Description
Follow this recipe to make mozzarella bites with a very crispy exterior and a gooey cheese center.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound low-moisture mozzarella cheese, cut into 1-inch thick sticks or cubes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Marinara sauce, for dipping
Instructions
- Prepare the mozzarella: If using fresh mozzarella, pat the pieces very dry with paper towels. Place the cheese pieces on a parchment-lined tray and freeze for at least 2 hours until very firm. This helps prevent leaking.
- Set up the dredging stations: Place the flour in one shallow dish. In a second dish, whisk the eggs and water together. In a third dish, combine the panko breadcrumbs, plain breadcrumbs, garlic powder, oregano, and salt.
- Double dredge for extra crispiness: Take each frozen cheese piece and coat it completely in flour, shaking off excess. Dip it into the egg mixture, letting excess drip off. Then, coat thoroughly in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing gently to adhere.
- For maximum crispiness, repeat the egg dip and the breadcrumb coating process (double dredge). Place the coated pieces back on the parchment-lined tray and freeze for another 30 minutes.
- Heat the oil: Pour vegetable oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed pot or deep fryer to a depth of about 2 inches. Heat the oil to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius). Use a thermometer to monitor the temperature.
- Fry the bites: Working in small batches, carefully lower the frozen mozzarella bites into the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pot. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes, turning occasionally, until they are deep golden brown and crispy.
- Remove the bites with a slotted spoon and place them on a wire rack lined with paper towels to drain excess oil.
- Serve immediately with warm marinara sauce for dipping.
Notes
- Using low-moisture mozzarella cheese works best as it contains less water than fresh mozzarella, reducing the chance of leaks.
- Freezing the cheese before and after breading is the key step to achieving a leak-proof, crispy crust.
- If you prefer not to deep fry, you can bake or air fry at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius) until golden brown, spraying lightly with cooking oil first.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Deep Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 bites
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 3
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 24
- Saturated Fat: 12
- Unsaturated Fat: 12
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 18
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 18
- Cholesterol: 60