Mozzarella Sticks

by Heidi Published: Nov 21, 2024

Perfectly crispy on the outside and melty and gooey on the inside, these mozzarella sticks are way better than anything you’ll find in your grocery’s freezer aisle, easy to make at home, and feature an easy homemade marinara sauce for dipping.

Mozzarella Sticks with Marinara Dipping Sauce foodiecrush.com

There are some recipes you just don’t bother trying to make from scratch. Maybe it’s because the technique is too fussy or it’s time intensive, or you just know it won’t ever come close to being as good as something you’d find at a restaurant. On the flip side, there are just some things that are worth making yourself. Take my French bread pizza, garlic bread, and homemade pesto (to name just a few examples). And then there are these irresistibly good homemade mozzarella sticks. Golden brown all over and supremely crispy on the outside, with melty goodness on the inside and that desirable stretchy cheese pull, this mozzarella sticks recipe is the best. Especially when you serve them up alongside my easy homemade marinara sauce for dipping (sign me up!).

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This mozzarella sticks recipe is so simple to make and easy to prepare in advance (just keep them in the freezer until you’re ready to fry and eat!)
They’re perfectly crisp on the outside, and irresistibly melty and cheesy on the inside
When paired with my super easy homemade marinara sauce, you’ve got a winning snack or app that’s way better than the stuff you’ll find in the freezer aisle.

What’s in Mozzarella Sticks

Low-moisture mozzarella cheese—I use a 1-pound block of this
Eggs—help create a wet coating that the breadcrumb mixture can adhere to
Flour—for dredging
Breadcrumbs—I like Italian breadcrumbs because they have a nice seasoning that amps up the flavor of these mozzarella sticks. Panko breadcrumbs would also work, though I do prefer breadcrumbs for these.
Canned tomatoes—I use canned whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes for the best tomato flavor in the marinara dipping sauce
Olive oil—for sautéing the garlic
Garlic—this lends big flavor to our marinara dipping sauce
Tomato paste—for a bold, complex tomato flavor in our marinara
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper—always, for flavor
Fresh basil—lends a nice aromatic to the marinara
Canola or vegetable oil—for frying the mozzarella sticks

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Mozzarella Sticks

Cut the cheese! Cut the block of mozzarella into ½ x 1 ½-inch wide sticks.
Set up your dredging station. In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs until frothy. Add the flour to another bowl, and add the breadcrumbs to an additional bowl. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper (make sure it will fit in your freezer.)
Dip and dredge. Dip the cheese sticks in egg, then flour, egg again, and then the breadcrumbs. Place the coated cheese sticks on the sheet pan and freeze for 1 hour.

Make the marinara dipping sauce. Use your hands to crush the tomatoes into a bowl. Then, sauté the garlic in some olive oil until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Very carefully stir the tomato paste into the garlic and oil and cook for 1-2 minutes. Spoon the tomatoes into the pan with the oil and paste, and season with salt and pepper. Add the basil sprigs and bring to a boil. Reduce to a bubbling simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.

Frying Mozzarella Sticks in oil foodiecrush.com

Fry the mozzarella sticks. Fill a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan or skillet, with 2-3 inches of canola oil and heat to 350°F (you can check the oil temperature with a deep-fry thermometer) Once the oil is hot, remove the mozzarella sticks from the freezer and fry 2 or 3 at a time until golden brown turning once or twice while frying. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate or a wire rack to drain the excess oil.

