Air Fryer Cheese Curds are oozing with hot air fried cheese! The breading is crispy and oh-so-delicous!
Homemade Cheese Curds
Air Fryer Cheese Curds are amazing! They’re so crispy on the outside but soft and tender on the inside, and the melted cheese is utterly incredible! If you have ever gone to a festival and ordered a batch of hot breaded cheese curds, you will so love these. In fact, they might just become your new favorite treat this year!
I love these air fried cheese curds, and they are much healthier than deep frying, which is a big bonus! You get all of the flavor and minimal oil thanks to the Air Fryer.
This cheese curds air fryer recipe makes a great appetizer for a dinner party, a tasty side dish for barbecues, or a snack for movie nights. They are so simple and easy to make, and they’re ready in about 20 minutes!
If you are looking for more Air Fryer Appetizer Recipes, some of my favorites are these AIR FRYER MOZZARELLA BITES, AIR FRYER BAKED BEAN BACON CUPS, AIR FRYER NAKED CHICKEN TENDERS, and these crispy AIR FRYER SWEET POTATO CHIPS.
Why You’ll Love This CheeseCurds Air Fryer Recipe
- Only 20 minutes + chilling time
- Flavorful breaded cheese curds
- Simple recipe
- Delicious
- Party favorite
What Are Cheese Curds?
They are actually just pieces of cheddar cheese that have not been aged; the curds are separated from the whey during the cheesemaking process.
They have a smooth, 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
Cheese Curds:
- Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese Curds
- All-Purpose Flour
- Bread Crumbs – I used Panko and Italian Bread Crumbs
- Eggs
- Minced Garlic and Garlic Powder
- Chili Powder – Mild or Hot depending on heat preference.
- Dried Basil
- Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
Chili-Garlic Ranch:
- Ranch Seasoning
- Sour Cream
- Heavy Cream
- Chili Garlic Hot Sauce – optional depending on heat preference.
- Black Pepper
How To Make Air Fryer Cheese Curds
Step 1: 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.
Step 2: Coat cheese curds in the breadcrumb mix
- Work in batches of 4-5 cheese curds at a time. First, add the cheese curds to the flour and toss until coated.
- Then, dip them in the eggs and allow the excess egg to drip off.
- Last, roll the cheese curds in the bread crumbs.
- Repeat the process until all cheese curds are dredged and breaded one time.
Step 3: Refrigerate the cheese curds OR add a second coating of breadcrumbs
- Place into the refrigerator for 45 minutes.
- If you cannot refrigerate the cheese curds before cooking, simply repeat the dredging process for a second coating. Refrigerating or double breading the cheese curds prevents the cheese from seeping out of the coating as it cooks. Of course, you can choose to double-coat the curds for an extra crunchy texture as well!
Step 4: Preheat the air fryer and cook
- 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 homemade cheese curds with cooking spray to lightly cover the breading.
- Place uncooked breaded curds back into the refrigerator as you cook each batch.
- Cook for 6 minutes in total, stopping halfway through this cooking time to flip them over to ensure they get evenly browned. (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.)
Step 5: Prepare the Chili-Garlic Ranch Dip
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the ranch seasoning, sour cream, heavy cream, pepper, and chili garlic hot sauce until fully combined.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Place air fried cheese curds in a bowl or on a platter and serve with ranch dip. Enjoy!
Recipe Variations
You can easily add different flavors to this cheese curds air fryer recipe by changing out some of the spices. Some of my favorites are:
- Cajun Seasoning or Cayenne Pepper in the bread crumb mixture
- Himalayan Salt
- Hot sauce in the egg mixture
Some Pro Tips
- If you have a hard time covering the curds with the panko breadcrumbs, use your hands to pat the curds down into the mixture.
- 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 in the air fryer basket. 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.
This is a great and easy way to make air fried cheese curds. To do this, 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 through the cooking time.
If you have any breaded cheese curds left over, let them cool to room temperature and then place them into an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Place the refrigerated cheese curds into the air fryer basket, then spray them with cooking spray. Set the temperature to 350 degrees F, air fryer setting, for 3 to 4 minutes, until warmed through.
You can use any air fryer! I have tried this on the GoWise, Ninja Foodi, Instant Pot Vortex, and Instant Pot Crisp Lid. The recipe works the same; just be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for cooking on your model.
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
Air Fryer Cheese Curds are oozing with hot air fried cheese! The breading is crispy and oh-so-delicous!
- 8 oz. Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese Curds
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 eggs whisked
- 1 tsp garlic minced in olive oil (from the can)
- 1 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 packet ranch seasoning
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp chili garlic hot sauce
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Prepare a dredging station for the cheese curds. In one bowl, combine all purpose flour and garlic powder. 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.
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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.
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Preheat the air fryer to 350 F, air fryer setting, for 5 minutes.
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Line the air fryer basket with foil and spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Remove breaded cheese curds from the fridge and place 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.
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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.
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Plate cheese curds in a bowl or on a platter and serve with ranch dip. Enjoy!
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