Mozzarella Sticks

Everyone is obsessed with these gooey homemade Mozzarella Sticks, breaded with a flavorful coating and fried to golden perfection.

If you’re like me and love ordering Mozzarella Sticks and Marinara when you go out to eat, you will be blown away by this homemade recipe! It’s a great appetizer for parties, and if you prefer something more bite-sized, try our Mozzarella Bites!

Who loves mozzarella sticks?!

This next appetizer happens to be a family favorite. Whether we’re making them at home, or ordering them at a restaurant, the kids especially love Mozzarella Sticks!

I admit I may have bought frozen Mozzarella Sticks a time or two, and more often than not, they’re kind of a disappointment.

They either come out soggy, the breading doesn’t have much flavor, or the cheese is rubbery. Yuck!

I decided that was enough of that, and finally learned how to make fried Mozzarella Sticks homemade. I’m so glad I did, because they’re actually pretty quick and easy, and taste WAY BETTER than frozen!

Serve them up with Marinara Sauce or some Homemade Ranch Dressing.

How to make mozzarella sticks

Believe it or not, homemade Mozzarella Sticks only take about 35-40 minutes from start to finish, and that’s including 20 minutes in the freezer. Not too bad for a tasty little snack!

PREP. Unwrap cheese sticks and cut them in half.

Prepare breading stations. In bag #1, toss the flour, paprika, and salt. In bag #2, mix the panko, parsley, and oregano. And in a bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together.

COAT. Now coat your cheese sticks.

1. Toss 5 or 6 in your milk bowl for a good soaking.
2. Throw them in the flour bag and shake, shake, shake.
3. Put them back in the milk bowl, making sure to coat every side.
4. Finally, toss them around in the panko bag for your second coating.

FREEZE. Place them on a cookie sheet and freeze for 20-30 min.

FRY. Heat a few inches of your canola or vegetable oil in a large frying pan. Place sticks, in batches, in the oil and fry until golden brown on all sides (about 30-60 seconds).

SERVE. Drain on a plate lined with a paper towel. Serve immediately with Marinara Sauce or some Homemade Ranch Dressing.

Air fryer directions

PREP. Prepare the Mozzarella Sticks as directed in the recipe.

FRY. Once they are frozen, fry them up in the air fryer. Place the mozzarella sticks in the basket and spray with cooking spray. Set the temperature to 390°F. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes until the exterior is golden and crispy. 

Pro tips + TRICKS

Cheese. Unwrap your cheese sticks while still connected and the wrappers will all come off at once. I use string cheese for ease, but you can also cut a block of Mozzarella Cheese into sticks.

Breading. You can use bowls for the breading process, but I think using plastic bags are less messy and much quicker. In fact, I always keep these storage bags on hand because they can be used for so many things!

Double coating them helps the cheese stay inside the coating and not melt out while frying.

Freeze! It’s super important that they are frozen before you fry them, otherwise, the cheese will ooze out of the coating.

Oil. When frying, choose an oil with a high smoking point such as vegetable oil, canola oil, or peanut oil. The ideal temperature for frying is about 350°-375° F.

Fry basket. A fry basket is handy because you can cook up several at a time. If you don’t have a fry basket, be cautious about adding too many cheese sticks to the oil. If you’re too slow in taking them out of the oil, the cheese will start oozing out.

Variations

• Seasoning. Flavor the crumb mixture with garlic powder, pepper, paprika, or Italian seasoning.
• Bread crumbs. I like using panko crumbs because they stay nice and crisp. If you wish, you can replace the panko with breadcrumbs. Prepare the bread crumb mixture in the same manner.

Storing info

Make ahead of time. Bread your cheese sticks ahead of time and pop them in the freezer.

Once they’re frozen, transfer them to an airtight container or Ziploc bag. Then you have a whole batch on hand ready to fry up whenever you like!

Serve immediately. I would definitely make sure to serve this Mozzarella Sticks Recipe right after making them. That’s when they taste the best, and the cheese just strings all over the place (you know what I’m talking about, right?!)

STORE. Keep leftover sticks in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days or in the freezer for a couple of months.

Serve mozzarella sticks with these other appetizers:

• Crockpot Meatballs
• Boneless Buffalo Wings
• Veggie Tray
• Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Mozzarella Bites
• Cheesy Zucchini Tots

Recipe adapted from: Noshing with the Nolands