Gluten-Free Mozzarella Sticks
Ingredients
- 1 lb block low-moisture mozzarella cheese
- ¾ cup gluten-free all purpose flour we use GFJules (affiliate link)
- 2 cups gluten-free plain breadcrumbs or panko** ** You could use gluten-free Italian Breadcrumbs in place of using plain-breadcrumbs + spices but we love the flavor with this mix of spices from Bon Appetit.
- 4 large eggs* *you may need up to 5 eggs, start with 4
- 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1½ teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- olive oil or oil of choice for frying
- marinara sauce of choice for dipping
Instructions
Prepare the mozzarella sticks
- Cut the mozzarella block into 1/2 strips. I did this by slicing width-wise into 7 approximately 1/2 inch slices, then cut each slice into 3 so that you end up with 21 approximately 1/2 inch mozzarella sticks. (as the blocks are not always the same size sometimes we end up with 24 sticks!)
- Set up an assembly line with 3 shallow bowls and a parchment lined baking sheet. Add the gluten-free flour to one bowl; to the next add the eggs and whisk well; and to the third bowl, add the breadcrumbs and spices, and mix to combine. Pro tip: I like to place a large piece of wax paper under the bowls so that it is easy to clean up any crumbs!
- Dip mozzarella sticks into the flour, covering evenly with a thin coat and shaking off any excess. This will allow the breading to stick well. Then dip the flour-coated mozzarella into the whisked egg and again coat well allowing any excess drip off. Then move egg-coated mozzarella to the bowl with breadcrumbs and press breadcrumbs into mozzarella. Important to really press the breadcrumbs into the mozzarella all over so that they stay when cooked. REPEAT the entire process a second time for a second coating, then set aside on the parchment lined baking sheet.
- When done coating the mozzarella, move the baking sheet to the freezer and chill for 1 hour.***
Fry the Mozzarella Sticks
- When ready to fry the mozzarella sticks, heat olive oil to 350 degrees F in a deep sided fry pan, as measured by a cooking thermometer. We add enough oil so that the mozzarella sticks will be just covered when placed in the pan.
- Working in batches, carefully place the chilled mozzarella sticks in the hot oil so that they are not touching and fry for 2 1/2 minutes, using tongs to flip once.
- Using tongs, remove crispy mozzarella sticks from the oil and place on a wire baking rack (with paper towels underneath to absorb any excess oil). Alternatively, you could place on a paper towel-lined plate but we find they stay crispiest on a baking rack.
- Serve with marinara sauce of choice and enjoy!
Notes
- After chilling for one hour, transfer to a sealed container or bag and store in freezer.
- When planning to fry them, remove from freezer 30 minutes before frying so that they are not so frozen in the center, and note that they may take a minute or two longer fry time to warm the cheese.