Mozzarella Sticks

Our love for mozzarella sticks runs deep. Whether served as an appetizer or a late-night snack, we’ll never say no to a satisfyingly cheesy stick with a side of marinara! Most of us reserve this crowd-pleasing appetizer for dining out, but learning to make homemade mozzarella sticks is fun and easy. This is surely an uncontested favorite for Super Bowl appetizers.

Even if you’re new to deep-frying, you can definitely master homemade fried mozzarella sticks, and this recipe will open the door to so many other deep-fryer recipes.

Ingredients for Mozzarella Sticks

• Block mozzarella cheese: Block mozzarella cheese has just the right amount of moisture to hold its shape while frying (with a little help from the fridge), but it still gets that gorgeous, stringy cheese pull. Stick with whole milk mozzarella for the best, richest flavor.
• All-purpose flour: No need for any fancy type of flour here. Regular all-purpose flour is all we need to get the egg wash to stick to the outside of the mozzarella.
• Eggs: Coating the mozzarella in an egg wash creates a thick-enough liquid coating to get the bread crumbs to stick.
• Bread crumbs: Our recipe uses two types of bread crumbs: fine and panko. Panko bread crumbs are much bigger and crispier than fine bread crumbs, adding a lot of nice texture. Having a mix ensures that the smaller bread crumbs protect the cheese from oozing out while frying.
• Seasonings: With all this cheese and breading, we need a few seasonings for some extra flavor. Italian seasoning and garlic powder are best for true restaurant-quality mozzarella sticks.
• Oil: Canola or vegetable oil is the best oil for frying mozzarella sticks. They have a neutral flavor and a high smoke point.

Directions

Step 1: Cut the mozzarella cheese into sticks

Using a sharp knife, cut the mozzarella cheese into 12 sticks that are 3 to 4 inches long and 1/2 inch thick on all sides.

Editor’s Tip: You can also make mozzarella sticks with string cheese. No cutting is required because they’re already the perfect size and shape. In testing, however, we found that cutting our own cheese sticks from a block yielded fried mozzarella sticks with a creamier, more gooey cheesy interior.

Step 2: Prep your breading station

Next, grab three shallow bowls and line them up in a row. In the first, whisk together the flour, salt and pepper. In the second, beat together the four eggs, and in the third bowl, combine the bread crumbs, panko, garlic and Italian seasoning.

Step 3: Dredge, dip and coat

Working with one cheese stick at a time, dredge the cheese through the flour to coat it on all sides (it helps the breading stick). Then, dunk it into the egg, making sure all sides (don’t forget the ends!) are moistened. Finally, roll, press and coat the cheese stick in the bread crumb mixture.

Step 4: Double dip

You’re not done yet! Dip the bread crumb-coated cheese back into the egg for a second time, followed by another layer of the panko mixture. Press and mold the bread crumbs as you work, ensuring no cheese is left exposed. Place the breaded cheese onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, then repeat this process with the rest of the cheese sticks until all are evenly coated.

Editor’s Tip: Don’t skip the second dip! It’s our secret trick to making homemade mozzarella sticks with a perfect, crunchy coating that prevents any cheese from leaking out while frying.

Step 5: Chill

Transfer the sheet pan to the refrigerator and allow the cheese sticks to chill for 10 to 15 minutes. For extra security, you could freeze them instead, but don’t leave them in the freezer for more than 30 minutes.

Editor’s Tip: Chilling the mozzarella sticks before frying gives the breading a chance to set. The egg hydrates the flour and bread crumbs, which helps create a tight seal around the cheese to prevent any leakage during frying.

Step 6: Fry until golden

While the mozzarella sticks chill, fill an electric skillet or deep fryer to its fill line with oil and preheat to 350°F. Once the oil has come to frying temperature, carefully lower just a few mozzarella sticks into the oil, taking care not to overcrowd the fryer. Cook the mozzarella sticks until golden brown on all sides, two to three minutes. Turn (or shake if using a frying basket) and agitate the sticks as they cook to prevent sticking and to ensure all sides become evenly browned.

Editor’s Tip: If you don’t own a deep fryer, you can also fill a cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven with 2 inches of oil.

Step 7: Serve

Remove the fried mozzarella sticks to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to cool slightly. Serve them warm with your choice of sauce, and enjoy!

Editor’s Tip: For a special finish, sprinkle the hot cheese sticks with finely grated Parmesan, truffle seasoning and freshly chopped basil.

What to Serve with Mozzarella Sticks

Mozzarella sticks are great, but mozzarella sticks served with a dipping sauce are even better. Marinara sauce is the most popular pairing since its acidic taste perfectly cuts the greasy richness of the mozzarella sticks. But there are lots of other fantastic dipping sauces to try. Just remember, though, you want a dip that’s thin and dunkable, not one that’s so thick you’d have to push the mozzarella stick through, like guacamole. Try one or all of these:

• Ranch dip
• Red pepper tapenade
• Dill pickle dip
• Aioli

How to Store Mozzarella Sticks

Mozzarella sticks are best as soon as they’re fried, but you can save leftovers for later. Allow them to cool to room temperature, then store them in an airtight container lined with paper towels (to absorb excess grease) in the fridge for up to three days. Keep in mind, though, that the bread crumbs will get soggy and, even after properly reheating them, the mozz sticks might not be as good as the first day they were made.

Can you freeze homemade mozzarella sticks?

Yes, you can freeze mozzarella sticks before or after deep frying. However, we recommend freezing pre-fried mozzarella sticks for at most 30 minutes. Otherwise, the mozzarella sticks may develop freezer burn, creating excess ice that could potentially cause a dangerous boil-over situation.

To freeze already deep-fried mozzarella sticks, arrange them in a single layer in a freezer-safe airtight container. They can be kept frozen for up to three months.

How do you reheat mozzarella sticks?

To reheat leftover mozzarella sticks from the fridge, warm them in an oven preheated to 350° until heated through, 8 to 10 minutes. From frozen, bake in a 350° oven until heated through, 10 to 12 minutes.

Mozzarella Stick Tips

How do you keep the cheese from seeping out?

Nobody likes biting into a hollow cheese stick. To prevent this atrocity, follow our method of double-dipping each mozzarella stick in egg and bread crumbs before frying. Allowing the cheese sticks to rest in the refrigerator is a safeguard we highly suggest too.

Can you air-fry mozzarella sticks?

Yes, you can air-fry mozzarella sticks, but we don’t recommend using this recipe in the air fryer. Instead, follow our air-fryer mozzarella sticks recipe, which uses a few different techniques to get perfectly golden brown and crispy-on-the-outside mozzarella sticks, sans oil.

Why did the cheese in my mozzarella sticks disappear?

If you bite into a mozzarella stick and find zero cheese inside, you probably deep-fried it for too long or at too high a temperature. To avoid this, constantly monitor the oil’s temperature with a thermometer and follow the suggested time in our recipe.

What do you do with leftover used oil?

There are a few ways to dispose of the cooking oil, but the primary rule is to never pour it down the drain. Instead, let the oil cool to room temperature, pour it into a container with a lid that you’re ready to throw away (i.e., an old sour cream container or pasta sauce jar), close the lid on top and throw away the container. Another option is to pour the oil into an aluminum can or glass jar, place it in the freezer until it’s hardened, scoop out the oil into the trash can, and recycle the can or jar.