Curds

If you have any cheese curds leftover, let them cool to room temperature, and then place them into an airtight container.

Place the container into the refrigerator, where they will last for about 2 to 3 days. After that, dispose of the cheese curds.

How To Reheat Cheese Curds

Place the refrigerated cheese curds into the air fryer basket, spray them with cooking spray.

Set the temperature to 350 degrees F, air fryer setting, for 3 to 4 minutes, until warmed through.

What Air Fryer Can I Use With This Recipe?

You can use whatever air fryer you own, and I have tried this on the GoWise, Ninja Foodi, Instant Pot Vortex, and Instant Pot Crisp Lid. The recipe works the same.

More Air Fryer Appetizers

• AIR FRYER CHICKEN WINGS WITH BUFFALO SAUCE
• AIR FRYER MINI TACO BOWLS
• EASY AIR FRYER HARDEE’S BIG HOT HAM ‘N’ CHEESE
• AIR FRYER CANDIED PECANS

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