Fried Bocconcini are a fun twist on mozzarella sticks! Crispy fried gooey balls of cheese that are perfect for appetizers. Dip them in your favorite marinara sauce!
We love fried tasty bites like this melty, gooey, melty bocconcini! If you love little appetizers like this, also be sure to check out these Fried Mashed Potatoes Balls made with leftover mashed potatoes or these Sausage Rolls made with flakey, buttery puff pastry!
Fried Bocconcini Recipe
I’m all for a fried mozzarella stick for an appetizer. Especially if they’re homemade, which is always better. But this fried bocconcini is definitely something to go nuts about. Bocconcini are those little balls of fresh mozzarella that come packed in water, you can usually get them in the deli section of your grocery store.
I love the flavor and texture of fresh mozzarella as opposed to the regular stuff. I mean when you think about it, how can you go wrong with fresh bocconcini thats breaded and fried?
All you need is your favorite marinara sauce on the side and you’ve got yourself an epic, party appetizer.
How to Make Fried Bocconcini
- Start by setting up a traditional breading station, flour, eggs and bread crumbs.
- Beat the eggs together with a splash of milk.
- Take the bocconcini out of the water and dry them off well with paper towels.
- Bread them by coating them in the flour first, then the eggs (letting any excess egg drip off) and then the bread crumbs. And then repeat. This bocconcini gets a double coating so that the cheese doesn’t explode out when you fry them.
- Place the bocconcini in the freezer for 30 minutes, then take them out and fry them up until they’re golden brown.
Can This Be Made Ahead Of Time?
This is definitely an appetizer that you need to make at the last minute, or at the most, 30-45 minutes before serving. You can keep them warm in a low oven for about that long and they’ll still be delicious.
Tips For Frying Success!
We have a few tips for making the best fried bocconcini! Follow these tips and tricks to make the most crispy, gooey on the inside fried little balls of cheese ever.
- Make sure to use the right cooking oil: This isn’t the time to break out the EVOO, or even regular olive oil. Olive oil doesn’t have a high smoking point so it will start to break down when the oil gets too hot. Canola or vegetable oil works perfectly.
- Make sure the the oil is at the right temperature: The right temperature is key to making fried foods taste their best! If the temperature of the oil is too low it will take longer to fry correctly, causing a soggy, greasy feel at the end.
- Don’t overcrowd the pot: This depends on the size of the pot that you’re using, but make sure not to add too many bocconcini to the pot at once. Doing this will cause the oil temperature to drop, taking longer to cook, also resulting in a soggier, greasy finish.
How To Serve Fried Bocconcini?
We love serving this bocconcini recipe with marinara sauce for dipping. Use your favorite store bought sauce or make your own.
Or you can switch it up and try a sriracha mayo sauce, a Yum Yum Sauce, buffalo sauce or even a Garlic Aioli!
Looking For More Appetizer Recipes?
PrintFried Bocconcini
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Fried Bocconcini is such a delicious appetizer recipe! Breaded bocconcini cheese fried to golden, crispy perfection.
Ingredients
- 2 packages, 8 oz. containers of fresh bocconcini
- 1 cup of Italian Seasoned bread crumbs
- 2 eggs, beaten
- Splash of milk
- 1 cup of flour
- Kosher salt and fresh black pepper to taste
- Vegetable or canola oil for frying
- Marinara sauce for dipping
Instructions
- Lay the bocconcini out on paper towels and dry them off well. Set up a breading station with the flour in one dish, the eggs and a splash of milk in another dish and the bread crumbs in the last dish.
- Dip the bocconcini in the flour first, then the egg mixture and last coat them in the bread crumbs. Go through all the mozzarella balls this way until they’re done. Then repeat the breading process. Lay the breaded cheese balls on a sheet pan and freeze for 30 minutes.
- Fill a deep sided pot half way (or a little less than half way) with oil and heat until the temperature reaches 400 degrees. Fry the bocconcini in batches so you don’t over-crowd your pot and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Season with salt and parmesan cheese as soon as they come out of the oil. Repeat until all the bocconcini are fried and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Serve with marinara sauce for dipping.
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Fried
- Cuisine: American / Italian
The recipe ingredients does not mention oil, and therefore what kind of oil should be used?
I’m going to update that post for you. It’s an old one! Vegetable or canola oil will work fine!
This looks yummy! Will try it tomorrow!