Fried Mozzarella Sticks are a classic cheesy appetizer perfect for parties! Easy delicious recipe for homemade gooey crispy cheese sticks.
Homemade Mozzarella Sticks are the perfect Appetizer to serve up at your next party or to go along with an at-home pizza Dinner night. Serve it up with a fresh Marinara Sauce Recipe for dipping and enjoy! Since you are already deep frying, why not make other pizza delivery favorites like Buffalo Wings and Fried Ravioli.
Table of contents
Sabrina’s Fried Mozzarella Sticks Recipe
All you need is a bag of cheesesticks and some ingredients you probably have on hand to make these amazing gooey cheesy snacks. They take just a few minutes to fry and then they are ready to serve with some marinara or pizza sauce. You can even bake or air fry them for a healthier alternative or freeze them to have homemade frozen cheesesticks always on hand when a cheese craving strikes!
Ingredients
- Cheese Sticks: Individual mozzarella cheese sticks that you can buy as a snack work great for cheesesticks. They’re perfect because they’re already shaped into sticks and you just have to cut them in half. You can also use a block of cheese and cut them into finger length pieces that are about ½ inch thick all around.
- Corn Starch: Corn starch is important in this recipe because it helps keep the cheese from melting through the crispy coating as it cooks as well as gives the egg something to stick to so the breading doesn’t fall off.
- Eggs: The beaten egg is crucial to making sure the bread crumbs stick to the outside of the cheese sticks. The egg binds better to the cornstarch which is why you dip them in the egg after the cornstarch coating.
- Bread Crumbs: We use just regular bread crumbs and then add our own seasoning to control the flavor. The only seasoning we added was salt but feel free to add your own herbs or seasoning blends.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- Flipper Tool: We love our flipper tool for deep frying! The flipper has a long thin blade similar to a shish kebab stick but the end is curve over almost to a circle with a sharp tip. This sharp tip grabs onto whatever your are flipping without sticking, so you can flip food without splashing or squishing it with tongs.
- Dutch Oven: A dutch oven is great for deep frying because it is made to distribute and hold heat evenly so your oil will stay a constant temperature.
How to Make
Time needed: 15 minutes.
- Prep the Cheese
In advance of starting the recipe, cut 8 string cheese sticks in half. Put them in the freezer. Giving the cheese sticks time to freeze helps them not to melt before the coating cooks around them.
- Heat the Oil
Get the cooking oil ready to go. Pour oil into a large pot, and turn the stovetop heat on. You want about 3 inches of oil in the pot. To prepare the oil for frying, heat it to 365 degrees. Use a thermometer to make sure it’s reached a high enough temperature before frying.
- Add the Coating
While the oil is heating up, add cornstarch, eggs, and breadcrumbs to 3 separate bowls. Whisk the egg mixture together until well beaten. Roll each piece of cheese in the cornstarch. Tap it gently on the side of the bowl to remove any excess. Then dip it in the egg mixture, using a toothpick or food flipper so you can fully submerge it in the eggs. Let excess egg coating drip off before you coat in breadcrumbs.
- Fry the Cheese
Line a plate with paper towels, and set it to the side of your pot. Place the cheese sticks in the oil to cook for 30-45 seconds, until the breadcrumb mixture is golden brown and crispy. Use tongs to remove from the hot oil. Place each finished Mozzarella Stick on the paper towel-lined plate while you continue cooking the rest.
Can Fried Cheese Sticks be made ahead of time?
You can make Fried Cheese Sticks ahead of time. Simply coat them as usual and then either store them in the fridge overnight before frying or freeze them to fry later for up to 1 month. If you want to freeze them, place them on a parchment lined baking sheet after you bread them and freeze for 2 hours. Transfer the frozen cheese sticks to a container. Fry them from frozen.
Nutritional Facts
Tips & Tricks for Fried Cheese Sticks
- Watch the Oil Temperature
The number one thing when deep drying is to make sure your oil stays at the right temperature so your food cooks quickly without burning. Don’t overcrowd the pot, too much food lowers the oil temperature.
