Find a rimmed baking sheet that will fit in your freezer. Line it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
In a shallow bowl mix the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, Pinch of salt and black pepper
Break the eggs in a separate bowl and whisk them together. Add the flour to 3rd shallow bowl.
2 large eggs, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Cut the mozzarella sticks in half so they are easier to handle.
8 Mozzarella cheese strings
Dip a mozzarella stick in flour, the egg mixture, and the bread crumb mixture. Then dip it back in the eggs and the breadcrumbs again so the cheese stick is coated in breading.
Lay the coated stick on the lined baking sheet. Coat the rest of the cheesesticks.
Freeze the prepared sticks for at least an hour. Don't try to skip this step!
Preheat air fryer at 400 degrees F for 3 minutes.
Take the frozen mozzarella sticks out and spray them lightly with cooking oil. Put them in a single layer in the air fryer and cook them at 400 F for 6 minutes.
Spray oil
Let them sit for a few minutes before eating so you don't burn your mouth. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. Marinara sauce or ranch dressing are classics, but pick whatever you like best.
Notes
Freezing the cheese sticks before baking them is essential. If you skip this step, the cheese will melt too quickly, resulting in a big mess.
If you don't have seasoned breadcrumbs add a teaspoon of Italian seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder to unseasoned breadcrumbs.
Don't use commercial spray oil to coat the mozzarella sticks. The additives can damage the nonstick finish of the air fryer basket. Buy a cheap spray bottle and fill it with vegetable oil.