Recipe: Homemade Fried Mozzarella

SWhipping up a batch of Fried Mozzarella is super easy. You can prepare it beforehand and fry it up when you’re ready.

I love a cozy homemade Italian meal on a cold winter night.

Especially when there’s lots of red wine. But let’s be honest, there’s always lots of red wine flowing at my dinner table on any given night.

A Fresh Take on an Old Favorite

A while back I craved the good old-fashioned mozzarella sticks I’d eat as a kid. Literally even the ones I got at my school’s lunch cafeteria. There’s something so nostalgic about them… am I the only one that feels that way? I was out with friends having cocktails and somehow a whole platter of fried mozzarella sticks ended up in front of us. They looked just like the ones I craved but they stomped all over my nostalgia. They were good, only because they were drunk munchies.

But it was while chomping down on these I realized they were just your run of the mill box of frozen mozzarella sticks. It was a sinking feeling to know my palette had changed so much from my childhood. I’ve never been much of a calorie-peeper but I AM an ingredient-peeper to fault. And while I feasted I couldn’t distance myself from the thought of all the processed crap these tasteless sticks had in them. Were they even worth it? I just wanted something full of flavor, slightly greasy but still… real.

Soon after I tried to make them myself.

Keep Mozzarella from Melting While Frying

The best technique to keep your mozzarella intact is to freeze it. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, spread out your breaded mozzarella rounds and slide the tray in the freezer for 30 minutes to 2 hours. It’s a great way keep your cheese from getting too melty while pan frying. No need to let it defrost, just take it out of the freezer and add the rounds directly to your sizzling pan.

Yes, A Big Skillet is Necessary for Fried Mozzarella

You need a big frying pan to make 12 in a single batch and since they’re best right from the pan, you need to be able to make them all at once. I use this pan, and it’s turned into my favorite one. It fits an entire sliced zucchini when I make my fried zucchini too.

Simmer Your Spices First

After adding olive oil to the skillet immediately add the garlic powder, dried oregano and parsley. Stir the herbs a bit to saturate them in the oil. This allows the flavor of each to open while your oil heats up. Your kitchen will be smelling so fragrant, you’ll think you’re in the hills of Tuscany and you’ll need to immediately pour yourself a glass of Cabernet ASAP.

Yield: ~12 slices

Easy Homemade Fried Mozzarella

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A crispy batch of fried mozzarella is easy to make at home. Prepare beforehand and pan fry when you're ready to eat.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 lb fresh mozzarella sliced into ~12 discs (easiest to buy pre-sliced fresh mozzarella)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• ~4 tbsp olive oil for frying
• salt & pepper

Instructions

Preparing the Mozzarella

1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk.
3. In a separate medium bowl, add breadcrumbs.
4. Working with one slice of mozzarella at a time, dip a disc of mozzarella into the egg mixture and slightly wiggle off any excess egg. Dip in breadcrumbs and make sure mozzarella disc is fully covered. Lay on prepared cookie sheet.
5. Repeat egg/breading steps until you've used all mozzarella.
6. Place in cookie sheet in freezer for at least 30 minutes or up to several hours.

Frying the Mozzarella

1. Heat olive oil in large skillet over high heat. While oil is heating up, add parsley, oregano and garlic powder and whisk until incorporated with the oil.
2. Once oil is heated up, remove tray of mozzarella from the freezer and add to pan in one single layer.
3. Cook the mozzarella over high heat for about 4 - 5 minutes, until a golden crust is formed. This can happen quicker, so keep checking the underside of the mozzarella to make sure it doesn't burn.
4. Once golden-brown, flip the mozzarella and add an additional tbsp of oil if needed.
5. Continue cooking until crispy and golden brown. Remove from pan onto a papertowel-lined plate to soak up excess oil and sprinkle with a bit salt and pepper to taste.
6. Serve immediately with tomato sauce, or sauce of choice.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 423Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 166mgSodium: 888mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 27g

I love dipping my Fried Mozzarella in my Quick Garlicky Tomato Sauce and serving both alongside a chilled Classic Caesar Salad. Round out your meal with a little Cab or Merlot and hell, at this point, just light some candles and turn on Dean Martin.