Fried mozzarella cheese sticks and balls are served in Italy as cheesy appetizers, often before a pizza. Crunchy golden brown on the outside and gooey and stringy on the inside are favorite to children and parents alike. Make this easy recipe and serve it with a selection of fried finger foods, they are the perfect Fritto Misto for an Aperocena with family and friends.
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Italians love fried food! Fried mozzarella is usually served as an easy appetizer at a pizzeria or with cocktails mixed with other fried food: Fritto misto.
Fried food is especially very popular in February during Carnival and these fried cheese sticks are a delicious appetizer.
Carnival is a 6 days festival of indulgence and celebration just before the Lenten season.
Lent is 40 days of light eating, prayers, and reflection to commemorate the time Jesus spent fasting in the desert.
This is why during Carnival we indulge and fry a lot.
Some fried finger foods are:
- Starters: fried mozzarella, crispelle, fried custard and stuffed olives.
- Mains and side dishes: veal Milanese, fried calamari, fried eggplants, fried polenta
- Desserts: struffoli, cannoli, chiacchiere, zeppole di Carnevale Graffe
Note: A different version of fried mozzarella is Mozzarella in Carrozza, which is a fried mozzarella sandwich. Very different from this recipe yet very delicious too.
These fried foods are served in paper cones a classic Italian street food in many towns and regions, Naple, Liguria, and Marche.
Ingredients
Choosing the right mozzarella
The ingredients are very simple, although choosing the right mozzarella will make a big difference in this recipe.
You need to be very careful which one you choose!
Sometimes they may look like the real mozzarella but instead, they are mushy, too watery, and creamy. Mozzarella should NOT be creamy like cream cheese.
Make sure that you are using a traditional Italian mozzarella made with spun-paste milk. "Filatura" is a process that makes this stretchy and chewy cheese.
- Mozzarella cheese balls: small mozzarella bites made with cow's milk stored in water. They are the size of a cherry about 1 in- 3 cm in diameter. They must be completely drained before using. Large mozzarella balls cannot be used as they will not melt in the center and the cheese may leak out of the breadcrumbs too. Do NOT use burrata or buffalo mozzarella either.
- Mozzarella cheese sticks: they are made with a compact mozzarella block used for pizza. This type of mozzarella is also from cow's milk and it is not stored in water, although it is still made with spun-paste milk. Do NOT use burrata or buffalo mozzarella either.
- Flour: regular all-purpose flour to coat the mozzarella before dipping it into the eggs
- Eggs: medium size fresh eggs
- Breadcrumbs: use regular breadcrumbs without any flavoring. You can also use Panko
- Vegetable Oil: it is best for deep frying
See the recipe card for quantities.
No need to freeze them
I have found different recipes that require the coated mozzarella to be frozen before frying them.
They claim: otherwise "they're going to disintegrate into a melty cheesy mess".
This has never happened to me!
There is absolutely NO need to freeze the mozzarella before frying them. The best way is to coat them twice to make sure that the breadcrumb coatings are thick enough.
If the mozzarella disintegrates, it means it is not an Italian mozzarella but a poor imitation.
So, make sure you use the proper mozzarella.
Best if it is an Italian brand like Galbani or Belgioioso, for those of you who do not live in Italy. However, in Italy there are better brands than those.
The mozzarella balls may leak slightly as they are more watery, but there is no mess or disintegration.
Instructions
- Mozzarella balls: Prepare the mozzarella for coating by draining all the water from the mozzarella packaging.
- Mozzarella sticks: Cut the mozzarella block into sticks, about 3x.6x.6 in - 8x1.5x1.5 cm
Double-coating the mozzarella
- Place the flour, beaten eggs, and breadcrumbs each into 3 separate bowls
- Coat each mozzarella pieces with the flour first
- Second into the eggs
- Third into bread crumbs
- Once the first coat of breadcrumbs is done, proceed with a second coating
- Coat each mozzarella again first with flour, second with eggs and third with breadcrumbs
NOTE: it is very important that you use a proper Italian-style mozzarella that is not too soft and that you coat it with breadcrumbs twice.
Frying the mozzarella sticks and balls
Bring the temperature of the oil at 355 F - 180 C. You can either use a regular pot or a deep fryer.
- Deep fry the mozzarella sticks and balls until golden in color
- Place them on paper towels to absorb the excess oil
- Serve immediately while they are still warm
What sauce to serve with them
The best seasoning for fried mozzarella cheese is a simple tomato sauce, like we make for pizza.
