Mozzarella Sticks

These Mozzarella Sticks are so easy to make! With stretchy gooey mozzarella coated in seasoned panko breadcrumbs along with plenty of herbs.

Mozzarella Sticks

Mozzarella sticks in general are one of my favourite things. Along with Crispy Jalapeno Poppers of course! There’s something incredibly addictive about warm, gooey, stretchy cheese.

These mozzarella sticks have a seasoned panko breadcrumb coating surrounding the cheese. The panko allows for an extra crispy coating whilst still keeping it light once fried. We’re also double coating the mozzarella here to keep the cheese well contained and to minimise any bursting.

The seasoning combo in the coating adds flavour and a little heat, which goes hand in hand with the rich and creamy cheese. But it’s worth mentioning that the seasonings can be adapted to your own preference, so feel free to get creative.

What is mozzarella?

Mozzarella is a soft and creamy cheese that’s traditionally made from the curds of cow’s or buffalo’s milk. It has quite a light and milky flavour, and a semi-set texture when fresh.

Various types of mozzarella exist which are usually based around the level of moisture. Fresh mozzarella has the highest amount of moisture, whilst semi-dry has less, and dry even less.

You have to use the correct type of mozzarella here

For this recipe, it’s crucial to use dry mozzarella. This is often sold in a solid yellow/off-white block whereas the fresh variety are sold as soft white balls in liquid.

The dry variety can be sliced cleanly, plus they’re firm enough to be dredged in the breadcrumbs. However, the fresh variety would simply tear or break as it’s just far too soft. The flavour of the mozzarella is also significantly more pronounced in the dry varieties.

Another important point is that the moisture within the fresh and semi-dry varieties would lead to a lot of bursting and splattering as it comes into contact with the hot oil during frying. It wouldn’t be safe, so please stick to the dry blocks of mozzarella here.

Why you need to freeze Mozzarella Sticks before frying

Freezing the mozzarella sticks allows the panko coating to fully set before frying. Which in turn keeps the sticks intact during the frying process for an extra crispy and golden coating.

The mozzarella itself also freezes, which means it can withstand a longer amount of time in the hot oil before it melts. This allows the coating to crisp up before the cheese completely melts. Thus minimising the likelihood of the mozzarella sticks bursting whilst frying.

Frying vs Air Frying vs Baking mozzarella sticks

The fried version allows for immediate cooking of the breaded coating, which begins to crisp up right away. The frying process is fairly quick so these won’t take long at all. You’re left with an intact mozzarella stick with a perfectly crispy golden exterior.

As you can see from above, baking and air frying mozzarella sticks do not work. Both methods resulted in the cheese bursting out, along with a soft and undercooked crust.

In both methods, the sticks were brushed with oil and baked/air fried at 240’C. The high temperature was used to try and allow for some browning and crispness to develop before the cheese melted. I would recommend to stick to deep frying for these.

Let’s talk about some of the ingredients

I’ll cover the main ones below but the full recipe can be found at the end

• Low moisture mozzarella – see further above in the blog for more details! There are also blocks of mozzarella (often sold as ‘pizza mozzarella’ that would work here too. They’re not as low in moisture as the block I’ve used, but they will work. Avoid the balls of mozzarella that are sold in packs of water for this
• Panko breadcrumbs – these are a Japanese style of breadcrumbs. They have a more flaky texture than regular breadcrumbs which allows them to crisp up more. They also absorb less oil when frying
• Dried herbs – I recommend using dried basil and dried oregano here, but feel free to adapt this to your preference
• Chilli flakes – these provide a lovely hit of heat, but feel free to omit if you’d prefer to keep the mozzarella sticks mild

The KEY tips for making these Mozzarella Sticks

1. Double pané the mozzarella sticks – the double breadcrumb coating helps to prevent the cheese bursting, plus an extra crispy outer coating
2. Freeze for at least 2 hours – this will allow the cheese to freeze so that it can withstand frying for a longer period of time before melting. Thus allowing the outside to crisp up more
3. Fry at a high temperature – high temperature means quicker cooking and browning. The longer the mozzarella sticks are frying, the more likely they are to burst
4. Fry in batches – frying too many sticks at once will drop the oil temperature. This will cause them to not only soak up more oil, but also increase the chances of the cheese bursting

How to make these Mozzarella Sticks

I’ll cover the steps below but the full recipe can be found at the end

1+2) Start by cutting the block of mozzarella into even sticks. These can be as thick or as thin as you like. The thicker they are, the chunkier the mozzarella stick!

3) I find just over 1cm thickness to be the goldilocks size

4) Whisk together the flour, salt, and cold water into a smooth batter

5+6) In a separate bowl, mix together the panko breadcrumbs and seasonings

7) Then, dunk the mozzarella into the flour paste, making sure to shake off any excess

8) Next, drop the coated mozzarella into the panko breadcrumb mixture

9) Toss to ensure even coverage of breadcrumbs, then shake off the excess

10) Set the panko coated mozzarella on to a wire rack and allow to sit for 10 minutes for the coating to ‘set’

11+12) After 10 minutes, dunk all the mozzarella sticks for a second time. The double pané (coating) will provide better coverage to prevent the cheese bursting through. It’ll also create a crispier crust! Place the double coated mozzarella back on the wire rack for a further 10 minutes

13) After 10 minutes, place the mozzarella sticks on a lined tray and freeze for a minimum of 2 hours

14) When ready to fry, heat oil in a saucepan up to 190’C/375’F. Have a tray lined with paper towel and a wire rack ready aside

15+16) Deep fry in batches (to prevent the oil temperature dropping too much) until golden and crispy. These do not take long at all. Drain with a slotted spoon/strainer and transfer to the wire rack. Best eaten whilst hot for maximum cheese pull

Frequently asked questions

Can these Mozzarella Sticks be air fried or baked?

In my honest opinion, no. If you have a look at the section above dedicated to this, you’ll see my results from air frying and baking. It’s just not worth it as the mozzarella sticks will burst and unfortunately won’t crisp up at all. Stick to deep frying for these.

How long will these keep? What’s the best way to store them?

These mozzarella sticks (uncooked) will keep up to 3 months frozen. Once they’ve been frozen for 2 hours on the tray, transfer them to a freezer safe bag or container. Make sure to freeze them spaced out on the tray first, otherwise they’ll all stick together.

Fried mozzarella sticks will keep refrigerated in an air tight container for up to 5 days. Reheat them by baking or air frying at 200’C/395’F. These will take approx. 3-4 minutes in the air fryer, however allow a few extra minutes for ovens.

If you enjoyed this recipe

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Until then, happy cooking!