Gluten-Free Mozzarella Sticks

These homemade gluten-free mozzarella sticks are crispy, gooey, and perfectly cheesy. And they’re simple to make. The seasoned gluten-free breading keeps them crunchy and tasty.  (Air fryer cooking option included.)

Making a batch of homemade mozzarella sticks is not only fun but it’s pretty simple. All you need to do is bread some string cheese, chill them, and then fry until golden brown. The coating of gluten-free flour and breadcrumbs makes these extra crunchy 

If you want to prepare these in advance, you’re in luck. The uncooked, breaded sticks freeze beautifully. Then when you’re in the mood for some cheesy goodness, all you need to do is cook them and enjoy. 

Ingredients.

• Cheese. I like to use string cheese for these sticks. Not only is it easy, it’s the right shape for mozzarella sticks. Most string cheese is made from low-moisture mozzarella, which holds up perfectly for frying and gets wonderfully stretchy. If you don’t want to use string cheese, use a block of low-moisture mozzarella that you cut into individual pieces. 
• Gluten-free flour. Use gluten-free all purpose flour or finely ground white rice flour. 
• Eggs. Two whisked eggs help the breading stick to the cheese. 
• Bread Crumbs. The crunchy coating comes from a quick roll in gluten-free bread crumbs. Make sure you use dried bread crumbs, not fresh, for this recipe. 
• Basil, Garlic, and Salt. Adds flavor to the sticks.

How to Make Gluten-Free Mozzarella Sticks. 

Cheese melts. Which is usually a wonderful thing. Unless you’re trying to make homemade mozzarella sticks. 

To make mozzarella sticks that don’t melt and leak during cooking, remember two things: use cold cheese and double dip them before frying.

Grab three plates. On the first plate, place your gluten-free flour and seasonings. On the second, the whisked eggs. And on the third, the gluten-free bread crumbs. 

Roll a piece of string cheese in the seasoned gluten-free flour. Make sure to coat the ends of the cheese.

Then roll the cheese in the whisked egg. Be sure to coat entire cheese stick with egg. 

And here’s the key: repeat this. Re-roll  the cheese stick in gluten-free flour and egg a second time. Once you’ve done that, finish by coating the cheese with the gluten-free bread crumbs. 

Once all the cheese is coated, chill them for at least 15 minutes. This helps to prevent melted cheese when you fry them.  If it’s hot in your kitchen, you can freeze the cheese at this point.

How to Cook Gluten-Free Mozzarella Sticks.

You can either fry these in a pan or cook them in an air fryer.

How to Fry Gluten-Free Mozzarella Sticks in a Pan.

Frying the mozzarella sticks in oil is the classic way to make these. It gives them a really nice crunch. Here’s a few things to keep in mind. 

1. Don’t use too much oil. Heat about a half inch of oil in a frying pan. While you can use a deep fryer, shallow frying them is quicker and easier. 
2. Do fry in hot oil. To test your oil, either use an instant read thermometer or carefully place the handle of a clean wooden spoon in the oil. If bubbles appear around the handle, the oil is ready. 
3. Don’t crowd the pan. It’s important not to crowd your pan. If you do, the oil cools quickly from the cold cheese. For an 8-inch frying pan, fry six sticks at a time. 
4. Do turn them once. First fry the sticks for 30 seconds. Then carefully turn them with a heatproof spatula or pair of tongs and fry them for an additional 30 seconds. 

How to Air Fry Gluten-Free Mozzarella Sticks.

If you’d rather cook these in an air fryer, you can. 

1. Preheat the air fryer. Set your air fryer to 350 degrees F. It’s important to preheat your air fryer before cooking the sticks. If you start them in a cold air fryer, the cheese can leak. This is because of the time it takes for the fryer to get to the right temperature. 
2. Coat with oil. Give the sticks a quick coat of cooking oil spray. This is optional but helps them crisp. 
3. Flip them once. Air fry the cheese sticks for three minutes.Use a timer for this step. You don’t want to overcook them. After three minutes,  carefully flip them. This helps them to brown on both sides. 

4. Cook until brown. After flipping, cook the sticks  for another 1-2 minutes. Gluten-free mozzarella sticks are light golden brown when cooked. 

Cooking Tips.

• Bread the entire stick. Don’t forget the ends. The breading keeps the cheese from leaking.
• Chill before frying. Warm cheese melts before the breading browns. Chilling the breaded cheese before frying is a must.
• Don’t over cook. Gluten-free mozzarella sticks cook quickly. Don’t fry them for too long or the cheese will ooze out.

Dipping Sauce Suggestions.

• Marinara sauce. This is a classic. 
• Ranch dressing. Some folks love to eat mozzarella sticks with ranch dressing. 
• Raspberry sauce. Serving mozzarella sticks with raspberry sauce is popular in upstate New York. The savory-salty sticks go great with the sweet berry sauce. 

Make Ahead Instructions.

To prepare these in advance, bread them and freeze . When you’re in the mood to make them, grab a few from the freezer and prepare as directed. Frozen gluten-free mozzarella sticks take about a minute longer to cook than fresh.

Storage & Reheating Instructions

Store cooked gluten-free mozzarella sticks covered for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat them in a toaster oven or air fryer or air fryer for about three minutes or until warm and crisp. 

Uncooked breaded gluten-free mozzarella sticks can be frozen for up to 6 months. Place the sticks in a freezer container and then cook from frozen.

Note: This recipe was originally published July 2015. It was updated January 2024 to include new step-by-step photos and air fryer directions.