Homemade Mozzarella Sticks with String Cheese (2024)

Published: Sep 15, 2022 · Modified: Sep 30, 2022 by Fox Valley Foodie · This post may contain affiliate links

If you are looking to learn how to make homemade mozzarella sticks, you've come to the right place. Although traditional mozzarella cheese can be used, it is easiest to make with perfectly portioned sticks of string cheese and is ready to be enjoyed in 10 minutes.

You know what I absolutely crave when it is hot and muggy outside, and my house feels like a sauna? Deep fried food! Well, not typically, but Tuesday I was absolutely ravenous for some good ol' deep fried Wisconsin cheese!Cheese is to Wisconsin what corruption is to Illinois... we couldn't function without it. It's practically our state vitamin.

Heck, Wisconsin'sdeep fried cheese curds look like over-sized vitamins, and they sure make me feel a lot better! If you like making your own homemade mozzarella sticks, you HAVE to check out my Beer Battered Deep Fried Cheese Curds recipe too!

What Are Mozzarella Sticks

Mozzarella sticks are a popular deep fried appetizer consisting of long slices of mozzarella cheese which are coated in seasoned breadcrumbs and fried until golden brown and melted inside. Mozzarella sticks are most commonly served with marinara sauce or ranch dressing for dipping.

Can I make Mozzarella Sticks with String Cheese?

Yes, making homemade mozzarella sticks with string cheese is not a difficult proposition, particularly if you take advantage of the fact that string cheese is already in perfectly portioned sticks ready to fry! All you need to do is coat them in a breadcrumb mixture and dunk them in oil! You can even make Doritos Mozzarella Sticks if you are feeling crazy!

I use Italian breadcrumbs to make this an easy recipe, since they already contain seasoning. However, you can substitute regular bread crumbs if needed, and just add Italian seasoning to taste. You could even add black pepper and garlic powder to the bread crumb mixture.

Can I bake mozzarella sticks?

Yes, you can makehomemade mozzarella sticks without frying, by baking them in the oven. However, I find baked mozzarella sticks have a higher risk of error since you can't monitor their cooking as closely. You are more likely to end up with melted white blobs than stretchy homemade cheese sticks!

Not to mention, baked mozzarella sticks aren't all that healthy either. You are still chowing down on big sticks of breaded cheese. Might as well fry them in oil, get better flavor, and have a better chance of them cooking to perfection.

If you still wish to attempt baked mozzarella sticks I recommend freezing the cheese prior to breading and baking them in a 450-degree oven until golden brown and the cheese threatens to ooze out. Freezing the cheese buys you a little more time before you have a melted disaster.Just make sure you use a rimmed baking sheet so the melting string cheese sticks don't drip to the bottom of the oven.

How to Make Homemade Mozzarella Sticks

If you don't have a deep fryer, and I don't, I recommend using a cast iron fryer. It has deep walls which is perfect for containing and oil threatening to splatter over, and the heavy nature of cast iron is perfect for maintaining a steady temperature. All of my deep frying is done exclusively in this.

Use your digital thermometer to monitor the frying oil temperature. The oil temperature will drop after adding the initial batch of breaded mozzarella sticks, so I typically increase the heat of my burner after I start frying, or raise my initial frying temperature a little over 365 to compensate for the impending drop.

For best results, it is a good idea to do a test batch with a single stick to get an idea of how quickly your mozzarella sticks will cook. If you see the gooey cheeseoozing out, they are overcooking and should be removed immediately with a slotted spoon.

Once your delicious fried cheese sticks are done bathing in hot oil, place them on a paper towel-lined baking sheet to soak up the grease. Then serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

More classic bar appetizers

• Chicken wings - can be baked in the oven!
• Homemade French fries - as good as your favorite restaurant!
• Fried green tomatoes - A southern classic!
• Burger Sliders - Perfect for a crowd!

If you enjoyed reading my homemade mozzarella sticks recipe then you should probably like me on Facebook and follow me on Pinterest too. That’s what I would do at least, because if you don’t get to know me but you still use my recipe it is kind of like taking candy from a stranger, and your mom taught you not to do that. Don’t disobey your mom, subscribe to Fox Valley Foodie today.

This recipe was originally published on FoxValleyFoodie.com July 15, 2015.