Cheesy Garlic Herb Mozzarella Sticks

 Meet the Homemade Mozzarella Stick- extremely cheesy and basically the most incredible snack food ever!  Double breaded in seasoned crunchy crumbs, herby and fried to perfection..filled with cheese.. these are the ultimate finger food. Perfect for kids and also perfect for home alone lunch- because trust me you won’t want to share!

We definitely have recipe staples in our house. Chicken recipes I make week after week, Moroccan Fish I know by heart, and the foods that I trust to feed the family and make everyone happy.

But once in a while something comes along that I’m not sure how we ever lived without. First it was Homemade Salmon Gravlax(what on earth did we ever do for Sunday brunch before this?!). Then it was Honey Garlic Chicken Katsu– the beautiful dinner I turn to when I want to please and awe. And then it was Mozzarella Sticks.

Now, sitting with my little kids at their foot-high table with a huge plate of Cheesy Fried Mozzarella Sticks and a dipping bowl of marinara sauce is basically summer lunchtime tradition. I feel so bad for hubby that he’s at work and never gets to enjoy this. So not fair(sorry babe!).

My girlfriends got me addicted. Rachelly and Leo are all to blame- Rachelly makes these at least 3 times a week for herself- and when I watched just how easy they were my eyes basically popped. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE kind of popped. This is her tried and true recipe for mozzarella sticks that is just so easy- you’re going to love it!!

(these are also really great girls night food and drunk food and football for the guys party food). Let’s encompass everything 😛

There are a couple options for cheeses when making your Cheesy Mozzarella Sticks. You can use a pack of string cheese, or a pack of individual mozzarella sticks. These I cut in half- they are so much easier to dip and fry that way! 

OR you can buy a big block of mozzarella cheese– this is the cheaper option– and simply cut it into slices and then into finger-length sticks. Either way works fine. DO YOU.

So How DO I Make Mozzarella Sticks?

You’ll need to set out three bowls first.

1.One with plain ol’flour(I always sift mine for bugs and things). 

2.Another with egg and milk- this we season with dried oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Just whisk it up a little to combine everything.

3. Last bowl gets breadcrumbs, which we spice as well with garlic and oregano. 

The order of dipping the cheese sticks goes- flour, egg, breadcrumbs, back into the egg and back into the breadcrumbs. The double dip gives the cheese sticks extra crunch and an extra layer– helping keep the cheese from oozing out while it gets fried.

Once all the mozzarella sticks are dipped and breaded, place them in a single layer on a plate and into the freezer. Let them sit for at least 10-15 minutes, but preferably an hour. It’s hard to wait, I know. But- freezing them firms the cheese sticks up and also helps them keep a nice shape while frying, so don’t skip this step!

Then all that’s left is to fry them up! Pop them straight from the freezer into a heated pan of oil and fry until beautiful and golden. 

Can I prep these Mozzarella Sticks in advance?

YES! You can cover them and leave them in the freezer for a couple days or longer(they probably won’t last longer just warning you).

What do I serve with Mozzarella Sticks?!

We like marinara sauce. It pairs perfectly with the fried cheese and crunchyness!

I serve these on a cake tray for fun- mine is from 1220 Ceramics!

We hope you love these Cheesy Garlic Herb Mozzarella Sticks like we do! Share a photo on Insta and tag estee_bestie when you make them, and feel free to shoot me a message and say hello! Lots of love, Estee.

Cheesy Garlic Herb Mozzarella Sticks

Estee

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 3 mins

Total Time 13 mins

Course finger food

Ingredients

  

• one package of mozzarella sticks or string cheese(about 8 cheese sticks) or mozzarella block cut into sticks
• 1/2 cup flour

Egg Dip

• 2 medium eggs
• 2 Tbs milk
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• pinch of black pepper

Panko Dip

• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 tsp garlic granules
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano

• 3/4 cup canola oil for frying
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce for dipping

Instructions

 

Prep

• Cut string cheese or mozzarella sticks into half- this should be around 16 sticks. (They are easier to fry when they are shorter!) You can also use a block of mozzarella cheese and cut it into finger-length sticks.
• Lay out three bowls. In one place flour. In the next place egg and milk, and season with garlic powder, salt, oregano, and pepper. Whisk with a fork to combine. In the third place breadcrumbs and season with garlic and oregano.

Dip cheese sticks

• Working two at a time, roll each cheese stick into the flour, dip it into the egg to fully coat it, and roll in breadcrumbs. Now dip BACK into the egg, and once again into the breadcrumbs. This double dip will give us the crispiest cheese sticks and help keep the cheese from melting out!
• Place the breaded cheese sticks onto a plate and into the freezer for at least 10 minutes. This firms them up and helps keep the shape while frying.

Fry

• Heat up oil. Pop sticks straight from the freezer into the pan and fry until golden on each side. Don't over-fry or the cheese will leak out. Serve immediately with marinara sauce. Enjoy!!!