Air Fryer Cheese Curds

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 3 large eggs

• 2 cups panko bread crumbs

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 8 ounces North Country Cheese Curds

• Cooking spray

• Dipping Sauces: marinara sauce and ranch salad dressing

Instructions

1. Heat air fryer to 350˚F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with waxed paper.

2. Place flour in a medium, shallow bowl. Lightly beat eggs in separate medium, shallow bowl. Combine the bread crumbs, garlic powder and cayenne pepper in another medium, shallow bowl.

3. Dredge cheese curds, a few at a time, in flour. Then dip in eggs; coat with crumb mixture, shaking off any excess coating between steps. Place coated curds on prepared pan.

4. Lightly spritz curds with cooking spray just before placing into air fryer basket. Arrange curds in a single layer in the basket. Refrigerate remaining curds until frying.

5. Set timer for 5-7 minutes. Fry curds, removing basket at 3 minutes; flip curds. Cook 2-4 minutes longer or until light brown, crispy and the curds begin to melt. Repeat with remaining curds, starting with a light spritz of cooking spray.

6. Serve in a bowl or parchment-lined basket with dipping sauces.

Recipe Tips

• Season the bread crumbs. Customize flavor of the curds with your favorite seasonings.

• Select similar sized curds. Frying similar sized curds at the same time ensures that they melt and brown evenly.

• Fry curds in a single layer. Limiting the number of curds in the fryer at a time to a single layer yields a crispier coating.

• Monitor the cooking temperature and timing. Since air fryers vary by manufacturer, it’s best to take care while cooking curds, adjust temperature and cook time as needed based on how the curds are browning and melting.