Air Fryer Cheese Curds

Learn how to make crispy and delicious fried cheese curds with this easy recipe using your at home air fryer.

I am no stranger to the glorious wonders that are cheese curds.

While these hale from the land of cheese (aka Wisconsin), I have had my fair share over my lifetime as they are often available here in the Chicago area as a popular pub menu item and found at state fairs.

If you remember the nursey rhyme about curds and whey, then you have some base understanding of what a cheese curd actually is.

In fact, cheese curds are truly just unaged cheddar cheese made from cheese culture during the beginning stages of the cheese making process.

These fresh curds are great for coating in bread crumbs or pork panko crumbs (for my keto followers), temporarily frozen, then air fried to perfection (I did something similar here with these smoked dill pickled brined pork chops).

The overall assembly and cooking process for this recipe is honestly really simple. This is a super easy way to indulge in this Midwest classic.

Below, I have outlined the best way to help you substitute ingredients to fit your dietary lifestyle, tips for preparation, and will guide you through the air frying process as well. Let’s dive in!

“School” Supplies:

• 3 Shallow Bowls or Dishes
• Small Baking Sheet or Plate
• Tongs
• Air Fryer (I use this Ninja Foodi Air Fryer)
• Parchment Paper

“Class” Notes:

Have questions about this air fryer cheese curd recipe or the cooking process? Need more in-depth information about this topic?

Use the notes in the article below to help guide you through or jump to the recipe and get to cooking!

Love this recipe or want to share some helpful feedback? Leave a rating and comment below to help other readers find success with this recipe.

Are Cheese Curds Keto?

Yes, cheese curds are a ketogenic diet friendly, zero carb food. The macros for one serving are 0 grams of carbs, 10 grams of fat, and 7 grams of protein.

They are the perfect cheese to snack on and help keep you full and satiated.

If you want to make a keto friendly or low carb fried cheese curds, you can coat them in pork rind bread crumbs and keto flour (as I’ve outlined below).

Ingredients:

• Cheese Curds- There are many types of cheese curd flavors on the market. I purchased mine from my local Aldi and found white cheddar and Cajun flavored. Large cheese curds work best for this recipe. Find them in the specialty cheese section at most grocery stores.
• Bread Crumb Mixture- For this recipe, you can use traditional panko bread crumbs, pork panko (keto/ gluten free), or a gluten free bread crumbs.
• All Purpose Flour or Keto /Gluten Free Flour (optional)- Flour acts as a binding agent for the egg wash to adhere to the cheese curds so you can fully coat them in the bread crumb mixture. Use standard flour, 1:1 gluten free flour, or a keto friendly flour sub here.
• Egg- Beaten eggs mixed with a little water act as a binder for the crumb coating.
• Seasonings- Flavor the crumb coating with your favorite seasonings. I like Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder , smoky paprika, and a little cayenne pepper for some heat. Don’t forget to add a little salt!
• Cooking Spray- I use a light spritz of cooking spray to help get the food a little crispier when cooking in the air fryer.

Fried Cheese Curd Preparation:

Start by making your breaded cheese curds. You will need to prep these about an hour (or more) ahead of time before you actually air fry. The curds will need to be frozen before air frying.

Why? Because cheese curds not frozen or only semi frozen are going to completely melt and not hold shape in the air fryer. Do not skip this step!

Place your curds aside and set up an assembly line of small bowls. In one small bowl, place flour mixture, then the egg wash, and then take your seasonings and combine panko bread crumbs together and set aside.

Dredge cheese curds by placing them in the first bowl with the flour coating, then in the second bowl with the egg wash, and then finally in the third bowl until you fully coat cheese curds in breading.

Shake off any excess coating for best results.

Place cheese curds onto a parchment paper rimmed baking sheet (or sub with aluminum foil to prevent sticking) and place your curds into the freezer for at least an hour to fully freeze or until you are ready to air fry.

What temperature do you air fry cheese curds at?

Heat the air fryer to 400 degrees F (make sure it’s set on the air fryer setting) and allow it to fully come up to the cooking temperature.

Remove your frozen cheese curds from the freezer (don’t allow them to sit out or come up to room temperature) and lightly spray them with olive oil spray or traditional oil of your choosing.

Place them in your air fryer basket in a single layer and begin to cook them.

Cooking your cheese curds at a higher temperature allows them to brown on the outside and thaw on the inside, giving them that classic deep fryer texture without them loosing shape.

Set a time for 8 minutes. Flip the curds half way through for even color or until they are golden brown and the perfect cooking time.

Serving:

Remove them from your air fryer tray and place your fried pieces of cheese onto a serving tray. Serve the curds with your favorite dipping sauce.

I love this sweet and spicy apricot BBQ sauce recipe and this delicious homemade BBQ ranch dressing too.

All that’s left to do is dip cheese curds in your favorite sauce and enjoy that signature “squeaky cheese” sound and enjoy!

If you love air fryer recipes, check out my favorites; Air Fried Salmon and this Air Fryer Pork Belly.