Name: Hurricane Bay Mozzarella Sticks
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 1 h 28 min
Yield: 24 sticks
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 lb low-moisture block mozzarella cheese; 3/4 cup all-purpose flour; 3 large eggs; 3 tablespoons whole milk; 2 cups panko breadcrumbs; 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder; 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon dried basil; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 4 gallons peanut oil (Member's Mark); 1 jar marinara sauce, for dipping (Rao's)

Yields 24 sticks

Prep + Rest 1 hr 20 min

Cook 8 min

Oil Temp 350°F

Difficulty Beginner

The trick to mozzarella sticks at home is the freezer, not the fryer. If the cheese isn't frozen rock solid before it hits the oil, the inside melts before the breading sets and you've got a puddle instead of a stick. Once you make that mistake one time you don't make it again.

Andy Baraghani's BA's Best Mozzarella Sticks in Bon Appétit takes care of this with a double-bread and an hour minimum freeze. The Hurricane Bay HB-4 makes the fry trivial because 4 gallons of oil at 350°F won't crash from a basket of frozen sticks the way a kitchen pot does. Two minutes from drop to plate.

Take it to the store. Take it to the cookout.

Printable PDF: full recipe + Walmart shopping checklist on one page.

Download Recipe + Shopping List (PDF)

★ The Block-and-Panko Pairing

Great Value Whole Milk Mozzarella Block

A solid block of low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella is what you want, never fresh mozzarella balls because they hold too much water and will explode in oil. Great Value's block is consistent and cheap, and one block makes 24 sticks. Pair with Kikkoman panko for the right crunch.

Member's Mark Peanut Oil

HB-4 oil capacity4 gallons

Target temp350°F

Freeze time1 hr minimum

Basket capacity8–10 sticks

Ingredients

1 lb low-moisture block mozzarella cheese Great Value Whole Milk Mozzarella block, 16 oz
3/4 cup all-purpose flour Gold Medal All-Purpose Flour
3 large eggs Great Value Large White Eggs
3 Tbsp whole milk Great Value Whole Milk, 1 gallon
2 cups panko breadcrumbs Kikkoman Panko Bread Crumbs, 8 oz
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder McCormick
1 1/2 tsp onion powder McCormick
1 tsp dried oregano McCormick
1 tsp dried basil McCormick
1 tsp kosher salt Morton Coarse Kosher Salt
4 gallons peanut oil Member's Mark, 35 lb jug (Sam's Club)
1 jar marinara sauce, for dipping Rao's Homemade Marinara, 24 oz

Method

Cut the cheese into sticks

Cut the block of mozzarella into pieces about the length and thickness of your finger. You should get 20 to 24 sticks out of a 1 lb block. Even sizing matters, uneven sticks fry unevenly.
Set up three breading stations

One bowl with the flour. One bowl with eggs and milk whisked together. One bowl with panko, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, basil, and salt mixed together.
Double-bread each stick

Roll each stick in flour, then egg, then panko. Then back into the egg and back into the panko a second time. The double coat is what holds the cheese in.
Freeze solid

Lay the breaded sticks on a parchment-lined sheet pan and freeze at least 1 hour, ideally 2 to 3. They need to be hard as a hockey puck before they hit the oil. This is non-negotiable.
Bring the HB-4 to 350°F

Fill the Hurricane Bay HB-4 with 4 gallons of peanut oil and bring to 350°F, about 12 to 14 minutes from cold.
Fry frozen sticks 2 minutes

Lower 8 to 10 frozen sticks into the basket and fry for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes, turning once. Pull them when the breading is deep golden, not before. Frozen-to-fried, the cheese inside should be melted but not running.
Drain and rest 30 seconds

Set the sticks on a paper-towel-lined sheet pan and let them rest 30 seconds so the cheese settles. If you bite in immediately you'll burn the roof of your mouth.
Serve with warm marinara

Heat the marinara in a saucepan and serve in a small bowl alongside the sticks for dipping.

Recipe inspired by Recipe inspired by Andy Baraghani's BA's Best Mozzarella Sticks in Bon Appétit. The double-bread and freeze-solid step are his. We adapted the fry time and basket count for the Hurricane Bay HB-4's 4-gallon outdoor capacity.

Hurricane Bay Mozz Sticks.

Take it to the store. Take it to the cookout.

Great Value Whole Milk Mozzarella Block

Method

Cut the cheese into sticks

Set up three breading stations

Double-bread each stick

Freeze solid

Bring the HB-4 to 350°F

Fry frozen sticks 2 minutes

Drain and rest 30 seconds

Serve with warm marinara

Cook this on the unit it was tuned for.