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
Scale
- 6 Mozzarella Cheese Sticks (part skim), unwrapped
- 1.5 cups Italian breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (optional if using Italian breadcrumbs)
- 1/2 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