- Prep the Cheese Sticks
To keep your cheese from melting in the hot oil, you want to freeze the cheese beforehand. As long as your oil is the right temp, it will quickly get gooey without breaking apart or melting through the bread crumbs.
What to Serve With Mozzarella Sticks
Dips: A tangy tomato sauce like marinara or pizza sauce is a favorite dipping sauce for the gooey deep fried mozzarella cheese. Ranch Dressing is another classic sauce, plus you can add more flavor like Italian seasoning or chipotle pepper for a kick., For a slightly fancier dipping sauce, make a rich and creamy pesto sauce by combining Alfredo Sauce and Basil Pesto.
Italian Dinner: Freshly fried mozzarella cheese sticks are the perfect appetizer to go with Italian dinner favorites like Chicken Parmesan and Baked Spaghetti. Elevate your pizza night by making these melty cheese sticks and homemade Pepperoni Pizza, using the leftover Pizza Sauce for dipping!
How to Store
Store: After cooking, the Mozzarella Sticks are best served hot and fresh, but they can be at room temperature for up to 2 hours. Cool them on a wire rack before storing leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat: The best way to reheat Fried Cheese Sticks is an air fryer (390 degrees) or the oven (350 degrees) to make them crispy again. You can also pop them in the microwave, just don’t fry them in oil a second time.
Freeze: You can freeze leftover cheesesticks for up to 3 months. Let them cool, then freeze for an hour on a baking tray before storing in a freezer bag. Reheat in the oven or air fryer from frozen.
Alternative Cooking Techniques
Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks
- Another cooking method you can try is air frying. It’s a really simple and quick process to get the same crispy and melty Mozzarella Sticks.
- Preheat the air fryer to 390 degrees, then line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Coat the cheese sticks in cornstarch, eggs, and bread crumbs just like in the original recipe.
- After you coat one, set it on the baking sheet while you prepare the next.
- Place them in the air fryer basket. You want them in a single layer, so you may have to do a couple of batches.
- Spray the sticks with a thin layer of cooking spray, then seal the air fryer and cook for 6 minutes.
Frequent Questions
Unless you live right around the corner from your favorite pizza joint, there is no way delivery fried cheese sticks are going to be as crispy and gooey as freshly fried ones. Making them homemade not only means they are hot, crispy and melty, but it’s also much cheaper than getting store bought frozen cheese sticks.
Since they are cooking for a short time, in less than a minute, it’s okay to use regular breadcrumbs to make fried cheesesticks. Plus regular breadcrumbs will give a thicker coating to stand up to the melty cheese. You usually use panko bread crumbs for recipes where the frying time is longer because they absorb less oil and when you want a lighter coating.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 8 mozzarella cheese sticks , cut in half, and frozen
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 large eggs , beaten
- 2 cups bread crumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- canola oil , for frying
Instructions
- Add three inches of oil in a large pot and heat to 365 degrees (use thermometer to be sure).
- Roll the cheese sticks in the cornstarch, then dust off excess.
- Using a toothpick or food flipper, add to the eggs to coat, then let excess egg drip off.
- Add to breadcrumbs mixed with salt and roll to coat well.
- Cook in oil for 30-45 seconds until browned.
- Serve immediately with marinara sauce.
Nutrition
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Variations
Italian Style Breadcrumbs: To add some more flavor to the outer coating, you can use Italian breadcrumbs. Either buy Italian-style breadcrumbs at the store or mix Italian seasoning into regular breadcrumbs. Just pour the breadcrumbs into a bowl and whisk in 2 teaspoons dried parsley, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
Cheese: You can make delicious fried cheese using other cheese like sharp cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, Gouda, or Pepper Jack. They don’t make cheese sticks in that many different varieties, so the easiest thing would be to buy a block of the kind of cheese you want and slice it into pieces about the size of half a cheese stick.
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