Description
Deliciously crispy and gooey Fried Cheese Sticks, perfect as an appetizer. These golden mozzarella and cheddar sticks are coated in flavorful seasoned breadcrumbs and deep-fried to perfection for a quick and satisfying snack or starter.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheese Sticks
- 16 oz string cheese sticks (mozzarella and cheddar)
Breading
- 2 cups Panko bread crumbs (plain or regular Italian bread crumbs)
- 1 teaspoon Italian Herbs seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or regular paprika)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Wet Mixture
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup buttermilk (room temperature)
Other
- Oil for frying (enough for deep frying about 2 inches in a pan)
Instructions
- Heat the Oil: Fill a deep frying pan or skillet with about 2 inches of oil and heat it over high heat until it is sizzling and reaches about 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prepare Wet Mixture: In a shallow bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, salt, and pepper. Set aside this mixture for dipping the cheese sticks.
- Prepare Breading Mixture: In another shallow bowl, mix the panko bread crumbs with Italian herbs seasoning, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Set aside.
- Bread the Cheese Sticks: Unwrap each cheese stick. Dip it first into the buttermilk mixture, allowing excess liquid to drip off. Next, coat it evenly in the breadcrumb mixture. Then dip the coated stick again into the buttermilk mixture, and finally coat it once more in the breadcrumbs for an extra crispy crust.
- Fry the Cheese Sticks: Carefully add the breaded cheese sticks to the hot oil, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Deep fry each stick for about 1 minute total, cooking for 20-30 seconds on one side, then flipping and cooking another 20-30 seconds until the crust is golden brown and crispy.
- Drain and Serve: Remove the cheese sticks with a slotted spoon and place them on paper towels briefly to drain excess oil. Serve immediately with homemade marinara sauce or your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- Don’t let the cheese dry out by avoiding overcooking. Keep the oil temperature around 350 degrees Fahrenheit using a high-quality deep-fry or candy thermometer.
- Make extra crispy sticks by placing cooked cheese sticks in a warm oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit on a rack while frying the rest.
- Freezing the cheese sticks for an hour before breading helps prevent them from becoming too soft during frying.
- Allow the coating to drip off well between dips to avoid soggy breading.
- Give the cheese sticks enough space in the pan to fry evenly and stay crispy.
- Using a freezer bag for the breadcrumb mixture makes coating easier; avoid baggies for the buttermilk mixture as it can be messy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cheese stick
- Calories: 197 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 320 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
