Homemade Mozzarella Sticks
These homemade mozzarella sticks bring those crispy, cheesy, gooey appetizer favorites from the restaurant into your home kitchen.
Ingredients
- 12 mozzarella cheese sticks, cut in half
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons water
- ¾ cup regular breadcrumbs
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
Directions
Prep & Freeze Mozzarella Sticks:
- Start by unwrapping 12 mozzarella string cheeses and cut each piece in half crosswise, then set aside.
- Prepare 3 shallow bowls for dredging. Add ⅓ cup all-purpose flour to one, thoroughly whisk two eggs with 2 tablespoons of water to another, and in the final bowl mix the ¾ cup regular breadcrumbs and ¾ cup panko.
- Mix ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper together, then add 2-3 pinches to the flour and egg wash and whisk together. Add the rest of the salt and pepper and 1 teaspoon dried oregano and 1 teaspoon dried basil to the breadcrumbs and mix that as well.
- Take the pieces of mozzarella and dredge in the flour, then the egg, and finally the breadcrumb mixture. Be sure to fully coat each stick, including the ends, at each step and shake off any excess before moving to the next. Using gentle pressure, press the cheese stick into the breadcrumbs. Now repeat the egg wash and press into the breadcrumbs a second time.
- Set the coated mozzarella sticks on a plate or small baking dish as you work and try to keep one hand for dry steps and one hand for wet steps as you work.
- Once all the sticks have been dredged and coated, set them in your freezer and let them freeze for at least 1-2 hours before cooking, or overnight preferably.
Bake Mozzarella Sticks:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F / 220°C.
- Place the frozen mozzarella sticks on a baking sheet. Spray both sides with a little bit of cooking spray, or mist with oil from a diffuser. Set on the middle rack of the oven and cook for 8-11 minutes, watching closely after 8 minutes and flipping about halfway through.
- You want the outside to brown but keep an eye for any cheese that starts oozing out and remove right away if you see that happening.
- Place cooked mozzarella sticks on a plate and serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce (which should be warmed marinara).
Equipment Used
Notes
1) Mozzarella – Whole milk mozzarella string cheese has a slightly creamier taste than the regular part-skim versions, but the higher fat content also makes them melt slightly faster. You can also use blocks of uncut mozzarella and cut into your own sticks or planks.
2) Oil – Using cooking spray or an oil diffuser helps to brown and cook the outside breading more evenly and quickly. This is needed since the cooking time on these cheese sticks is short.
3) Seasonings – As mentioned above, I prefer to buy plain breadcrumbs and season them myself depending on how I’m using them. Feel free to skip the dried oregano and basil and just use Italian seasoned breadcrumbs if you prefer or play with your own seasoning blends.
4) Freezing – Do you have to freeze them before baking? Yes. If you skip this step, it’s very hard to cook the outside of the mozzarella sticks before the cheese starts oozing out everywhere. Because mozzarella melts at about 130°F, cooking them from frozen gives the outside breading more time to cook before the cheese thaws and begins to melt. This is required whether baking, deep-frying, or air-frying.
5) Deep-Fried Mozzarella Sticks – Heat your oil to 350°F and fry the frozen mozzarella sticks in small batches for about 1 ½ - 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil. Be sure the oil comes back to temp before making more.
6) Air-Fried Mozzarella Sticks – Preheat your air-fryer to 390°F. Spray the frozen mozzarella sticks with cooking spray or spritz with oil like you would in the baked version. Cook for 5-8 minutes. Check on them after the first 4-5 minutes and give them a little shake. Keep an eye on them and remove once browned and softened.
Nutrition
Serving: 1stickCalories: 68kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 4gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 195mgPotassium: 18mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 0.3gCalcium: 23mgIron: 0.4mg
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