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Fried Mozzarella Cheese Sticks on a white plate with dipping sauce in the background.
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5 from 16 votes

Mozzarella Cheese Sticks

These homemade Mozzarella Cheese Sticks are easy to make and feed a hungry crowd. This recipe serves 6-8 and costs $9.19 to make. That’s just $1.15 per serving.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time24 minutes
FREEZING TIME2 hours
Total Time2 hours 44 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: mozzarella cheese
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 319kcal
Cost: $9.19

Equipment

  • baking sheet
  • parchment paper
  • 3 pie dishes OR 3 shallow bowls
  • food processor
  • measuring cups
  • Measuring spoons
  • wire rack
  • large pot
  • tongs
  • instant-read thermometer

Ingredients

CHEESE:

  • 16 string cheese sticks

COATING 1:

  • ½ cup all-purpose flour

COATING 2:

  • 2 large eggs

COATING 3:

  • 2 cups panko bread crumbs
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

OIL FOR FRYING:

  • 2 ½ cups peanut or vegetable oil

FOR SERVING:

  • 1 cup marinara sauce warmed
  • 1 Tablespoon minced parsley for garnishing optional

Instructions

  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

PREP THE CHEESE:

  • Slice each string cheese stick in half crosswise so you have 32 pieces of cheese total.

PREP COATING 1:

  • Pour flour into a pie dish or shallow bowl.

PREP COATING 2:

  • Add eggs to a second pie dish or shallow bowl and beat with a fork.

PREP COATING 3:

  • Add bread crumbs, salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic powder to a food processor and pulse mixture until finely ground.
    Pulse the panko bread crumbs and seasonings in a food processor.
  • Pour the bread crumbs mixture into a third pie dish or shallow bowl.

COAT THE CHEESE:

  • Add a piece of cheese to the flour and turn to coat. Then, add the cheese to the egg and turn to coat.
    Coat the mozzarella stick in flour and egg.
  • Next, add the cheese to the breadcrumbs and turn to coat. Finally, place the coated cheese stick to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining cheese sticks.
    Add the cheese sticks to the bread crumbs to coat.

FREEZE CHEESE STICKS:

  • Pop the cheese sticks into the freezer and freeze for 2 hours or overnight.

FRYING INSTRUCTIONS:

  • Line a baking sheet with 3 layers of paper towels and set aside.
  • Add oil to a large pot and heat over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 400 degrees F.
  • Add a few cheese sticks to the hot oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Move the cheese sticks to the paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain.
    Place the fried cheese sticks on a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain.
  • Repeat the frying with the remaining mozzarella cheese sticks. Garnish mozzarella sticks with minced parsley, optional. Serve with warmed marinara sauce.
    Fried Mozzarella Cheese Sticks on a white plate with dipping sauce in the background.

BAKING INSTRUCTIONS:

  • Move the oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack right in the pan right on top of the foil. Spray the rack with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Place the mozzarella cheese sticks right on top of the wire rack set inside a baking sheet. Spray the tops of the cheese sticks with nonstick cooking spray or brush with olive oil.
  • Bake for 7-8 minutes, or until the cheese sticks are golden brown. Cool for 3 minutes and then garnish with minced parsley, optional. Serve with warmed marinara sauce.

Video

Notes

This recipe makes 32 mozzarella cheese sticks with is enough to serve 6-8 people. 
Do not skip freezing the cheese sticks before frying or baking. This step ensures that the cheese sticks will not burst open when frying or baking. 

Nutrition

Serving: 5.33cheese sticks | Calories: 319kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 874mg | Potassium: 156mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 250IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 2mg