Air Fried Burrata With Jammy Tomatoes

Consider today's recipe the grown up version of mozzarella sticks with marinara sauce. We're taking a gooey ball of creamy burrata cheese, lightly coating it in a crunchy breading, air frying it until it's perfectly crisp and oozy, then serving it over oven roasted jammy tomatoes.

I KNOW!

First up, let's talk tomatoes. We're going to get the tomatoes going first, because they'll spend a good half hour in the oven getting nice and sweet and beautifully bursting at the seams. So, we'll start by tossing some cherry tomatoes with lots of garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Italian seasoning, and good ol' salt and pepper. Then we'll mix it all up, throw it in a casserole dish, and let it do it's thing in the oven until the tomatoes have burst and they start to thicken.

Next, let's talk burrata. Burrata cheese is an Italian cow's milk cheese that is basically a layer of mozzarella on the outside and stracciatella cream on the inside. It typically comes in a container with water or a brining solution to help it keep its shape and moisture, so we need to drain it and pat it dry before we're ready to give it its nice crispy coating.

To build our burrata dredging station, we'll start by mixing some all purpose flour seasoned with a little salt and pepper in one bowl, one really well beaten egg in a second bowl, and some panko breadcrumbs mixed with some more Italian seasoning and a little garlic powder in a third bowl. Then, we'll very carefully coat the cheese in flour, egg, and panko; then it gets a second trip in the egg and panko to make sure our gooey cheese is protected and ready for that high heat. Before we load it up in the air fryer for cooking, we'll pop it in the freezer for about 20 minutes so that our creamy cheese ball doesn't turn to goo the moment it hits the hot air fryer.

When it's time to cook the burrata ball, we're going to use a little cooking spray to help our breading get extra crispy and golden brown. Now because not all air fryers are created equal, we want to keep an eye on our little cheese babe while it's cooking. One minute too long, and it will potentially start melting out in the air fryer. And honestly, it's not the worst thing that could happen. We're going to break it open and devour it within seconds of it finishing cooking anyway, but it does get a little messy if it bursts in the air fryer. So, start checking on it at the lowest cooking time, and watch for it to just become lightly golden.

Once our burrata and tomatoes are finished cooking, assembly is as easy as transferring the tomatoes (without the extra liquid they extracted while cooking) to a serving dish, and laying that gooey ball of cheese right on top. Serve it with some crusty bread or be a little savage and dig right in with a spoon. Either way, this appetizer is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

This air fried burrata is everything that's great about food. We have multiple textures with the crispy breading and gooey insides. We have a comforting bite that warms us from the inside out. And if I'm being honest, I don't even need the tomatoes in this recipe. Just give me the ball of cheese and let me have my way with it. However, the jammy tomatoes definitely give us just the amount of acidity we need to cut through the richness of the creamy cheese ball.

D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S-!!!

Ok, everyone. If this recipe doesn't convert you to “team air fryer”, I don't know what will! But, of course, I won't stop trying.

I can't wait to hear what you think! Enjoy, and let's eat!