How To Reheat Mozzarella Sticks – The 3 Best Ways

What is the best appetizer that you can serve with chicken wings, meatballs, nachos, and loaded potatoes? Mozzarella sticks are versatile appetizers that everyone loves to have throughout the day. 

This is why throwing away leftovers would be a terrible decision. You can reheat mozzarella sticks and serve them with your favorite dip or sauce. 

What is the best way to reheat mozzarella sticks? The best way to reheat mozzarella sticks is to use the air fryer because it keeps the crust crispy. You can also use an oven or a toaster oven. The microwave should be avoided unless there’s no other option. 

The Best Ways to Reheat Mozzarella Sticks

Mozzarella sticks can be stored in the fridge for a week and can last between 6 and 12 months in the freezer.

Please be aware that reheating fried food like mozzarella sticks can be tricky because they might turn soggy if you don’t follow the right steps. 

To enjoy crispy mozzarella sticks one more time, let them cool down, then store them in a sealed container. If you don’t want to consume them within a week, you should freeze them in a vacuum-sealed bag. 

There are several methods that you can use to reheat mozzarella sticks, but the best one depends on the appliances you have in your kitchen. So if you have an air fryer or a microwave with an air fryer, you can definitely use it to reheat mozzarella sticks even if they’re frozen. 

However, if you don’t have an air fryer, you can reheat them in the oven until they’re hot on the inside and crispy on the outside. We recommend that you only reheat mozzarella sticks in the microwave when there is no other option. 

The most important thing is to follow the right steps. This is why we prepared this detailed step-by-step guide to help you enjoy delicious mozzarella sticks whenever you like. 

How to Reheat Mozzarella Sticks in the Air Fryer

The air fryer is actually the best way to reheat mozzarella sticks as well as other popular fried foods like fish and chips, calamari, and onion rings. Mozzarella sticks are deep-fried or cooked in the air fryer in the first place, so heating them in the air fryer won’t alter their taste or look.

We love the air fryer because it delivers the crispiness of deep frying with a tiny bit of oil, so you don’t have to consume extra fats. 

The hot air thaws the mozzarella sticks from the inside out without overcooking them. It melts the cheese until it oozes out for the best taste. 

In addition to that, using the air fryer is one of the best ways to reheating precooked mozzarella sticks because it’s fast. The hot air will keep the crust crunchy and golden. 

Here are the steps to reheat mozzarella sticks in the air fryer.

1. Preheat the air fryer to 400⁰F.
2. Arrange the mozzarella sticks on the tray without placing them on top of each other. 
3. Allow them to heat for up to 8 minutes or until the cheese has melted. 
4. Keep them on one side for 4 minutes, then flip them to the other.

This method works with frozen mozzarella sticks because the hot air thaws them from the inside out. At the same time, it prevents them from getting soggy. 

How to Reheat Mozzarella Sticks in Oven

The oven keeps leftover mozzarella sticks tasty and crunchy on the outside, just like the fresh ones. The cheese melts on the inside while the crust remains crispy. 

This is one of our most favorite reheating methods because you don’t need any preparation. At the same time, the results are satisfactory. In fact, the oven is the go-to method to reheat most foods, from meat to bread and even pasta. 

The hot air circulates to reheat frozen mozzarella sticks evenly, so they won’t burn or become soggy. And the best thing about this method is that all you need is a cookie sheet and some time. 

A convection oven will deliver amazing results as the fan in the oven guarantees better hot air distribution. However, a standard oven will also work. You can even use a toaster oven to reheat your mozzarella sticks. 

If you have frozen fried mozzarella sticks, let them thaw before reheating them. You can keep them in the fridge for one day until they have melted a little bit. 

After that, toss them inside, and they will quickly warm up to the perfect texture. This method also works if you want to reheat baked mozzarella sticks because you don’t have to add extra oil. 

Here are the steps to reheat mozzarella sticks in the oven.

