These spicy mozzarella sticks with Italian sausage are the perfect snack for your next party. Mozzarella, gouda, and cream cheese are mixed with spicy Italian sausage, marinara, and zesty seasonings. Then, they’re rolled into sticks, coated in a bold, spicy panko breading and fried until golden and crunchy on the outside and ooey-gooey on the inside. They’re the ultimate mozzarella sticks!
Growing up, our mom always put her own signature twists on all kinds of classic recipes. Over the years of helping her in the kitchen, we kind of picked up that trait, too. Now that we’re grown, we love to inject our own spin on classics. That’s especially easy to do with appetizers because they’re so easy to tweak. We’ll often serve variations of classics, like jalapeno popper pastries and cheddar biscuit Little Smokies that combine classic flavors in unexpected ways to create absolutely delicious treats. That’s just what we’ve done with these spicy mozzarella sticks.
We took the classic idea of mozzarella sticks and paired those flavors with Italian sausage, marinara, and cream cheese to create mozzarella sticks that are a little bit Italian, a little bit American, and a heck of a lot of delicious!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: The flavors may be complex, but the ingredient list is simple. You’ll find everything you need at your local grocery store.
- Easy: All you really have to do for this recipe is cook sausage, mix, shape, and fry. It’s super easy, and it only takes about 30 minutes of actual cooking.
- A Fun Twist on a Classic: These mozzarella sticks offer a fun, delicious twist on the classic that everyone will love.
Ingredients
Filling
- Hot Italian Sausage: Hot Italian sausage adds spicy, meaty flavor to the sticks.
- Aromatics: Onions and garlic add classic aromatic flavor.
- Seasonings: A blend of oregano, basil, and black pepper adds even more flavor.
- Cheese: Gouda, mozzarella, and cream cheese gives these sticks a super melty texture and big cheese flavor.
- Marinara Sauce: A little marinara sauce injects the sticks with even more flavor and a bit of sweetness to balance the other flavors.
Crispy Coating
- Flour: Flour creates the base on which the other coatings will build.
- Eggs and Buttermilk: Whisked eggs and buttermilk add a tangy flavor and the moisture needed for the panko blend to stick to the sticks.
- Breadcrumb Mixture: A blend of crushed panko and seasonings like Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, and red pepper flakes adds zesty, spicy flavor and a nice crunch.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact measurements.
Flavor Variations
- Mild: Omit the red pepper flakes and use mild Italian sausage.
- Extra Spicy: Add finely diced jalapenos to the mixture.
- Ground Meat: You could use ground beef, chicken, or turkey, as well.
- Parmesan: Add a little parmesan to the mixture for even more Italian flavor.
Instructions
Filling
1: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage, onions, and filling seasonings in oil until the sausage is no longer pink and the onions are tende.r
2: Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Then, drain the mixture and return it to the pan. Let it cool for a few minutes.
3: Add the cheeses and marinara sauce. Then, roll the mixture into thin, 2-inch sticks, place them on a baking sheet, and flash-freeze them for at least an hour.
Crispy Coating
1: Add flour to one container. Then, add the whisked egg and buttermilk to another container. Finally, add the panko and seasonings in a third container.
2: Heat the oil in a deep, heavy-bottom frying pan or cast-iron skillet. Then, roll the sticks in the flour, milk mixture, and breadcrumbs in that order.
3: Deep fry the sticks in small batches until golden on all sides, transferring them with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels as you go until they’re all fried. Enjoy!
Storage
Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze them for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag.
To reheat the sticks, defrost them overnight in the fridge if frozen. Then, microwave them at 30-second intervals until heated through. You can also air fry them for a minute or two to crisp them up again as they reheat.
Pairing Suggestions
Serve these spicy mozzarella sticks with marinara sauce, BBQ sauce, ranch, or even queso dip. They’re also the perfect addition to a larger appetizer spread alongside other poppable snacks, like jalapeno cheese bites, jalapeno popper puff pastries, and Italian sausage pinwheels.
Tips
- It’s important to freeze the sticks until solid. This keeps them from melting and coming apart as they fry.
- Always freeze the sticks on an uncovered baking sheet. This freezes them more quickly and efficiently.
- Preheat the oil and work in small batches so it stays hot, ensuring a crispy coating rather than a soggy one.
- Don’t cook the garlic too long! It just needs to soften a little. Otherwise, it can get bitter.
FAQ
If you’re cooking it outside of the casing, you can easily tell when Italian sausage is cooked. Simply cook it until it’s no longer pink, and it’s done!
If you don’t adequately drain the Italian sausage, the filling will be greasy. Give it a minute or two in the strainer to ensure as much grease as possible drains away.
Temperature, temperature, temperature! For the crispy fried food, preheat your oil to medium-high. Then, work in small batches so the temperature stays where it should. Hot oil immediately crisps the outside of the food, creating a physical barrier against the oil as the food cooks. If the temperature of the oil drops too low, the coating will cook too slowly, absorbing the oil and getting soggy.
Try These Spicy Mozzarella Sticks with Italian Sausage for Yourself
With tons of ooey-gooey cheese, spicy Italian sausage, and a crispy, spicy coating, these spicy mozzarella sticks are a variation of the classic that will have everyone coming back for more. And the best part is that they’re so easy to make! Give these a try, and we guarantee you’ll find yourself making them again and again.
More Delicious Appetizers You’ll Enjoy
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Spicy Mozzarella Sticks
Ingredients
Spicy Mozzarella Sticks
- 2 pounds ground hot Italian sausage
- 1 white onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ teaspoon ground oregano
- 1½ teaspoon ground basil
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup gouda cheese, diced small
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, diced small
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- ¼ cup marinara sauce
Crispy Coating
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs, crushed
- 2 teaspoons slap ya mama seasoning
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1-2 cups vegetable oil, for frying
- Marinara sauce, for dipping
Instructions
Spicy Mozzarella Sticks
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add Italian sausage, onions, and the seasonings for the bites, and cook until the sausage is no longer pink and the onions are tender. Add minced garlic and cook for another two minutes. Drain.
- Add the Italian sausage mixture to a large bowl. Once the mixture has cooled a bit, add cream cheese, marinara sauce, gouda, and mozzarella cheese.
- Roll into 2-inch thin sticks and place on a baking sheet.
- Flash freeze for an hour.
- While the mozzarella sticks are in the freezer, set up a dredging station with 3 shallow containers.
Crispy Coating
- In the first container, add flour.
- The second container, whisk together the buttermilk and egg.
- In the third container add breadcrumbs and all the seasonings for the coating.
- Heat oil over medium-high heat.
- Add each stick into the flour, then into the egg mixture, and then into the breadcrumb mixture.
- Place about 6-8 sticks into the hot oil and deep fry until golden on all sides.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towels.
- Make sure to work in batches so the oil keeps the perfect temperature.
- Serve with marinara sauce or your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- It’s important to freeze the sticks until solid. This keeps them from melting and coming apart as they fry.
- Always freeze the sticks on an uncovered baking sheet. This freezes them more quickly and efficiently.
- Preheat the oil and work in small batches so it stays hot, ensuring a crispy coating rather than a soggy one.
- Don’t cook the garlic too long! It just needs to soften a little. Otherwise, it can get bitter.
I made these for the football game last weekend. We absolutely loved them.
These are taste-TEE. I made a batch and had them with marinara sauce. Om nom nom.
Nothing beats mozzarella sticks- adding sausage to the mix is *chef’s kiss*! So delicious and perfect for game day gatherings!
This recipe turned out amazing, my kids just loved it, looking forward to making it again!!