The Fundamentals of Air Fryer Cheese Curds
Air fryer cheese curds are an incredibly fun and quintessentially Wisconsin treat. They're quick and easy to make with all of the mid-Western nostalgia. Although regardless of where you picked up the habit of cheese curds, they're a great snack to make. And hands down one of my favorites. I like to have them with a spicy ketchup, but they also pair incredibly well with Avocado Dip and anything that you would ordinarily eat with french fries or tater tots.
Equipment
- 3 Bowls
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 dozen cheese curds
- 1 c. flour
- 2 eggs whisked
- 1 ½ c. bread crumbs
- oil for coaking
Instructions
Breading
- It can help to place the cheese curds in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. This helps the cheese curds keep their shape and keep from melting too quickly during the frying process. It's optional and you can still make cheese curds without it! But, if you have trouble with them oozing out before they're done in the air fryer, freezing them for a short amount of time can help.
- Meanwhile, in 3 separate bowls, add the flour, whisked eggs, and bread crumbs.You can also flavor the bread crumbs with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and any other spices of choice. This is optional. There's usually enough salt in the cheese curds themselves not to have to add to them. But this is where you would add seasonings for a bit more of a kick!
- Dip the cheese curds into flour and turn over several times until they're lightly coated. I tend to do this about 4 or 5 cheese curds at a time.Larger cheese curds will fry better. Even smaller cheese curds that are stuck together will work. You don't need to separate them as long as they stay in their cluster throughout the breading process. Which cheese curds do tend to do! They don't have that powdery coating, like oftentimes happens with shredded cheese, to keep them from sticking together. So, cheese curds tend to stick together in one big pile of cheese in the bag. Keeping the smaller pieces of cheese stuck together helps immensely. As smaller curds don't fry as well.
- Tap the cheese curds slightly against the side of the bowl or otherwise shake off the excess flour and dip into the whisked eggs.
- Immediately move into the bread crumbs and turn the cheese curds or shake the bowl to cover.
- Then, put the cheese curds back into the egg wash and a second time into the bread crumbs.This is the key to making cheese curds at home. You need to double bread them! It can also help to gently squeeze the bread crumbs into the curds. If they aren't coated completely, the cheese will melt out during the frying process and you'll just be left with a shell of breading in the shape of cheese, without any actual cheese still left inside of it.So, don't skip this step! Double bread them! It will make the entire process easier in the end. Holding the cheese curds one at a time in the palm of your hand and squeezing gently can also help ensure that the breading is packed in enough to hold to the cheese.
Air Fry
- Spritz each of the cheese curds generously with olive oil and place in the air fryer basket.
- Cook at 390 degrees Fahrenheit for about 7 minutes.
- After the first 7 minutes, rotate the cheese curds and cook another 5-7 minutes at the same temperature, or until the breading reaches a lightly fried golden brown.If the breading isn't browning quickly enough, adding more oil will help.
- Serve immediately.I like to put some ketchup, hot sauce, and a few extra cheese curds into a heat-safe container and toss it into the air fryer for the last 3 minutes. That way it's heated, crispy, and ready to go at the same time as the cheese curds!