Mozzarella Stick Chicken Fries Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Should mozzarella sticks be frozen before frying? ›

Yes, freezing the mozzarella sticks before frying them is essential. If they aren't completely frozen, the cheese will ooze out of the flour and panko coating before it's gotten the chance to crisp up.

Put your frying pan on medium heat. In a single layer, place your breaded mozzarella sticks in the hot oil. Fry the mozzarella sticks in the hot oil making sure they get crispy on every side. It will take 1-2 minutes on each side.

Bread crumbs: I like using regular old breadcrumbs and seasoning them myself. Olive Oil for frying: Get a decent olive oil to fry with. You don't need the most expensive olive oil on the shelf. But I do think frying in olive oil adds better flavor to the mozzarella sticks.

If you get your oil temperature right, by the time the breading is crisp and brown on the outside, the cheese inside will be melty and gooey. Fry your cheese sticks at 350°F (177°C). We recommend a leave-in probe thermometer like the ThermaQ with a High Temp Smokehouse Probe for deep frying.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange product in a single layer on baking sheet and place on middle rack of oven. Bake for 7-8 minutes (half box) or 8-9 minutes (full box).

Time to fry: Carefully drop the frozen mozzarella sticks into the hot oil, ensuring you don't overcrowd the fryer or pot. Fry them for about 3-4 minutes or until they turn golden brown. You may need to flip them halfway through to ensure even browning.

Mozzarella is Dry and Rubbery

You may have stretched the curds too much. Simply let the cheese fall on its self a few times and put it in your container. It loses a lot of moisture during the stretching process.

When it comes to breading meat, most breading procedures are basically the same. But taking the extra time to soak your meat in buttermilk and let the flour set will ensure that your breading is fully adhered for the perfect breaded pork chops or breaded chicken.

You should always start with a layer of flour. This helps absorb moisture on the surface of the chicken, which would keep the breading from sticking and make a mess in the hot oil. The flour also gives the egg something to cling to—otherwise it would slide right off the chicken.

Why does batter fall off chicken when frying? ›

When the bread-crumb-coated chicken pieces are close to each other in the iron skillet, the breading will be more likely to fall. Therefore in order to keep breading from falling off, you must deep-fry in small batches to give the chicken pieces enough space.

Today, we'll be looking at a few easy air fryer recipes that you can try the next time you want to enjoy some mozzarella sticks. Just like when you're making other dishes (such as chicken), cooking mozzarella sticks in an air fryer is way healthier than using a deep fryer and generally faster than using the oven.

Freezing for even cooking – We will freeze the breaded mozzarella sticks for two hours before cooking, which will get the cheese super cold before frying. This allows the shell to properly brown and crisp before the cheese gets overcooked.

Freeze the cheese sticks for at least 45 minutes; this helps keep the cheese from spreading too much while cooking. Spray non-stick cooking spray on the frozen cheese sticks. Add them (and the parchment paper) to your air fryer.

Cheese, when frozen, becomes firmer and less prone to melting quickly, allowing it to hold its shape during frying. This means that your fried cheese will have a delightful contrast between the crispy exterior and the creamy interior, creating a truly crave-worthy snack.

Making fried cheese requires an additional step of freezing the cheese for thirty minutes before frying, so the outer shell gets perfectly browned and crispy without overcooking the cheese. Once the cheese is extra cold, heat oil to temperature, and fry cheese in batches.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange product in a single layer on baking sheet and place on middle rack of oven. Bake for 7-8 minutes (half box) or 8-9 minutes (full box).