Got leftover mac and cheese sitting in the fridge? Turn it into these crispy Air Fryer Mac and Cheese Balls! With a crunchy seasoned breadcrumb coating and a creamy, cheesy centre, they’re an easy way to completely transform yesterday’s leftovers. Better yet, there’s no deep frying involved. Simply shape chilled mac and cheese into balls, coat them in breadcrumbs and let the air fryer crisp them until beautifully golden. They’re perfect as a party appetiser, game-day snack or whenever you’re craving something cheesy and comforting. In fact, leftover mac and cheese works particularly well for this recipe because chilling helps the cheese sauce firm up, making the mixture much easier to shape.
If you don’t already have leftovers: Make a batch of my Ultimate Best Mac & Cheese Recipe or Chipotle Jalapeno Mac & Cheese Recipe, refrigerate it until completely chilled, then come back to this recipe.
Why You’d Love This Air Fryer Mac and Cheese Balls Recipe
These Air Fried Mac & Cheese Balls are the perfect way to use up any leftovers mac & cheese and transforming them into a great appetiser or snack. Using the air fryer means you only need a light coating of oil to create that beautiful golden and crispy exterior, making it a somewhat heathier version compared to deep-fried mac & cheese balls. The recipe is super versatile and easy to customise. You can perk it up with jalapeños, chives, turkey rashers or other fillings. They are an easy finger food for parties, game days and gatherings. Furthermore, it’s a freezer-friendly recipe that’s perfect for batch cooking!
How to Make Mac and Cheese Balls in the Air Fryer
Ingredients You Need
- Leftover Mac & Cheese – cold leftover mac and cheese is ideal because the cheese sauce firms up in the fridge, helping the balls hold their shape. You can check out my Ultimate Best Mac & Cheese Recipe or Chipotle Jalapeno Mac & Cheese Recipe.
- Egg, Milk – creating the wet coating that helps the breadcrumbs stick.
- Breadcrumbs – either panko or golden breadcrumbs, or a mix of both. Read more in recipe notes.
- Garlic Powder, Paprika, Oregano – the seasonings
- Oil – for air frying
- Optional fillings: jalapenos, chives, cooked halal sausages, turkey rashers, etc., or mozzarella cube in the centre for an extra gooey cheese-pull!
Cooking Tips & Recipe Notes
- You’ll need an Air Fryer and a Silicone Food Brush for this recipe
- As mentioned, leftover mac & cheese would work well as the cheese sauce would solidify and make it easier to shape into balls.
- Golden breadcrumbs create an even, classic crunchy coating, while panko gives the mac and cheese balls a slightly coarser, extra-crispy texture. You can also combine the two.
- It is recommended to first preheat your air fryer before cooking. This ensures the food starts cooking straight away and helps the coating to crisp up nicely.
- Grease your air fryer basket and also brush oil over the mac & cheese balls when cooking. Again, this helps to create a crispy coating and adds a lovely golden colour to it.
- Do not overcrowd your air fryer and cook in batches if needed. This is to ensure even heat circulation to cook the food.
- You can serve this with any dipping sauce of your choice!
How to Stop Mac and Cheese Balls From Falling Apart
- Start with Cold Mac & Cheese – warm or freshly made mac & cheese is much softer and more difficult to shape.
- Firm Them Up in the Freezer – the 15-minute freeze helps the balls retain their shape once they hit the hot air fryer.
- Make Sure They’re Fully Coated – any large gaps in the breadcrumb coating give the soft cheese mixture somewhere to escape.
- Don’t Overcrowd the Air Fryer – leave space around each ball so that hot air can circulate more evenly and crisp the coating.
Browse for More Easy Air Fryer Recipes
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Air Fryer Mac & Cheese Balls
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 2 cups Leftover Mac & Cheese chilled
- 1 large Egg beaten
- 1 tbsp Milk
- 1 cup Golden Breadcrumbs
- 1½ tsp Oregano
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
Optional fillings:
- Chives chopped
- Jalapenos sliced
- Turkey Rashers / Sausages finely diced
Instructions
- If using, mix your filling(s) with the leftover mac & cheese.
- Scoop roughly a tablespoon of the mac & cheese and roll into the shape of a ball. Put in the freezer for 15 minutes so that they can firm up better.
- In the meantime, mix together golden breadcrumbs with garlic powder, paprika and dried oregano.
- In a separate bowl, mix the beaten egg with a tbsp of milk.
- Dip each mac & cheese ball into beaten eggs and then roll them in the seasoned breadcrumbs mixture until fully coated.
- Preheat your air fryer to 180°C / 350°F.
- Briefly grease your air fryer basket and place the mac & cheese balls into it. Do not overcrowd and cook in batches if needed. Cook for 8 minutes.
- Then shake up the basket a little, spray some oil/brush a little bit more oil on the basket, and pop it back in to cook for another 4-5 minutes until golden. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Leftover mac & cheese works better than freshly made mac & cheese because the cheese sauce would have solidified when chilled as leftovers, which makes it easier to shape it into balls.
- Freezing before cooking helps to further solidify and firm up the mac & cheese balls, preventing them from falling apart.
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