Mozzarella Sticks

Name: Mozzarella Sticks
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients: 12 low-moisture mozzarella string cheese sticks; 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 2 large eggs, beaten; 1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs; 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs; 1/2 tsp garlic powder; 1/2 tsp dried oregano; 1/2 tsp kosher salt; 3 cups vegetable oil, for frying; 1 cup marinara sauce, for serving

Golden, crunchy-coated mozzarella sticks with a gooey, stretchy cheese pull. Frozen before frying for the best results, and served with marinara for dipping. Plan ahead: the breaded sticks freeze at least 30 minutes before frying.

30 minMediumServes 4380 cal/serving

Italian-AmericanAppetizerStovetopVegetarianHalal-friendlyPork-FreeAlcohol-Free

Cook this free in the appFree. No download, no account. The screen stays awake and each step can run its own timer.

Ingredients

12 low-moisture mozzarella string cheese sticks
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3 cups vegetable oil, for frying
1 cup marinara sauce, for serving

Instructions

1

Set up a breading station: 1/2 cup all-purpose flour in one shallow dish, 2 beaten large eggs in a second, and a mixture of 1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, and 1/2 tsp kosher salt in a third.
2

Coat each low-moisture mozzarella string cheese sticks in flour, dip in egg, then roll in the breadcrumb mixture. Double-coat by dipping in egg again and rolling in breadcrumbs a second time. Place on a parchment-lined tray.
3

Freeze the breaded sticks for at least 30 minutes. This step is critical - it prevents the cheese from melting out before the coating crisps.
4

Pour 3 cups for frying vegetable oil into a deep, heavy skillet to a depth of about 2 inches. Heat to 350°F (175°C).
5

Fry the frozen sticks in batches of 3-4, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes total.
6

Drain briefly on paper towels. Serve immediately with 1 cup warm marinara sauce.

Cook this free in the appCooking it now? The app keeps the screen awake and times each step. Free, nothing to install.

Keep this recipe

Prints the ingredients and method only.

The Italian-American Kitchen 30 recipes from this kitchen in one printable PDF. $5, no account.

Questions

How hot should the oil be for Mozzarella Sticks?

For Mozzarella Sticks, the frying oil is held at 350 F (about 175 C) in step 4. Hotter scorches the outside before the inside cooks, and cooler turns it greasy.

How do I know when Mozzarella Sticks is done?

Go by the cues in the method rather than the clock. Step 5: cook until golden brown.

What can I use instead of panko in Mozzarella Sticks?

The entry for Mozzarella Sticks calls for 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs. In its place: Coarse dry breadcrumbs, crushed cornflakes or crushed crackers all work. Fine breadcrumbs coat more densely, so use a little less.

Can I make Mozzarella Sticks gluten-free?

Yes. The gluten in Mozzarella Sticks is 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs. Swap the flour for a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking blend (where it only thickens a sauce, half as much cornstarch also works); the bread or crumbs for a gluten-free loaf or gluten-free panko. Everything else proceeds as written.

Is Mozzarella Sticks vegan?

No, though it is vegetarian. What keeps it from vegan is 12 low-moisture mozzarella string cheese sticks and 2 large eggs, beaten. For fully plant-based entries, see the vegan appetizer collection.

Does Mozzarella Sticks contain eggs?

Yes: 2 large eggs, beaten. The full allergen list for this entry is gluten, dairy and eggs. Packaged ingredients vary by brand, so check labels if the allergy is serious.

Which part of Mozzarella Sticks can be done ahead?

Everything up to step 3. Step 3 is a built-in pause of 30 minutes: "Freeze the breaded sticks for at least 30 minutes." Do everything up to that point ahead of time and pick up at step 4 when you are ready to finish.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,544 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.