Just realized my air fryer can make a total mess with the wrong kind of cheese

I was at home last Friday trying to make a quick snack of mozzarella sticks. I followed a recipe I saw online, coated them in breadcrumbs, and set the air fryer to 400 degrees for 8 minutes. About 4 minutes in, I heard a weird sizzling sound and saw smoke coming out. I opened the basket and found melted cheese had dripped through the grate, pooled at the bottom, and started burning. My whole apartment in Denver smelled like burnt dairy for hours. I had to unplug the thing and let it cool completely before I could scrape out the hardened, blackened cheese goo. It took me over 30 minutes to clean. Has anyone else had cheese disasters, and is there a specific type that works better for air frying without leaking everywhere?

2 comments

2 Comments

elliots2313h ago

Oh man, I feel your pain. I tried air frying some fresh mozzarella for a caprese-style thing and it just turned into a complete leaky mess. The whole bottom of the basket was coated in a burnt cheese lake. I’ve found that drier, harder cheeses work way better. Something like halloumi or even just a block of cheddar you cut yourself doesn’t melt as fast. The pre-breaded frozen stuff is usually okay too because it’s sealed better.

hannah34110h ago

My halloumi experiment last month ended with a cheese brick fused to the tray. I had to soak the whole basket in hot soapy water for an hour to get it off. Hard cheeses are definitely the way to go for no-melt cooking.