Hot Cheeto Cheese Sticks

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Hot Cheeto Cheese Sticks gives a mild-flavored mozzarella stick a spicy-coated kick! Perfect for game day gatherings, tailgates, and parties.

Prep Time15

Cook Time5

Freeze Time50

Total Time1 10

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 83kcal

Author: Jennifer Fishkind

Ingredients

8.5 ounces bag Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Crunchy crushed into fine crumbs (approximately 3 cups)
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
4 large eggs room temperature
1 tablespoon water room temperature
12 (1 ounce) mozzarella string cheese sticks cut in half
Olive oil cooking spray

Garnish

¼-½ cup bottled ranch dressing

Instructions

To a food processor, add the crunchy Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, and pulse for 30-60 seconds or until you have very fine crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a medium sized dish suitable for dipping, and coating, the cheese sticks. Set aside.
8.5 ounces bag Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Crunchy
To a second medium sized dish combine together the all-purpose flour and salt. Set aside.
¾ cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt
In a third medium sized dish whisk together the eggs and water. Set aside.
4 large eggs, 1 tablespoon water
Once you have your dredging station ready (the Cheeto crumbs, flour and egg dishes) place a medium rimmed baking sheet, lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat, next to the other dishes. You will need to have all your coatings ready before you start coating the cheese sticks.
Place a single cheese stick half into the egg wash and coat it completely. Using a fork, lift the cheese stick out of the egg and place it into the flour mixture to coat it completely with the flour. Return it back to the egg, coat completely then lift out of the egg again with a fork and allow any excess egg to drip back into the bowl.
12 (1 ounce) mozzarella string cheese sticks
Place the egg and flour coated cheese stick into the Flamin’ Hot Cheeto crumbs and gently roll to evenly coat the cheese stick in the crumbs. Remove from the crumbs and place onto the prepared baking tray.
Repeat steps 5 and 6 until all the cheese sticks are coated and placed onto the tray. Place the tray of Hot Cheeto Cheese Sticks into the freezer for 50 minutes. The cheese sticks need to be frozen for best air frying results.
Once the cheese sticks are frozen, remove them from the freezer and lightly spray them with olive oil cooking spray on both sides.
Olive oil cooking spray
Preheat an airfryer to 390* F for 5 minutes.
Place 10 cheese sticks into the basket of the preheated airfryer, being sure to leave space between each cheese stick, and fry for 5-7 minutes or until hot and crunchy. Transfer to a plate and air fry the remaining cheese sticks.
Remove the Hot Cheeto cheese sticks from the air fryer and place them onto a serving plate with a side of ranch sauce for dipping when served.
¼-½ cup bottled ranch dressing

Notes

Storage:

If you are not serving your sticks right away, you can prep them in advance and freeze them uncooked with the coating before cooking them. You can make a double batch and serve some now and store the rest in the freezer for up to 2 months. You can then air fry the desired amount you want when you are ready to eat or serve them. It is best to allow the coated cheese sticks to freeze on the baking tray, in a single layer, until completely frozen before transferring them to an airtight container for longer storage.

Tips:

Create The Coating: For the most even coating of hot Cheetos, make sure to crush them into as fine of a crumb as possible. A food processor, or high powered blender, works best.
Freeze Before You Fry: Freeze the cheese sticks for at least 30 minutes before air frying to help them hold their shape while cooking and keep them from overheating and leaking.
Reduce The Recipe: If you are only serving 1-2 people, you can cut this recipe in half, or you can just air fry a smaller amount of cheese sticks. Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer until you're ready to eat.
Adjust Accordingly: A COSORI 6.8 quart Air Fryer was used to develop this recipe. You may need to adjust your fry time change or the number of hot Cheeto cheese sticks you can fit in the air fryer at a single time, depending on the brand of air fryer you use.

Nutrition