These wonderfully crunchy Baked Mozzarella Sticks are the perfect snack food indulgence without the guilt of frying!
Melty on the inside and crisp on the outside, these Baked Mozzarella sticks will disappear off of your table in no time! Made with simply breaded string cheese and baked in the oven, now you can enjoy everyone’s favorite finger food from your own home.
BAKED, NOT FRIED
I always gravitate towards mozzarella sticks on the menu at restaurants, but I rarely order them because I know they’re not the healthiest choice. With homemade mozzarella cheese sticks, I rest a little easier knowing they’re oven-baked and not deep-fried.
Try serving them as an appetizer for your favorite Italian dinners, like Creamy Caprese Pasta or Chicken Parmesan Casserole.
OTHER RECIPES TO SERVE WITH BAKED MOZZARELLA STICKS
- Easy Peasy Pizza Dough Bread Sticks – Why just enjoy one appetizer when you can enjoy two? Bonus- these two apps can share the same dipping sauce!
- Italian Sausage and Gnocchi Soup – You have a complete meal when you serve oven baked cheese sticks with this amazingly flavorful soup.
- Italian Chop Salad – Round out any Italian dinner with this fresh and tangy chop salad.
INGREDIENTS
Cheese: For this recipe, you will use regular string cheese, cut in halves and frozen. I buy a 12 pack so I have 24 pieces after they’re prepped. You freeze these the day before to save yourself some prep time.
Breading: This breading requires flour and panko breadcrumbs seasoned with oregano and basil and held on using an egg coating.
HOW TO BAKE MOZZARELLA STICKS
Start by prepping the string cheese by cutting them in half and freezing them. Freezing the cheese will allow time for the coating on these homemade mozzarella sticks to fully bake and crisp.
STEP ONE: Once the cheese sticks are frozen you can preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. While the oven is heating, grab 3 shallow bowls. Beat the egg in one bowl and divide the flour into the other two bowls. In one of the flour bowls, stir in the panko, basil, and oregano.
STEP TWO: To coat the cheese sticks, first dip them in the plain flour, followed by the egg, then coat them in the breadcrumb mixture. Place the coated cheese sticks back into the freezer again for at least 30 minutes.
STEP THREE: Lay the frozen coated cheese sticks onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Spray the top of the mozzarella sticks with cooking spray and place them in the oven.
STEP FOUR: Cook them for 5 minutes on each side until the sticks are melty and golden brown. Remove them from the oven and serve with your favorite dipping sauce!
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
- Be sure to coat the ends of the cheese sticks in breadcrumbs too. The breading is what holds the cheese in while everything bakes.
- Freezing the cheese before and after coating it is essential to ensure these baked mozzarella sticks deliver the perfect melty inside and crunchy outside.
HOW LONG TO BAKE MOZZARELLA STICKS?
The best part about these baked breaded cheese sticks is how quickly you can throw them together. Just ten minutes in the oven and you have better-than-restaurant quality mozzarella sticks right at home!
WHAT CAN YOU DIP MOZZARELLA STICKS IN?
These oven baked mozzarella sticks are good enough to eat on their own, but the right dip really takes them to a whole new level! When I make a batch of these I always dip them in the Best Ever Pizza Sauce. This sauce is seriously so good that I always keep some in my freezer so I have it on hand for dipping emergencies.
OTHER AWESOME APPETIZER RECIPES
- Bacon Jalapeno Popper Pretzel Bites
- Ham and Cheese Mini Calzones
- Mexican Chicken Empanadas
- Air Fryer Toasted Ravioli
- Air Fryer Fried Pickles
- Fried Green Beans
Ingredients
- 12 sticks mozzarella string cheese cut in half and frozen
- 1 egg
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour divided
- 2/3 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- Non-stick cooking spray
- Marinara sauce for dipping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Set up a dredge station using 3 shallow bowls. In the first bowl beat the egg. To the other two bowls add 1/3 flour each. To one of the flour bowls, add the bread crumbs, oregano, and basil and stir.
- Coat the cheese sticks in the plain flour, then dip into the egg, and finally coat in breadcrumb mixture. (Be sure to coat the ends as well.)
- Place the breaded cheese sticks back into the freezer for at least 30 minutes or until just before placing them in the oven. (If you skip this step, the cheese will melt before the outside gets crispy and golden.)
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat and lay out the cheese sticks. Spray the tops with non-stick cooking spray.
- Bake for 5 minutes then turn the sticks over. Bake for another 5 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and serve immediately with a bowl of marinara for dipping.
