Crispy Gooey Mozzarella Sticks (Printable View)

Golden fried mozzarella sticks with a crunchy crust and gooey cheese perfect for dipping.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cheese

01 - 14 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into ½ x 3-inch sticks

→ Breading

02 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 2 tbsp milk
05 - 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
06 - ½ tsp garlic powder
07 - ½ tsp dried Italian herbs
08 - ½ tsp salt
09 - ¼ tsp black pepper

→ For Frying

10 - Vegetable oil for deep frying

→ To Serve

11 - Marinara sauce for dipping

# How To Make It:

01 - Place flour in one shallow bowl. In a second bowl, whisk eggs with milk. In a third bowl, combine panko breadcrumbs with garlic powder, Italian herbs, salt, and black pepper.
02 - Dredge each mozzarella stick in flour, shaking off excess. Dip into the egg mixture, then thoroughly coat with breadcrumb mixture. Repeat the egg and breadcrumb steps to double-coat each stick.
03 - Arrange the coated sticks on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for at least 1 hour to prevent cheese leakage during frying.
04 - Heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer or heavy-bottomed pot to 350°F (180°C).
05 - Fry the sticks in batches for 1 to 2 minutes, turning occasionally until golden brown and crisp. Avoid overcrowding to maintain oil temperature.
06 - Remove sticks with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with warm marinara sauce.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're impossibly crispy outside while staying gooey inside, and honestly that contrast is addictive.
  • You can make a huge batch and freeze them, turning what could be a last-minute panic into a feeling of prepared confidence.
  • Everyone eats them, no matter their usual food preferences, because warm melted cheese wrapped in golden breadcrumbs is basically universal.
02 -
  • Skipping the freezing step will result in cheese leaking into your oil while the outside burns—I learned this the hard way and spent twenty minutes fishing tiny cheese scraps out of the fryer.
  • The double-coat is what makes these restaurant-quality; your first instinct to skip it will betray you, so trust the process even though it feels like overkill.
03 -
  • Don't overcrowd the fryer pot—overcrowding drops oil temperature dramatically and results in soggy, greasy sticks instead of crispy ones.
  • If you're frying large batches, keep finished sticks warm in a 100°C (200°F) oven while you finish the rest, so everyone eats them hot.
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