1. Preheat your oven to 350⁰F. If you need to reheat frozen mozzarella sticks, you will have to preheat your oven to 450⁰F.
2. Get a cookie sheet and arrange your mozzarella sticks. Make sure to leave some space between them.
3. Heat your mozzarella sticks for about 10 minutes (20 minutes if frozen). Halfway through the reheating, flip them on the other side to make sure that they are heated evenly on all sides. 
4. Turn on the broiler for a minute or two to restore the crunchiness of the crust. 

While this is an easy way to reheating mozzarella sticks, it’s a time-consuming process that might not work for you if you’re in a hurry. 

You have to check the sticks to make sure that they have reached the right temperature. If you reheat frozen mozzarella sticks without letting them thaw first, you might end up with cold spots in the middle that ruin the taste of this amazing dish. 

How to Reheat Mozzarella Sticks in the Microwave

Although we don’t recommend using the microwave to reheat fried mozzarella sticks, it’s a fast and powerful way when you’re in a hurry. 

If you need to reheat leftover mozzarella sticks from the day before at the office or need to enjoy a quick appetizer with your fried chicken, the microwave will be the best option. 

Frozen mozzarella sticks have to be thawed using the defrost option before reheating them. It produces enough heat output to thaw them without overcooking them. When you overcook the mozzarella sticks, the crust can burn, which will ruin the taste of this amazing snack. 

If you don’t have a defrost option, keep them in the fridge until they melt before using the microwave to reheat them.

Things can become a little easier with a modern microwave with a reheat button. This option releases a lower heat output than regular cooking, so it reheats your mozzarella cheese sticks without burning them. 

In some cases, you might have a high-quality microwave with a preset setting that cooks and reheats mozzarella sticks. This will produce just the right amount of heat to guarantee the perfect texture and taste of your leftover mozzarella sticks. 

However, with an older microwave, you might not have access to these modern settings and options. This, however, doesn’t mean that you can’t microwave frozen mozzarella sticks. You just need to be careful with the way you adjust your appliance. 

To guarantee slightly better results, you can spray your previously cooked mozzarella sticks with some vegetable oil to keep the crust crunchy. 

Here are the steps to reheat mozzarella sticks in the microwave. 

1. Arrange your mozzarella sticks in a microwave-safe dish.
2. Activate the defrost option if your mozzarella sticks are frozen. If you don’t have this option, choose a low heat setting and activate the timer for 5 minutes.
3. Choose the reheat option on your microwave’s menu. If there’s a preset menu setting for preparing mozzarella sticks, you can use that too.
4. If you have an older microwave with no reheat option or a preset setting for cheese sticks, set the cook option to medium heat and activate the timer for 3 minutes. After two minutes, turn them to the other side to make sure that they’re evenly heated. 

Although microwave is a great addition to any kitchen, reheating fried food in the microwave isn’t the best idea. Food tends to become soggy because the heat doesn’t remove the moisture. A microwave works best to reheat baked casseroles and other dishes.

Moreover, adding more oil can make your cheese sticks too oily. However, if you’re in a hurry or need to reheat cheese sticks in your dorm or office, the microwave might be the only option. 

Can You Reheat Mozzarella Sticks?

Of course, you can! You should never throw away leftover mozzarella sticks because if you store them properly, they will taste amazing once reheated. 

The best and fastest way to reheat mozzarella sticks is the air fryer. It’s just as good as deep-frying them without having to use extra oil. The inside becomes moist and juicy while the crust remains crunchy. 

You can also reheat using the oven if you don’t have an air fryer. This method takes more time, but the results are outstanding. 

Reheating leftover mozzarella sticks in the microwave should be your last option. We recommend that you go for this method only when you’re in a hurry or reheating them to enjoy a tasty snack in your dorm room or office. 

Whatever method you choose, enjoying tasty mozzarella sticks starts with proper storage. Make sure that they are kept away from air and moisture to maintain their crispiness.