Cheese Balls In Air Fryer

Cheese balls make a perfect appetizer for a party, potluck, or just as a snack. They are very easy to make and thanks to the air fryer, they can be made oil-free.

These cheese balls are crusty on the top, soft and cheesy from the inside with a hint of spiciness.

Ingredients

Corn cheese balls require very few ingredients like potatoes, corn, cheese, and bread crumbs. You can add some serrano pepper to add some spiciness. If you are making them for kids then you can skip it.

I have used mozzarella cheese as it gives stretchiness to the cheese balls once broken. You can also replace some amount of it with cheddar, pepper jack, or a cheese of your choice.

Bread crumbs help to hold the shape of the cheese balls when they are air-fried. There are a variety of bread crumbs available like plain or seasoned. You can use any, I have used the plain bread crumbs in this recipe.

The bread crumbs may be large, you can make them fine using a blender. To roll the cheese balls in bread crumbs, a mixture of all-purpose flour and water is also prepared.

Frozen or fresh corn kernels can be used. Frozen corn kernels can simply be defrosted to room temperature before using it. It is best to steam fresh corn kernels for 2-3 minutes before using.

Instructions

To make corn cheese balls, an equal quantity of mashed boiled potatoes and cheese is used by weight.

Mix all the ingredients including mashed boiled potatoes, shredded mozzarella cheese, chopped serrano pepper, defrosted corn kernels, salt and a little amount of bread crumbs in a mixing bowl.

Now divide the mixture to make balls of an inch in size. Roll each piece in between your palms to make smooth balls. These balls are coated with bread crumbs so that they do not burst or stick while air frying.

Make a smooth slurry by mixing all-purpose flour and water in a ratio of 1:2 all-purpose flour to water. One by one dip each ball in the slurry ensuring it gets coated from all sides.

Now roll the ball in the bread crumbs and coat them evenly. These cheese balls are now ready to be deep-fried or air-fried.

Preheat the air fryer to 360 °F and place 6-8 balls (depending on the air fryer capacity) in the air fryer. It is a good idea to use an air fryer grill mat to place the balls on it.

There is ideally no need to spray any oil using but if you prefer you can lightly spray some oil using an oil sprayer before cooking. Cook the corn cheese balls in the air fryer for 5 minutes.

The cheese balls will be cooked when they are slightly golden brown and you may also see some melted cheese trying to come out of them. Do not overcook them else more cheese will ooze out of them.

Serving suggestions

Corn cheese balls are a perfect appetizer and are enjoyed by kids and adults alike. They are best served hot with some tomato ketchup, popular Indian chutney - green chutney, and some chili sauce.

Storage

You can make corn cheese balls ahead of time by rolling them in the bread crumbs and optionally refrigerating them for 3-4 hours. You can air fry them just before you are ready to serve. If they are refrigerated, it will take a minute or two more for air frying.

Cheese balls also freeze well. Coat them with the bread crumbs and freeze them by placing parchment paper in between them.

To cook frozen cheese balls in an air fryer, first, partially defrost them in the microwave, and then air fry them. It is best to spray some oil when you are air frying the frozen cheese balls.

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