Mozzarella Sticks on baking sheet rack foodiecrush.com

FAQ and Recipe Tips

Is it better to freeze mozzarella sticks before frying? Yes! Freezing the mozzarella sticks for an hour before frying helps them firm up and hold their shape so they don’t fall apart during the frying process.
What are you supposed to dip mozzarella sticks in? I love dipping my mozzarella sticks in this easy homemade marinara sauce, but some people like to dip them in ranch dressing.
What kind of oil do you use to fry mozzarella sticks in? I like frying these mozzarella sticks in canola or vegetable oil, but you could use peanut oil if you wanted.
Can I make these mozzarella sticks in the Air Fryer? Absolutely! Simply prepare the mozzarella sticks like you would (up to freezing). After freezing them for at least an hour, heat your air fryer to 360°F, place the mozzarella sticks in the air fryer basket, and cook in batches, for about 8-10 minutes.
Don’t skip the freezer! You might be tempted to skip this step, but don’t. Freezing these mozzarella sticks for just an hour makes a difference here. Getting them nice and cold helps them stay firm and hold their shape when frying.
You can make these mozzarella sticks several days ahead and keep them in the freezer until you’re ready to fry them. If freezing for more than an hour, let them sit out of your freezer for about 10 minutes or so before frying.

Mozzarella Sticks gooey cheese with Marinara Dipping Sauce foodiecrush.com

Ingredient Substitutions

I haven’t tried a gluten-free version, but I’m sure you could swap out the all-purpose flour for a basic all-purpose gluten-free flour blend, as well as gluten-free breadcrumbs or Panko breadcrumbs, and have good results.
Add a few dashes of garlic powder and some fresh (or dried) oregano to the breadcrumb mixture for extra flavor (I definitely recommend doing this if you only have plain breadcrumbs, instead of Italian breadcrumbs).
Feel free to experiment with other spices or seasonings in your breadcrumb mixture. In addition to garlic powder, dried basil, and oregano (or an Italian seasoning blend), try onion powder, red pepper flakes, or smoked paprika. A dill pickle seasoning would also be really yummy if you’re serving these with ranch dressing instead of marinara.

Storage Tips

These mozzarella sticks are best enjoyed the day that you fry them (preferably right away!)
If you want to make these ahead of time and not fry them yet, they will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
You can make the marinara up to a week ahead of time and store it in the freezer, or you can freeze it for up to 3 months.

More Party Food Nibbles You’ll Love

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

This mozzarella sticks recipe is so simple to make and easy to prepare in advance (just keep them in the freezer until you’re ready to fry and eat!)

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Course Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Keyword mozzarella sticks

Prep Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Cook Time 41 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 51 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 712kcal

Ingredients

1 16- ounce block low-moisture mozzarella cheese
3 eggs
¼ cup flour
1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1 28- ounce can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes , with purée (or use crushed tomatoes)
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves , peeled and smashed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 sprigs fresh basil
canola oil, or vegetable oil , for frying

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Instructions

Cut the block of cheese into ½ x 1 ½-inch wide sticks. In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs until frothy. Add the flour to another shallow bowl, and add the bread crumbs to an additional bowl. Line a tray or sheet pan with parchment paper (make sure it will fit in your freezer.)
One by one, dip the cheese sticks in egg, then flour, egg again, and then the breadcrumbs. (Make sure to let the excess egg drip from the sticks before adding to the flour and breadcrumbs.) Place the coated cheese sticks on the baking sheet and freeze for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, prepare the marinara sauce. Pour the tomatoes and purée into a bowl and crush with your hands or the back of a spoon, then set aside.
In a cold, large skillet, add the extra-virgin olive oil and garlic cloves, then bring to medium heat. As the garlic begins to sizzle, stir occasionally, and cook until fragrant and golden, about 5 minutes. Monitor the heat so the garlic doesn’t cook too quickly or burn.
Very carefully stir the tomato paste into the garlic and oil—take care so the oil doesn’t splatter and burn you as the paste is added—and cook for 1-2 minutes. Carefully spoon the tomatoes into the pan with the oil and paste and season with salt and pepper. Add the basil sprigs and bring to a boil. Reduce to a bubbling simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, cover to keep warm, and stir to mix the oil that rises to the top. Discard the basil sprigs and garlic.
In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan or skillet, add 2-3 inches of canola or vegetable oil and heat to 350°F. Once the oil is hot, remove the mozzarella sticks from the freezer. Fry the sticks 2 or 3 at a time until golden brown and the cheese is melted through, turning once or twice while frying. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate.
Serve the warm mozzarella sticks smothered with the marinara sauce or served on the side for dipping

Notes

Makes 16 mozzarella sticks

Nutrition

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