Description
Crispy fried cheese sticks with a seasoned panko breadcrumb coating, perfect as a delicious vegetarian appetizer. This recipe uses mozzarella and cheddar string cheese sticks, deep-fried to golden perfection and served with marinara sauce for dipping.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheese Sticks
- 16 oz string cheese sticks (mozzarella and cheddar)
Breading Mixture
- 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 (about 2 inches deep in pan)
Instructions
- Heat Oil: Fill a deep frying pan or skillet with about 2 inches of oil and heat over high heat until it reaches around 350 degrees Fahrenheit and is sizzling.
- Prepare Wet Mixture: In a shallow bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Prepare Breading Mixture: In another shallow bowl, combine the panko bread crumbs with Italian herbs seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Bread the Cheese Sticks: Unwrap the string cheese sticks. Dip each one into the buttermilk mixture, allowing excess liquid to drip off, then coat in the breadcrumb mixture. Quickly dip again into the buttermilk, then coat again with the breadcrumbs to ensure a thick crust.
- Fry Cheese Sticks: Carefully add the coated cheese sticks to the hot oil. Deep fry for about 1 minute total, cooking 20-30 seconds on one side and then 20-30 seconds on the other side, until the crust is golden brown.
- Drain and Serve: Remove the fried cheese sticks with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels briefly to drain excess oil. Serve immediately with homemade marinara sauce for dipping.
Notes
- Do not overcook the cheese sticks to prevent the cheese from drying up or leaking out; maintain oil temperature between 350°F and 360°F.
- Use a high-quality deep-frying or candy thermometer clipped onto the pan to monitor oil temperature accurately.
- Ensure the cheese sticks are fully coated with breading to avoid leaks.
- For extra crispy cheese sticks when making a large batch, keep the cooked ones warm in a 200°F oven on a baking pan with a rack.
- Freeze cheese sticks for one hour prior to breading to prevent them from becoming too soft.
- Allow excess coating to drip off before dipping cheese sticks into the next mixture to prevent sogginess.
- Give enough space between cheese sticks in the pan to ensure they fry evenly and stay crispy.
- Using a freezer bag to coat the cheese sticks with panko breadcrumbs can make the process easier and less messy.
