Mozzarella Sticks (Deep-Fried or Air-Fried)
It’s party time with my crispy mozzarella sticks! Bite in and savor gooey mozzarella in a coating of breadcrumbs, flour, and egg, with Italian seasoning, parmesan, and garlic.
Stack ’em high, and serve them with my easy marinara sauce or homemade pesto for a dipping station your party guests won’t be able to get enough of!
Assemble Your Ingredients
To make my mozzarella sticks, you’ll need the following:
- Mozzarella – 16 oz low-skim mozzarella, cut into 20-22 (1/2 inch-thick) sticks
- Flour – 1/4 cup plain (all-purpose) flour
- Egg – 3 large eggs
- Breadcrumbs – 3 cups of breadcrumbs. I used half Panko breadcrumbs and half golden finer breadcrumbs. The Panko breadcrumbs make for a crispier coating, while the finer breadcrumbs allow for a more complete coverage/coating of the mozzarella sticks so that the cheese stays in the breaded stick when frying it. The double-breading technique we’ll use below and the finer breadcrumbs allow us to skip the freezing step that you usually have to do when making homemade mozzarella sticks.
- Parmesan – 1/3 cup grated parmesan
- Italian Seasoning – 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Garlic Powder – 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Salt – salt, to taste (plus optionally, sea salt flakes)
- Pepper – black pepper, to taste
Serve with homemade fresh basil pesto or this homemade marinara sauce (for dipping).
4-Step Process for Making Them
Step 1 – Cut the mozzarella blocks into mozzarella sticks of about 1/2-inch thickness. I got a total of 22 sticks out of the two 8-oz mozzarella blocks. You may get less or more, depending on the length of the mozzarella blocks you buy.
Step 2 – Set up the breading station for the mozzarella sticks:
- plain/all-purpose flour, seasoned with a pinch of salt
- beaten eggs, seasoned with a pinch of salt and grated parmesan
- breadcrumbs, seasoned with a pinch of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning
Step 3 – Bread the mozzarella sticks: first in the flour, then the beaten eggs, and finally in the breadcrumbs. Make sure to cover every bit of the mozzarella stick. Then, double bread by dipping in the egg again and then in the breadcrumbs.
Here are the breaded mozzarella sticks (before cooking them).
Step 4
Method 1: Deep-Frying the Mozzarella Sticks
Add the oil to a pot or deep-fryer and bring it to a temperature of about 350°F (175°C). If you don’t have a thermometer, you can use the wooden spoon method to approximate the temperature: Dip a wooden spoon in the hot oil, and if you see bubbles around it, then it’s ready to go.
Once the oil is hot enough, add a few mozzarella sticks at a time until golden brown on the outside, about 1-2 minutes.
Remove the mozzarella sticks using a stainless steel spider strainer or kitchen tongs, and let them cool down/dry on a wire rack. You could also use paper towels (instead of the wire rack). The wire rack just makes sure you get more crispiness from the coating.
I also like to sprinkle some sea salt flakes (like Maldon) on the mozzarella sticks while they’re warm.
Method 2: Air Fryer
Preheat the air fryer to 390° (200°C) for 3 minutes. Add the mozzarella sticks and spray them with cooking oil spray. Air fry for about 6-7 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the breading is golden-brown.
Whether you deep-fry them or air fry them, serve with with a delicious dipping sauce like this homemade pesto or this homemade marinara sauce (made for dipping).
Delicious Serving Pairings
While mozzarella sticks are no doubt yummy, you simply have to pair them with a dipping sauce (or several.) I’d recommend my easy marinara sauce for a classic combo.
Coat the mozzarella sticks in a generous amount of rich, tart, and sweet marinara sauce, and enjoy!
You could also try them with my easy homemade pesto or my lemon basil aioli. Can’t decide? Why not serve them with all three?
Other Party Food Inspiration
Whatever the event, be it Easter, a birthday, or simply hosting a party for friends, you’re gonna need a lot of party foods!
At my house, my basil hummus with pita always goes down well, as do my fried artichokes, which you can serve with my lemon basil aioli.
Crostinis are also a great choice because they are bite-sized, and you can make lots of them. For something a little heartier, try my chicken tenders or burger recipes.
Don’t forget the sweet stuff, too! My chocolate truffles are a great centerpiece, and you can coat them in so many yummy treats!
Printable Recipe Card
Mozzarella Sticks
Ingredients
- 16 oz low-skim mozzarella, cut into 20-22 (1/2 inch-thick) sticks
- 1/4 cup plain (all-purpose) flour
- 3 large eggs
- 3 cups of breadcrumbs (half Panko breadcrumbs and half golden/finer breadcrumbs)
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cut the mozzarella blocks into sticks of about 1/2-inch thickness. I got a total of 22 sticks out of the two 8-oz mozzarella blocks. You may get less or more, depending on the length of the mozzarella blocks you buy.
- Set up the breading station for the mozzarella sticks: plain/all-purpose flour, seasoned with a pinch of salt; beaten eggs, seasoned with a pinch of salt and grated parmesan; and breadcrumbs, seasoned with a pinch of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning.
- Bread the mozzarella sticks: first in the flour, then the beaten eggs, and then in the breadcrumbs. Then, double-bread the sticks by coating them in beaten eggs and breadcrumbs again. Make sure to cover every bit of the mozzarella stick.
- Method 1: Deep-Frying the Mozzarella Sticks: Add the oil to a pot or deep-fryer and bring it to a temperature of 350°F (175°C). If you don’t have a thermometer, you can use the wooden spoon method to approximate the temperature: Dip a wooden spoon in the hot oil, and if you see bubbles around it, then it’s ready to go. Once the oil is hot enough, add a few mozzarella sticks at a time until golden brown on the outside, about 1 minute. Remove the mozzarella sticks using a stainless steel spider strainer
or some kitchen tongs, and let them cool down/dry on a wire rack. You
could also use paper towels (instead of the wire rack). The wire rack
just makes sure you get more crispiness from the coating. I also like to sprinkle some sea salt flakes (like Maldon) on the mozzarella sticks while they’re warm.
Method 2: Air Fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 390° (200°C) for 3 minutes. Add the mozzarella sticks and spray them with cooking oil spray. Air fry for about 6-7 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the breading is golden-brown and the mozzarella inside is melted.
Notes
Note 1: Whether you deep-fry them or air fry them, serve the mozzarella sticks with a delicious dipping sauce like a homemade pesto (found at bemyrecipe.com/basil-pesto/) or a homemade dipping marinara sauce (found at bemyrecipe.com/marinara-sauce-for-dipping/)
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Got a party to plan on the horizon? Save my mozzarella sticks recipe to one of your appetizer or planning boards, ready for when you need to shop for ingredients.
