Description
These Low FODMAP Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks are a delicious, kid-friendly low FODMAP appetizer, snack, or side dish you need at your next game day, super bowl, or holiday party! Keto, low carb, gluten-free, and grain-free. Please note: these low FODMAP mozzarella sticks are high in fat, which can be an additional symptom trigger for some people with IBS.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 8 sticks of mozzarella string cheese, cut in half
- 1/3 cup blanched almond flour
- 1/3 cup crushed pork rinds (a.k.a. pork panko*)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Low FODMAP Italian Seasoning (homemade or store-bought)
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt*
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic-infused olive oil
- Avocado oil cooking spray (or your cooking spray of choice)
Dipping Sauce (Optional):
- 1/2 cup of Low FODMAP Pizza Sauce (or your preferred dipping sauce)
Instructions
- Prepare baking sheet: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Prepare dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, crushed pork rinds, Italian seasoning, and salt until combined.
- Prepare wet ingredients: In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together egg and garlic-infused olive oil until combined.
- Bread mozzarella sticks: Designate your left hand as your “egg bowl hand” and your right hand as your “breading bowl hand.” Using your “egg bowl hand,” dredge a piece of mozzarella in egg. Once coated, lift the stick and allow as much excess egg to drip back into the bowl as possible. Then, drop the coated stick into the breading bowl, and using your “breading bowl hand,” bury the stick in breading until lightly coated, lifting it up and shaking off the excess breading. Drop the stick back into the egg bowl, using your “egg bowl hand” to dredge it again in egg. Drop it back into the breading bowl, using your “breading bowl hand” to bury it in breading until coated, ensuring there are no bare spots. Place breaded mozzarella stick on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all the mozzarella sticks are breaded.
- Freeze: Place baking sheet in the freezer and freeze a minimum of two hours. Optional: transfer frozen sticks to a large, zip top freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Prepare dipping sauce (optional): if using it for dipping, about a half hour prior to cooking the mozzarella sticks (while they're still freezing), prepare my Low FODMAP Pizza Sauce. You will only need up to half of it for these mozzarella sticks, so save the other half for a future batch mozzarella sticks or to make my Low FODMAP Keto "Meatza" (Pizza with a Meat Crust).
- Air fry: Once ready to cook, if your air fryer doesn’t have an internal preheat function, preheat air fryer for 10 minutes at 400°F. If using an Instant Pot Vortex Plus 10-quart Air Fryer (what I use), place the drip tray in the bottom of the air fryer and close the door. Hit the “Air Fry” button, set the temperature to 400°F, the timer to 4 minutes, and press "Start." The Vortex will start preheating. During the preheat, place the mozzarella sticks on one of the cooking trays so they are not touching and spray the tops lightly with cooking spray.
- Once prompted to “Add food,” set the tray with the mozzarella sticks on the center rung and close the door. Air fry for 4 minutes,* gently flipping with tongs and lightly spraying the other side with cooking spray once prompted to “Turn Food” or simply halfway through the cooking time. Remove promptly from the air fryer.
- Serve: Serve mozzarella sticks immediately, on their own or dipped in my homemade Low FODMAP Pizza Sauce. So good!
- Store: I suggest only cooking as many mozzarella sticks as you plan to consume as they do not keep well or reheat easily. Store precooked mozzarella sticks frozen in a zip top freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Equipment
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Instant Pot Vortex Plus 10-quart Air Fryer
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Buy Now → Notes
- Serving size: Low FODMAP in 4-stick servings for those who malabsorb lactose. I don’t have a problem tolerating lactose or fat and can consume up to 8 sticks in a single serving.
- Crushed pork rinds (a.k.a. pork panko) – while they haven’t been tested for FODMAPs, unflavored pork rinds are generally believed to be low FODMAP, although they are high in fat, which can be an additional symptom trigger for some people with IBS. It is possible to buy pork rinds / pork panko pre-crushed; however, I make my own with a food processor using whole pork rinds. About 1 1/3 cups of whole pork rinds equals 1/3 cup crushed. I would not recommend crushing by hand. See "How to Make Pork Panko" section above for more details and tips on making own pork panko.
- Salt - Some pork rinds are saltier than others. If the pork rinds you use are on the salty side, you may want to only add about ¼ teaspoon salt. I am a salt fiend and always add ½ teaspoon, even if my pork rinds are incredibly salty!
- Cooking times will vary by air fryer model. The best time to remove the mozzarella sticks is when you see the cheese for one or two just start to ooze through the breading.
- Nutritional information below does not include data for dipping in low FODMAP pizza sauce. See that recipe for its nutritional details.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Freezer time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
