These Nashville Hot Mozzarella Sticks are the best, topping the list of appetizers with a spicy, crispy crust and a gooey cheese filling on the inside! Perfect for parties or cozy nights.
I’ve reserved this Chili's copycat, spicy snack recipe for when my family needs a cheesy reward on special days or family celebrations, thanks to our homemade Nashville hot sauce-coated, crispy, and stringy cheese.
The best part? I can prepare it up to 3 months in advance and freeze it (like these cheese jalapeno sticks). Whenever needed, I can quickly deep-fry or air-fry and toss it into our easy buttery sauce.
We love enjoying them with ranch or blue cheese dressing, and the leftover Nashville sauce is a great pairing, too.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
⭐️Quick, easy, and customizable.
⭐️A freezer-friendly recipe!
⭐️Cook it your way – Bake, air fry, or deep-fry it.
Ingredients
For the Cheese Sticks
- Mozzarella Sticks: I used a mozzarella block and cut it into eight equal pieces. But feel free to use store-bought mozzarella string cheese.
- All-purpose flour: You can also substitute it with tapioca starch or cornstarch if needed.
- Large Eggs: I used two large eggs for this recipe—they work perfectly.
- Breadcrumbs: I used regular plain breadcrumbs. Panko breadcrumbs also work great and add extra crunch.
- Garlic powder and onion powder: These are added for a rich, flavorful taste.
- Paprika adds a warm, smoky depth and gives the coating its signature Nashville-style kick.
For the Sauce
- Butter: I used six tablespoons of butter, which is perfect for this recipe.
- Splice blend: The combination of cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, and chili powder brings the classic Nashville heat and smoky flavor.
- Garlic powder: Added for its robust flavors.
- Brown Sugar: I used granulated brown sugar. Light brown sugar, coconut sugar, or regular white sugar work too.
How To Make Nashville Hot Mozzarella Sticks
- Add flour to the first bowl. Add beaten egg to the second bowl. Add bread crumbs, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika to the third bowl. Then, roll each frozen mozzarella stick in flour, dip it in the egg wash, and coat it with the breadcrumb mixture. For extra crunch, repeat the egg and breadcrumb step. Place them on a tray and freeze for 1 hour.
- Spray the air fryer basket or tray lightly with oil. Arrange the sticks without overcrowding. Air fry at 400°F for 5 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and just melted inside.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix melted butter with cayenne, brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and ground black pepper.
- Brush cooked cheese sticks with our Nashville hot sauce. Serve with ranch or blue cheese and pickles.
♨️How To Adjust The Heat Level
This Nashville Hot Mozzarella Sticks air fryer recipe has a medium to medium-high heat level—it’s hot, but not overwhelming. Of course, heat tolerance varies, so here’s how you can adjust it to suit your spice comfort:
Cayenne pepper and chili powder are the primary sources of heat, while smoked paprika adds a deep, smoky flavor to the recipe; however, the butter tones down some of the intensity.
But if you still feel it's too spicy, reduce the amount of cayenne pepper and chili powder. On the other hand, if you love it hot, feel free to add a little extra cayenne or even a pinch of crushed red pepper.
The Leftovers
You can refrigerate it for up to 5 days and freeze it for up to 4 months.
To reheat, pop them in the oven or air fryer for about 5 minutes or until the outside turns crispy. If you’re meal prepping, bread the mozzarella sticks ahead of time.
Freeze them in a single layer on a tray for 1 hour, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag when it’s time to serve, fry or bake them fresh, and toss them into the hot sauce just before serving.
Troubleshooting Tips
- Cheese melting too quickly: If the cheese starts melting and oozing out too quickly, try freezing the breaded mozzarella sticks for at least one hour before frying the next batch.
- Coating falling off: If the coating slides off while frying, it’s usually because the breading didn’t stick well to the cheese. Make sure the cheese sticks are evenly coated in flour, then dipped in beaten egg, and finally rolled in breadcrumbs.
- Cheese not stretching: If the cheese isn't pulling, try reheating it in the microwave for 5-10 seconds or in the air fryer for 1 minute.
FAQ
Yes, it's the classic way to make it. Choose avocado oil or any neutral-flavored cooking oil, and deep-fry it at medium heat.
They're delicious with blue cheese dressing or ranch dip on the side. If you have any leftover Nashville hot butter sauce, you can drizzle it over or serve it as a dipping sauce, too. Serve with pickles on the side for the classic style.
Absolutely! Instead of eggs, you can use a cornstarch slurry (mix one tablespoon of cornstarch with 2–3 tablespoons of water) to help the breadcrumbs stick to the cheese bar.
More Quick Snacking Recipes To Try
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know your thoughts in the 📝 comments section below the recipe.
📖 Recipe
Nashville Hot Mozzarella Sticks
Ingredients
For the Mozzarella Sticks:
- 8 oz Mozzarella cheese (see note 1)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs (see note 2)
- 1½ cups breadcrumbs (see note 3)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Nashville Hot Coating:
- 6 tablespoon butter melted
- 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
- ½ teaspoon chili powder (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- In one shallow bowl, add the flour.
- In a second bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy.
- In a third bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and salt.
- Roll each frozen cheese stick in the flour. Dip it into the egg wash. Coat it well with the breadcrumbs.
- For extra crunch, repeat the egg wash and bread coating one more time.
- And arrange them in a tray and freeze for about one hour.
- Then slightly spray the tray or the basket with oil and arrange the breaded mozzarella sticks without crowding.
- Air fry at 400°F for about 5 minutes, or until the crust turns golden and the cheese just starts to melt, flipping halfway through.
- Meanwhile, mix together the melted butter, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and ground black pepper in a bowl.
- Brush the golden crusted mozzarella sticks generously with the Nashville hot sauce, or gently toss them in a large bowl to coat.
- Serve immediately with ranch or blue cheese dressing with pickles on the side.
Notes
- You can use mozzarella string cheese or cut a block of mozzarella into sticks.
- For an egg-free version, substitute the eggs with a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch + 2–3 tablespoons water).
- For extra crunch, use panko breadcrumbs instead of regular ones; flour can be swapped with tapioca starch or cornstarch.
- Adjust the heat by reducing cayenne and chili powder for a milder taste, or increase them.
- To store, refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 4 months; reheat in an oven or air fryer until crispy, about 5 minutes.
- To prevent cheese from oozing, freeze breaded sticks for at least 1 hour before frying.
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