Description
Crispy, golden fried cheese sticks coated in seasoned panko, perfect as a quick and delicious appetizer. These vegetarian-friendly mozzarella and cheddar cheese sticks are ideal for dipping in marinara sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheese Sticks
- 16 oz string cheese sticks (mozzarella and cheddar)
Breading
- 2 cups Panko bread crumbs (plain or regular Italian bread crumbs)
- 1 teaspoon Italian Herbs seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked 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)
Others
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Heat the oil: Fill a deep frying pan or skillet with about 2 inches of oil and heat it over high heat until it is sizzling and reaches about 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prepare wet mixture: In a shallow bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, salt, and pepper. Set this mixture aside.
- Prepare breading mixture: In a separate shallow bowl, combine the panko bread crumbs with Italian herbs seasoning, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Bread the cheese sticks: Unwrap each string cheese stick. Dip it first into the buttermilk mixture, letting excess drip off. Then coat it in the breadcrumb mixture. Quickly dip it again in the buttermilk mixture and then coat once more in the breadcrumbs to ensure a double coating.
- Fry the cheese sticks: Carefully add the breaded cheese sticks to the hot oil. Fry for about 1 minute total, cooking 20-30 seconds on one side and 20-30 seconds on the other side until the crust is golden brown.
- Drain and serve: Remove the fried cheese sticks and place them on paper towels briefly to drain excess oil. Serve immediately with homemade marinara sauce for dipping.
Notes
- Prevent cheese leakage by ensuring the sticks are fully breaded with no gaps.
- Maintain oil temperature between 350°F and 360°F using a deep-frying or candy thermometer for best results.
- Frying time should be limited to about one minute to avoid cheese drying or melting out.
- Freeze cheese sticks for one hour before frying to help them keep their shape and reduce softness.
- When making multiple batches, keep cooked sticks warm in a 200°F oven on a baking pan with a rack.
- Allow excess coating to drip off between dips to avoid clumps.
- Give cheese sticks enough space in the pan to avoid sogginess from overcrowding.
- Consider using a freezer bag for coating with panko for easier breading, but use a bowl for buttermilk mixture to avoid mess.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cheese stick
- Calories: 197 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
