These Fried Mozzarella Cheese Balls are bite sized deliciousness! They're super simple to make with minimal ingredients then fry to crispy golden perfection. A must try appetizer!
When I was a kid I was obsessed with mozzarella sticks with marinara. I haven't eaten them in years, but I know these are 100 times better!
Gooey mozzarella cheese meets Italian breading for the best match up, then dunk them in marinara sauce. I can't even explain how addicting these are.
A must have finger food for game day or for holiday parties! Guests will be begging you to make this Fried Mozzarella Cheese again and again.
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Why You'll Love This Appetizer:
- Quick. The best thing about deep frying (other than the taste) is how quick it cooks. These only fry for about 60 seconds and they're ready to eat.
- Simple Ingredient List. No lengthy grocery store list!
- Big on Taste. These Fried Mozzarella Bites are completely loaded with flavor. You don't even need the sauce, but it is a great final touch.
- Great for Game Day. Guests won't be expecting homemade mozzarella balls, but will be thrilled when you put them out for snacking on.
For more Game Day Recipes, try this Fried Pickle Dip, Roast Beef Sliders on Hawaiian Rolls and Steak and Cheese Calzones.
Ingredients:
Mozzarella: I like using these Galbani string cheese and cutting them into 6-7 pieces. It's a really tasty choice that melts well and is easy to work with. It's not ultra runny like some versions of mozzarella.
All Purpose Flour: The mozzarella is first dredged into flour. This gives it a coating for the egg to stick to.
Egg: Whisked together and used to make the breadcrumbs stick to the exterior of the cheese.
Italian Breadcrumbs: The last dunk of the cheese goes into a bowl of seasoned Italian breadcrumbs, which turns into a golden brown exterior when fried.
Oil: Vegetable oil or canola oil are a great option for this recipe for their neutral flavor and high burning point. Plus, they're inexpensive.
*A candy thermometer is best to check the rising oil temperature for this recipe. This is a tricky one to fry because the cheese melts out quick. It's super important to know the oil temperature.
*Full recipe ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Variations:
- Not big on marinara? Dip them into this Wingstop Ranch recipe instead!
- Regular breadcrumbs can be seasoned with dried oregano, parsley and basil to be really similar to the Italian version. Add 1 teaspoon of each.
- I don't recommend any other method of cooking. We warmed some up in the oven later in the day, but they just don't taste the same as when fried.
Love Mozzarella Cheese Recipes? Try these Charcuterie Skewers, Caprese Burrata, and Vegetarian Stuffed Shells.
How to Make Fried Mozzarella Cheese Balls:
Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk together the Italian breadcrumbs with salt, pepper, oregano, parsley and garlic powder. Note: The oregano and parsley are optional if using Italian breadcrumbs because they're already mixed in the box, but I like the extra flavor.
Step 2: Prepare all three bowls for dipping the mozzarella sticks. In the first bowl (bowl 1) add in the flour. In another bowl (bowl 2) crack the eggs and scramble with a whisk or fork to combine. The third bowl is the breadcrumb mixture from step one.
Step 3: Slice each cheese stick into 6 pieces. Coat each cheese ball in flour, then completely saturate in the egg. Next, roll into the breadcrumb bowl, making sure every spot of the cheese is covered and no cheese is visible. If you can see cheese, dip that portion in egg, then breadcrumb again to cover. Place all the mozzarella cheese balls on a plate. Note: If there are pieces of cheese showing, it will leak out when deep fried.
Step 4: Warm up the marinara sauce in a saucepan on low heat on the stovetop. This way it's ready to serve as soon as the mozzarella cheese bites are ready.
Step 5: Fill a large dutch oven with 3 cups of oil and heat to 340 degrees over medium heat. Working in 3 batches, add the first batch to the hot oil, trying to spread them away from each other when carefully dropped into the oil. Cook for 60-90 seconds and remove from the oil.
Step 6: Transfer to a wire rack and finish the next 2 batches.
Step 7: Serve the fried cheese bites with marinara sauce and enjoy!
Expert Tips:
- It is extremely important in this recipe to make sure no cheese is showing or it will leak out when frying. If it is, dunk the cheese back into the egg, then breadcrumbs before frying.
- Only fry these between 60 and 90 seconds if the oil is between 330 and 350 degrees. Leaving them in longer will cause them to leak the cheese.
- Two to three batches is a must for this recipe. I tested it first by dumping them all in at once and they stuck together with leaking cheese and caused a mess.
- These taste best fresh out of frying. I don't recommend prepping them ahead in the day.
Love crispy fried recipes? Try these Buttermilk Chicken Burgers, Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Wings and Air Fryer Parmesan Zucchini.
Recipe FAQs:
My favorite sauces are Marinara Sauce, store bought or homemade San Marzano Marinara Sauce, or try this Creamy Copycat Wingstop Ranch recipe.
Use a neutral oil with a high burning point, like Canola Oil or Vegetable Oil. These are also pretty inexpensive and you need 3 cups to fry them.
I highly suggest eating all of these fresh. However, if you have leftovers, store them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days. To reheat, place in a 350 degree oven and warm them up. Pull out before the cheese starts to leak out, which happens fast.
More Game Day Recipes You'll Love:
If you tried this Fried Cheese Ball Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
PrintRecipe
Fried Mozzarella Cheese Balls
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 36 bite sized cheese balls 1x
Description
These Fried Mozzarella Cheese Balls are bite sized deliciousness! They're super simple to make with minimal ingredients then fry to crispy golden perfection. A must try appetizer!
Ingredients
- 6 Mozzarella Cheese Sticks (part skim), unwrapped
- 1.5 cups Italian breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (optional if using Italian breadcrumbs)
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley (optional if using Italian breadcrumbs)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups canola or vegetable oil
- 1 cup marinara sauce for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the Italian breadcrumbs with salt, pepper, oregano, parsley and garlic powder.
- Prepare all three bowls for dipping the mozzarella sticks. In the first bowl (bowl 1) add in the flour. In another bowl (bowl 2) crack the eggs and scramble with a whisk or fork to combine. The third bowl is the breadcrumb mixture from step one.
- Slice each cheese stick into 6 pieces. Coat each cheese ball in flour, then completely saturate in the egg. Next, roll into the breadcrumb bowl, making sure every spot of the cheese is covered and nothing is visible. If you can see cheese, dip that portion in egg, then breadcrumb again to cover. Place all the mozzarella cheese balls on a plate. Note: If there are pieces of cheese showing, it will leak out when deep fried.
- Warm up the marinara sauce in a saucepan on low heat on the stovetop. This way it's ready to serve as soon as the mozzarella cheese bites are ready.
- Fill a large dutch oven with 3 cups of oil and heat to 340 degrees over medium heat. Working in 3 batches, add the first batch to the hot oil, trying to spread them away from each other when carefully dropped into the oil. Cook for 60-90 seconds and remove from oil.
- Transfer to a wire rack and finish the next 2 batches.
- Serve the fried cheese with marinara sauce and enjoy!
Notes
- It is extremely important in this recipe to make sure no cheese is showing or it will leak out when frying. If it is, dunk the cheese back into the egg, then breadcrumbs before frying.
- You only need to fry these between 60 and 90 seconds if the oil is between 330 and 350 degrees. Leaving them in longer will cause them to leak the cheese.
- Two to three batches is a must for this recipe. I tested it first by dumping them all in at once and they stuck together with leaking cheese and caused a mess.
- These taste best fresh out of frying. I don't recommend prepping them ahead in the day.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: deep fried
- Cuisine: American
Payton
I could eat 100 of these! So good!
Tara Smithson
Me too! Thank you!