Crispy Baked Mozzarella Sticks (Printable)

Golden crunchy exterior with melty cheese inside. Easy baked version with classic Italian herbs and panko coating.

# What You Need:

→ Cheese

01 - 14 oz low-moisture mozzarella cheese sticks (about 20 sticks)

→ Breading

02 - 2 large eggs
03 - 1/4 cup milk
04 - 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
05 - 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
06 - 1/2 cup fine dry Italian breadcrumbs
07 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
08 - 1/2 tsp dried oregano
09 - 1/2 tsp dried basil
10 - 1/2 tsp salt
11 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

→ For Baking

12 - Olive oil spray

# How-To:

01 - Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for the freezing stage.
02 - Slice mozzarella cheese into stick shapes if not pre-cut into uniform pieces.
03 - Arrange sticks in a single layer on the baking sheet and freeze for at least 1 hour until very firm to prevent melting during baking.
04 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Place a wire rack on a second baking sheet and lightly coat with olive oil spray.
05 - Prepare three shallow bowls: Bowl 1 with flour, Bowl 2 with whisked eggs and milk combined, Bowl 3 with panko, Italian breadcrumbs, garlic powder, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper mixed together.
06 - Working quickly with a few sticks at a time, coat each frozen mozzarella stick in flour (shake off excess), dip in egg mixture, then roll in breadcrumb mixture, pressing firmly to adhere. For extra crunch, repeat egg and breadcrumb coating once more.
07 - Place breaded sticks on the prepared wire rack, spacing them apart to allow air circulation for even crisping.
08 - Generously spray the tops with olive oil spray to promote golden browning.
09 - Bake for 8-10 minutes, turning halfway and spraying the other side with oil, until golden and crisp. Watch closely during the final minutes to prevent cheese from oozing out.
10 - Let cool for 2 minutes to set the coating before serving warm with marinara sauce.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The crunch is somehow restaurant-quality despite never touching a deep fryer
  • They bake up in minutes and disappear even faster
  • Freezing ahead means you can bread them today and bake them for surprise guests tomorrow
02 -
  • Skip the freezing step and your cheese will absolutely escape its breading prison
  • Work with only a few sticks at a time or your frozen cheese will start thawing before you can bread them
  • Watch them like a hawk during those last two minutes, because the difference between golden and cheese explosion is about sixty seconds
03 -
  • For extra kick, add a pinch of smoked paprika or red pepper flakes to your breadcrumb mixture
  • If you want to go gluten-free, substitute gluten-free flour and breadcrumbs and they will still turn out amazing
  • Spray your olive oil generously and do not be shy about it, because this is what creates that beautiful golden color

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