These homemade Mozzarella Sticks, with their ultra-crispy coating and epic, melty cheese pull, rival the ones you love at your neighborhood sports bar or Italian restaurant.
Some people think it’s chicken wings. Others would bet their savings account it’s sliders or pizza. But for my money, I say the greatest bar snack of all time is the mozzarella stick. Or mozzarella sticks, I should say, since like Lay’s potato chips, no one can eat just one.
Maybe it’s because of the perfectly crispy fried coating or the combination of that crunch with the hot, melty cheese. But love for mozzarella sticks may well come from what is affectionately called the pull. You know what I’m talking about: that thing that happens when you sink your teeth into a hot mozzarella stick and then pull it away from your mouth to check out the long, gooey length of cheese. Who knows? Here’s what we do know. While the first known mention of breaded and fried cheese was in a French cookbook in 1393, the modern mozzarella stick, as we know it, became an American phenomenon in the 1970s. Cheesemaker Frank Baker wanted to devise a snack-size portion of the much larger rounds of mozzarella made in his Wisconsin factory, and that desire led him to invent string cheese sticks. Frank’s cheese sticks were a huge hit, and it wasn’t long after that someone decided to bread and fry them (and dip them in marinara). Next thing you know, fried mozzarella sticks were appearing on restaurant and bar menus all over the country and remain so to this day.
And now you can make them in your very own kitchen. All you need is a package of mozzarella string cheese sticks, some flour, an egg beaten with a little milk, some seasoned breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and a pot of hot oil. The process is quick and efficient, and once you get a rhythm going, a lot of fun—especially when you see that the end result looks and tastes just like the mozzarella sticks from your favorite restaurant. Maybe even better.
Of course, you’ll have to whip up some sauces for dipping. The most popular ones are Tomato Sauce and Ranch Dressing, but we recommend you try dipping your mozzarella sticks in Pesto for a delicious taste sensation.
The Breading Station
The process for making mozzarella sticks in our recipe involves a standard breading procedure, one that is used for all kinds of dishes, such as Chicken Cutlets or Fried Green Tomatoes. The reason this process is so popular is simple: it’s the very best way to fry or bake breaded food.
In the cheffy world, the set-up is called the breading station: flour in a shallow dish; egg and milk mixed together in a bowl; breadcrumbs—and in our case, some Parmesan—in another shallow dish. Even if you change up some of the ingredients (like using crushed crackers or cornmeal instead of breadcrumbs), the breading station order remains the same. For example, in our recipe, first you’ll coat the mozzarella stick in the flour, then in the egg and milk mixture, and finally in the breadcrumbs and Parm mix. It’s very easy and pretty foolproof, which is why nearly everyone looking to achieve ultimate crispy breaded perfection does it this way.
How Do I Store Leftovers?
Cooled mozzarella sticks can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 2 months in the freezer. Reheat them in the air fryer or oven.
Serving Suggestions
Game day! Or any other excuse or occasion to have everybody over to your house for a super snacking party! It’s so much better than going out because you can have ALL the bar snacks, instead of only ordering one or two (or three, if you’re like me and can’t decide). Some things are fried and some are baked, some are made on the stovetop, some in the Crock-Pot, and some in the air fryer, so it’s very doable. And you get to have ALL the sauces, too!
Here’s the menu I love to serve. Mozzarella sticks, Buffalo Chicken Wings, Mini Corn Dogs, sliders (black bean and Philly cheesesteak), Oven-Baked Nachos, Vegan Tacos, Pizza Skewers, and a huge bowl of Buttered Popcorn. And now for the sauces: Ranchero, Peppercorn-Ranch, Blue Cheese Dressing, Honey Mustard, Salsa, Jalapeño, and Queso (and don’t forget the garlic butter dipping sauce that comes with the pizza skewers recipe).
Mozzarella Sticks
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 tablespoons milk
- 3/4 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 12 mozzarella string cheese sticks
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Marinara sauce for dipping
Instructions
- Place the flour in a shallow dish.
- In a bowl, beat the egg and milk together.
- Place the breadcrumbs and Parmesan in another shallow dish.
- Dunk each mozzarella stick into the flour, shaking off any excess. Then dip into the egg mixture, letting excess drip off. Roll in breadcrumbs to coat. For a thicker crust, repeat the egg and breadcrumb steps.
- Transfer the coated mozzarella sticks to a baking sheet and freeze for at least 1 hour.
- Heat vegetable oil in a deep frying pan or saucepan to 350°F.
- Cook the frozen mozzarella sticks in batches for 1–2 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove the mozzarella sticks with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve hot with marinara sauce on the side.
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