Easy Mini Mozzarella Cheese Sticks Recipe
For many cheese lovers out there, the mozzarella cheese sticks are definitely a treat. It’s not that hard to make and won’t take you a long time to prep. Making mozzarella cheese sticks from scratch gives you more freedom, from choosing the ingredients down to preparing it. Compared to those ready-made ones grocery, your homemade cheese sticks will have an added oomph only you can create. Guilty of having to eat a whole stick? Worry not! You can also enjoy this treat in bite sizes. Plus, small portions can also be a fun variation for the kids. That’s the beauty of homemade food!
For this recipe, we will use Kikkoman Panko 100% Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs. Panko is a Japanese-style bread crumb made using wheat flour. Compared to the usual bread crumbs, the Panko takes less oil as it is from the whites of the bread made with wheat flour. What also makes Panko different from the usual is that it has much bigger flakes giving more texture to your fried food. This gives your mozzarella cheese sticks an extra oomph with it being crispier even after being exposed to air for a long time. Not only does it take less oil, but Panko also has lower calories, fat, and sodium. An 8 oz package contains 3 grams of protein, 3 grams of dietary fiber, and no trans-fat or cholesterol. This makes it a healthier option than the usual bread crumbs.
There are a couple of ways to cook your mini mozzarella cheese sticks. If you want to really tone down on the fat, you can choose to bake the cheese sticks rather than deep-frying them. And if you have an air-fryer, you can choose to opt for that too! Here’s how to make your homemade yummy and crispy cheese sticks.
Mini Mozzarella Cheese Sticks Recipe Ingredients:
8 mozzarella sticks
½ cup flour
2 cups Panko bread crumbs
2 eggs
5 Tbsp milk
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp dried oregano (optional)
½ tsp dried basil (optional)
½ salt
½ pepper
Coconut oil (for frying)
Dip:
Marinara Sauce or your favorite dip.
Directions:
- Beat the eggs in a small bowl and add in milk.
- In a separate bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, flour, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, and pepper.
- Slice the mozzarella sticks in half.
- Dip your mozzarella sticks in the egg mixture. Then coat cheese sticks with the flour and breadcrumbs mix.
- Set aside.
Cooking By Frying
Heat oil in a deep pan or saucepan on medium-high heat. Deep fry the cheese sticks in a minute or until it turns golden brown. Do not overcrowd or put too many sticks all at once. Cook in small batches. This allows you to ensure you’ll not burn them. Once cooked, take the sticks out from the pan and dry using a paper towel to remove the oil. You may also choose to use a cooling rack over a baking sheet. Serve with your preferred dip.
By Baking
Baking your homemade cheese sticks is also another alternative. However, it is best to freeze them first at least for 30 minutes before baking. Freezing allows the ingredients to settle and your cheese to harden, which helps avoid a cheese-induced mess in your baking sheet. So if you made a big batch and decided to store them in your freezer, cooking them by baking would be the perfect way to go.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F while you are prepping your sticks. Place the fully coated mozzarella cheese sticks on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You can also use foil. Be sure to spray nonstick cooking spray on the foil. Bake within 6-8 minutes or until the cheese sticks are golden in color. Carefully remove from the oven and plate. Enjoy!
By Air Frying
If you own an air fryer, then you can also cook your cheese sticks! It’s an even healthier option since you do not need to put oil in an air-fryer. If you are going to cook frozen mozzarella cheese sticks, it’s a good idea to preheat the air fryer for at least 5 minutes at 400 degrees. Use a minimum amount of cooking spray on the basket and place your cheese sticks. As always, do not overcrowd or put too many. Make sure to close the door securely and cook for 6 minutes.
It is best to eat this cheesy delight immediately. Made too many? Fret not! You can put these treats in a resealable storage bag, keep them in the freezer and just cook them whenever you’re ready. One of the things I learned as a mom is to fill at least 2 baggies of these cheese sticks ahead of time and store them in my freezer. That way, I can have a perfect quick fix whenever I need a snack or munchies for my kids.
Check out Karman Foods Asian Food Store online to get the best high-quality ingredients you can use for this yummy and easy recipe.
BIO
Mabelle Aguilar is a home-based momma that loves to explore Asian food recipes. Her quick and easy recipes are very engaging and also provides background about the food, cuisine, and culture. She lives in her country’s food basket, southern Philippines, which reinforces her love and joy for food.