These gluten-free mozzarella sticks are the ultimate party appetizer! Melty, gooey cheese in the center, perfectly crispy on the outside!
These mozzarella sticks can be made in advance and can be deep-fried or air-fried. Either way they’re delicious!
Who doesn’t love mozzarella cheese sticks? They’re gooey and cheesy on the inside, crisp and crunchy on the outside…it’s an irresistible combination!
These crispy sticks are a hit at every party, whether you make them for a Super Bowl party, another football game day, a birthday party, or for a casual weekend dinner.
This delicious version of mozzarella sticks is totally gluten-free, and no one will be the wiser! I simply swapped regular breadcrumbs with gluten-free panko breadcrumbs for a gooey cheese appetizer everyone will love.
Pair this mozzarella stick recipe with tomato sauce, marinara, ranch dressing, or your favorite dipping sauce. This is the perfect snack for any occasion!
Make some gluten-free meatballs to go along with them!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Crisp exterior and ultra-melty center
- Perfect game day appetizer
- Easy to make
- Made with 4 simple ingredients
For more gluten-free appetizers, try these recipes for gluten-free pretzels, gluten-free breadsticks, gluten-free stuffed mushrooms and gluten-free jalapeno poppers.
You also might like these naturally gluten-free recipes for artichoke dip, bacon wrapped dates and caramelized onion dip.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to make these crispy mozzarella sticks:
- Gluten-free breadcrumbs: For best results, use gluten-free panko breadcrumbs. These work best and create the ideal texture! I really like Ian’s gluten-free panko.
- Gluten-free flour: You can use any kind of gluten-free all-purpose flour for this recipe. It doesn’t necessarily need to be 1:1 baking flour.
- Eggs: I always use large eggs for this recipe!
- Mozzarella: While you can use pre-sliced mozzarella sticks, freshly slicing real mozzarella cheese yourself will give you a meltier, more delicious mozzarella stick. I like to buy part skim mozzarella cheese.
How to Make Gluten-Free Mozzarella Sticks
- Cut the block of mozzarella in half lengthwise. Then cut those halves into sticks that are about ½-inch thick.
- Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Set up 3 bowls for a dipping station.
- Gluten-free all-purpose flour
- Egg mixture (eggs whisked together until smooth with a pinch of salt)
- Gluten-free panko breadcrumbs
- Dip each cheese stick in the gluten-free flour, followed by the egg wash, and finally the third bowl of gluten-free breadcrumb mixture. Place each coated stick on the baking sheet.
- Freeze the mozzarella sticks, on the baking sheet, for at least for two hours.
- In a heavy-bottomed 8-inch saucepan, heat the oil of choice to 365F. You want there to be a few inches of oil in the pan.
- Deep fry the mozzarella sticks in batches (about 4-5 at a time) for about 2-3 minutes, until golden brown. Flipping once halfway through.
- Let the cheese sticks drain excess oil briefly on paper towels, then serve immediately with marinara sauce. Enjoy your gluten free cheese sticks!
Storage Instructions
To store: These mozzarella sticks are best eaten just after frying, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
To make ahead: These mozzarella sticks can be made ahead. Just follow all of the steps up until the frying, and keep stored in the freezer until ready to fry.
FAQs
Most mozzarella sticks aren’t gluten-free, since they’re dipped in regular breadcrumbs, or a batter that contains gluten. However, you can make your own gluten free mozzarella sticks. I used gluten-free bread crumbs in my recipe!
Kraft mozzarella string cheese is gluten-free, but most fried mozzarella sticks are not.
Yes, people with Celiac disease can eat mozzarella cheese. Like most types of cheese, it’s naturally gluten-free!
Expert Tips & Tricks
- You can use pre-sliced cheese sticks to save time, but I’ve found that slicing a block of mozzarella fresh yields meltier cheese sticks.
- This is a great make-ahead appetizer, since you can freeze the sticks before frying for up to a week or more!
- I’ve tried making these mozzarella sticks with many kinds of gluten-free breadcrumbs, but Ian’s gluten-free panko breadcrumbs always work best to create a crispy crust!
- Feel free to add more seasoning to the breadcrumbs, if you’d like. You could add Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, or black pepper for extra flavor.
MORE GLUTEN-FREE APPETIZERS
I hope you love this cheesy appetizer as much as we do! If you try these gluten-free mozzarella sticks, be sure to leave me a comment/rating below. I’d love to hear from you!
Gluten-Free Mozzarella Sticks (FRY OR AIR-FRY!)
Ingredients
- 16 ounce block whole milk mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup gluten-free all purpose flour any kind brand will work
- 3 large eggs
- 10-14 ounces gluten-free panko breadcrumbs
- Oil of choice for frying I use vegetable oil
Instructions
TO FRY:
- Cut the block of mozzarella in half lengthwise. Then cut those halves into sticks that are about ½-inch thick.
- Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Set up 3 bowls for a dipping station. – Gluten-free all purpose flour– Eggs whisked together until smooth with a pinch of salt – Gluten-free panko breadcrumbs
- Dip each cheese stick in the gluten-free flour, followed by the egg and finally the gluten-free panko. Place each coated stick on the baking sheet.
- Freeze the mozzarella sticks, on the baking sheet, for at least for two hours.
- In a heavy bottomed 8-inch saucepan, heat the oil of choice to 365F. You want there to be a few inches of oil in the pan.
- Fry the mozzarella sticks in batches (about 4-5 at a time) for about 2-3 minutes, until golden brown. Flipping once halfway through.
- Let the cheese sticks drain briefly on a paper towel, then serve immediately with marinara sauce. Enjoy!
TO AIR-FRY:
- Set your air fryer to 390°F. Spray the air fryer basket and the mozzarella sticks with a nonstick cooking spray. Air fry the mozzarella sticks (in batches if desired or necessary, as space permits) for 6 to 8 minutes until the exterior is golden and crispy.
Notes
- You can use pre-sliced cheese sticks to save time, but I’ve found that slicing a block of mozzarella fresh yields meltier cheese sticks.
- This is a great make-ahead appetizer, since you can freeze the sticks before frying for up to a week or more!
- I’ve tried making these mozzarella sticks with many kinds of gluten-free breadcrumbs, but Ian’s gluten-free panko breadcrumbs always work best to create a crispy crust!
- Feel free to add more seasoning to the breadcrumbs, if you’d like. You could add Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, or black pepper for extra flavor.
My boys absolutely LOVED these and now we make them at least once a week. Thank you!
So happy to have found a gluten free recipe! These tasted so good in the air fryer!!
Amazing! The best part is no one could tell there gluten free, thank you!
Have you tried these in the oven? I was thinking that might be a good option for our household.