Air Fryer Prosciutto Wrapped Mozzarella

This air fryer prosciutto wrapped mozzarella is one of those snacks that looks fancy but takes almost no effort to make. We’re talking crispy, salty prosciutto on the outside and warm, melty cheese on the inside.

It’s a great appetizer for a dinner party or just a fun snack for yourself on a weeknight. Either way, it comes together in minutes.

You only need a handful of ingredients to pull this off. Mozzarella string cheese, prosciutto, and a couple of finishing touches are all it takes.

The air fryer does most of the work here. It gets the prosciutto perfectly crispy without any deep frying or mess.

If you’re looking for something quick, tasty, and a little bit impressive – this is it. Let me show you how to make it.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

The Balsamic Glaze Takes It Up a Notch – A little drizzle of balsamic glaze adds a sweet and tangy flavor that pairs perfectly with the salty prosciutto and mild mozzarella. It turns a simple snack into something that feels fancy.

Ready in Minutes – Wrapping the cheese in prosciutto takes barely any effort, and the air fryer crisps everything up in just a few minutes. From start to finish, you are looking at under 15 minutes.

Perfectly Crispy Prosciutto Every Time – The air fryer is honestly the best way to get prosciutto super crispy without it burning. It wraps around the cheese and turns into this salty, crunchy shell that is absolutely addictive.

Melty Cheese on the Inside – While the prosciutto gets crispy on the outside, the mozzarella inside gets warm and gooey. That contrast between the crunch and the soft melty cheese is what makes this recipe so good.

Ingredients

• 6 Mozzarella String Cheese Sticks
• 6 slices Thin Prosciutto
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp Balsamic Glaze
• 1 tsp Fresh Thyme

How to Make

Step 1

Unwrap the mozzarella string cheese sticks and place them on a cutting board.

Step 2

Wrap one slice of thin prosciutto tightly in a spiral around each cheese stick, making sure the cheese is completely enclosed so it doesn’t leak out.

Step 3

Lightly brush the wrapped sticks with olive oil to help them crisp up.

Step 4

Place them in the air fryer basket in a single layer with space between them.

Step 5

Air fry at 390F for 4 to 5 minutes, keeping a close eye on them, until the prosciutto is crispy and the cheese is just soft.

Step 6

Drizzle with balsamic glaze and sprinkle with fresh thyme before serving.

Tips

Use Cold Cheese Sticks

Take the mozzarella sticks straight from the fridge right before you wrap them. Cold cheese holds its shape much better in the air fryer and gives you a little extra time before it starts to melt.

If you leave them sitting out on the counter while you prep everything else, they warm up and get soft. That means they’ll melt faster once the heat hits them, and you’ll end up with cheese leaking out through the prosciutto.

So keep them in the fridge until the very last moment, and work quickly once you take them out.

Get the Prosciutto Wrap Tight

When you spiral the prosciutto around the cheese stick, make sure each layer overlaps the one before it just a little bit. You don’t want any gaps where the cheese is exposed, because that’s exactly where it will start to leak out once it gets hot.

Pay extra attention to the two ends of the cheese stick. Those are the spots most people forget about, and they’re the first places the melted cheese will try to escape from. Tuck the prosciutto over the ends or pinch it together to seal them off.

If a slice of prosciutto isn’t long enough to cover the whole stick, just stretch it gently. Prosciutto is pretty flexible and you can pull it a bit without tearing it.

Use Thin-Sliced Prosciutto

This recipe specifically calls for thin prosciutto and that matters a lot. Thin slices crisp up quickly and evenly in the air fryer, which is exactly what you want since you’re only cooking these for about 4 to 5 minutes.

If you use thick-cut prosciutto, it won’t get crispy in that short time. You’d have to cook them longer, and by then the cheese inside will have completely melted and leaked out everywhere.

Most grocery stores sell prosciutto in thin slices in the deli section. If you’re buying it from the deli counter, just ask them to slice it thin.

Related Recipes

• Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers
• Air Fryer Brie & Cranberry Pastry Bites
• Air Fryer Caprese Chicken Breasts
• Air Fryer Crispy Ravioli with Marinara
• Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use regular mozzarella instead of string cheese sticks?

You can, but string cheese sticks are the best option here because they hold their shape much better in the air fryer. If you use a block of fresh mozzarella, it will melt faster and can leak out of the prosciutto.

If you only have block mozzarella, cut it into thick sticks about the same size as string cheese and make sure to freeze them for about 30 minutes before wrapping. That helps them hold up to the heat.