In Italy, we wouldn't call it Marinara sauce, as Marinara is a tomato sauce with oregano which we do not use that often.
Here is a recipe for a simple tomato sauce.
It is made by stir-frying a garlic clove, which is then removed from the oil, adding tomato sauce and letting it simmer for a few minutes.
The tomato sauce is seasoned with only some salt and a few basil leaves.
Italian seasoning does not exsist in Italy.
Substitutions
Fried mozzarella without breadcrumbs - you cannot fry the mozzarella without the breadcrumbs as it will melt in the hot oil and create a mess. If you want a crunchy, gooey stringy cheese without breadcrumbs you can grill Scamorza or Provola cheese. You don't need any oil as they will fry in their own buttery fat.
Breadcrumbs substitution - you can substitute breadcrumbs with Panko or a gluten-free version for dietary purposes.
Mozzarella string cheese sticks: you can substitute mozzarella with string cheese but the flavor and the texture will be different. It is probably less stringy than mozzarella and will not melt as well.
Burrata, buffalo or fresh mozzarella: DO NOT USE THEM. They are not firm enough and will melt in the hot oil.
Equipment
If you are frying a large amount of mozzarella I recommend using a deep fryer, as it will make the frying so much easier.
Especially if you have guests over, and you don't want to spend too much time in the kitchen.
However, if you don't have a deep fryer, you can use a pot filled with vegetable oil.
You can use a deep-fry thermometer to check the oil temperature.
Storage
You can keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days. You will need to warm them up in the oven for 10 minutes at 355 F - 180 C before serving them.
You can also freeze the breaded mozzarella and fry them still frozen when you want to serve them.
Top tip
The mozzarella should be coated twice to ensure a thick enough coat of breadcrumbs so the mozzarella does not leak outside in the frying oil.
FAQ
I never freeze mozzarella sticks before frying them, unless I want to serve them another time. As long as you use proper Italian mozzarella and double coat it with breadcrumbs, you don't need to freeze them.
A slightly warm simple tomato sauce seasoned with salt and basil.
No, but if you want stringy, crunchy and gooey cheese without breadcrumbs, you can grill Italian cheese like Scamorza or Provola cheese.
Personally, I don't have an air fryer as I don't eat fried food very often. I rather eat fried food less often and fry it the old fashion way. If you want a healthier version you can bake them instead of frying them.
I wouldn't recommend using different types of mozzarella as they tend to be too soft and creamy. They become too runny when they melt and will leak outside the breadcrumbs into the frying oil.
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📋 Fried mozzarella sticks and balls
Ingredients
- 8 oz Mozzarella balls ciliegine mini bites
- 8 oz mozzarella block
- ½ cup flour
- 4 cup fresh eggs
- 2 cup breadcrumbs
- vegetable oil for frying
Equipment
- 1 Deep Fryer optional
Looking for kitchen gadget gifts?Instructions
- Mozzarella balls: Prepare the mozzarella for coating by draining all the water where the mozzarella balls are stored.8 oz Mozzarella balls ciliegine
- Mozzarella sticks: Cut the mozzarella block into sticks, about 3x0.6x0.6 in - 8x1.5x1.5 cm8 oz mozzarella block
Double coating the mozzarella
- Place the flour, beaten eggs, and breadcrumbs into 3 separate bowls½ cup flour, 4 cup fresh eggs, 2 cup breadcrumbs
- Coat each mozzarella ball and stick with the flour first
- Second into the eggs
- Third into breadcrumbs
- Once the first coat of breadcrumbs is done, proceed with a second coat
- Coat each mozzarella again first with flour, second with eggs and third with breadcrumbs
Frying the mozzarella sticks and balls
- Heat the frying oil at 355 F - 180 C. You can either use a regular pot or a deep fryer.vegetable oil for frying
- Deep fry the mozzarella sticks and balls until golden in color
- Place them on a kitchen paper towel to absorb the excess oil
- Serve immediately while they are still warm
Video
Notes
Sometimes they may look like the real mozzarella but instead, they are mushy, too watery, and creamy. Mozzarella should NOT BE creamy like cream cheese.
Make sure you are using a traditional Italian mozzarella, made with spun-paste milk. It is a procedure called "filatura", that makes stretchy and chewy cheese.
Nutrition
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