In order to move beyond the best (and worst) frozen mozzarella stick brands, get creative by developing your own personalized recipe. Whether you’re making homemade air-fryer mozzarella sticks or frying cheese in a skillet full of oil, you have plenty of ways to add tons of flavor to this warm and gooey snack. While breadcrumbs may be the most obvious coating, level up your fried cheese game by coating mozzarella in your favorite snack chips instead.
Truth be told, crunchy, salty snacks are easily one of the best ways to enhance homemade mozzarella sticks. With a multitude of options to choose from, you can cover cheese sticks in mild varieties like salted kettle-style potato chips or go all out with boldly-flavored options like Doritos or Takis. The flavor possibilities are endless.
To try this recipe variation, cut mozzarella sticks in half so you’re left with smaller snack-size logs. Coat each portion in flour, egg wash, and finally, crushed chips. To ensure chip crumbs don’t fall off your cheese sticks during cooking, repeat the entire coating process (including the flour and egg) twice. For added assurance, freeze fully-coated cheese sticks for at least an hour before cooking.
Whether you’re coating your next batch of cheese sticks in barbecue-flavored chips or Cheetos, you can either fry or bake these flavorful snacks. Once you get comfortable with this recipe, try more chip varieties and pair your cheesy snacks with various sauces and condiments.
Use a variety of snack chips to make ultra-flavorful mozzarella sticks at home
If you’re using crushed kettle chips as your coating of choice, make a complementary dipping sauce for added flavor. Dip mozzarella sticks coated with plain, salted potato chips in traditional marinara sauce or a cool and creamy sour cream sauce loaded with fresh herbs. Alternatively, pair cheese sticks coated in jalapeño-flavored chips with tangy and refreshing salsa.
You can also dip mozzarella sticks in your favorite flavor of crushed Doritos. If you’re using ranch-flavored Doritos, pair them with homemade ranch dressing. Mozzarella sticks coated in nacho-flavored Doritos taste amazing with a sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese and a side of buffalo sauce.
Once you’ve covered cheese in at least one or two Dorito flavors, turn your attention to Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. This nostalgic snack already makes the most flavorful chicken strips you’ve ever had, and it can also transform into a vibrant and tangy coating for mild-tasting mozzarella cheese. While you can certainly cover mozzarella sticks in regular Cheetos, the Flamin’ Hot variety adds extra color and spice to this classic snack. Better yet, mozzarella sticks rolled in crushed, spicy Cheetos pair deliciously well with creamy, tangy blue cheese dressing. For a well-rounded sauce that pairs exceedingly well with a range of different coatings, make a sriracha-based mayo with added honey. Luckily, you can use a variety of chips and condiments to create an especially crispy cheesy snack that satisfies all your tastebuds.
