Set out three bowls. Place the flour in one bowl. Crack the eggs into the second bowl and whisk well. Then combine the Panko breadcrumbs, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, and half a teaspoon of black pepper in the third bowl. Mix well.
Preheat the air fryer to 350°F.
Remove the cheese curds from the refrigerator and dunk half of them and the flour, stirring to coat. Working in small batches, dunk a handful of floured cheese curds in the egg. Stir with a fork to make sure the cheese curds are well coated in egg and the moisture from the egg saturates the flour. (It’s helpful to let the cheese curds soak in the egg a bit.) Then roll the cheese curds in the prepared Panko breadcrumb mixture. Check each curd. If you see gaps in the breading, re-dunk in the egg and then back in the breadcrumbs. Set aside and repeat with the remaining first batch of cheese curds until half of them (8oz) are ready for the air fryer.
Spread the cheese curds in the air fryer basket in a single layer, making sure they do not touch. Spray thoroughly with oil spray. Then air fry for 4 to 6 minutes, until golden and crispy. It’s very likely that some of the air fryer cheese curds will leak if the coating is thin, so after the first batch, bread the second batch a little thicker if needed.
Serve hot as- is, or with a side of blue cheese dressing, ranch dressing, or marinara sauce.
Notes
Want to spice up your cheese curds? Consider adding smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, or even crushed red pepper to the breadcrumbs.Fried cheese is best to enjoy shortly after cooking. But leftovers will keep well for up to 2 or 3 days. Let them cool completely before transferring to an airtight container and placing in the fridge.