Chili’s Hot Honey Mozzarella Sticks
Cheesy, spicy, saucy and so crispy: these Chili’s inspired hot honey mozzarella sticks with homemade ranch are literally everything. The double coating makes them extra crunchy and that cheese pull? Absolutely unreal.
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Lately, my social media feed has been filled with Chili’s mozzarella sticks but the Chili’s in my city doesn’t have them. I’ve been craving them for so so long, so I finally decided to make them at home and it was the best decision ever!
The seasoned coating is crispy, the cheese melts perfectly and the spicy hot honey glaze takes them to another level, they turned out so so good!
Double coating the cheese is 🗝
For the crispiest mozzarella sticks with the ultimate cheese pull, double coating is non negotiable. We coat the mozzarella sticks in layers to create a thick, crispy crust that holds the cheese in while frying. There are 3 steps-
1. Cornstarch: The first layer is a dry coating of cornstarch. This helps absorb any extra moisture from the cheese and ensures the next layer sticks properly.
2. Cornstarch slurry: The second layer is a wet mixture of cornstarch, all purpose flour, salt and water. This creates a sticky surface that holds onto the breadcrumbs.
3. Seasoned breadcrumbs: The third layer is a mix of breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and chilli powder. This forms the crunchy outer shell.
Once the cheese sticks are fully coated, repeat steps 2 and 3 (cornstarch slurry → breadcrumbs) to create a double coating. This makes them extra crispy and prevents the cheese from bursting out while frying.
Things to keep in mind when you make these cheese sticks
- Freezing the cheese sticks before frying: The coated mozzarella sticks should be frozen for atleast 1 hour before frying. If they aren’t frozen, the cheese can melt too fast and break through the coating (trust me, it'll be a mess you do not want).
- Fry on medium hot heat: If the oil is too hot, the coating will brown too quickly while the cheese inside remains firm. If it’s too cold, the sticks will absorb too much oil and turn greasy instead of crispy.
- Cut the cheese sticks to the right thickness: If they’re too thin, the crispy coating will overpower the cheese and there’s a chance the cheese might just melt into the coating instead of giving you that perfect pull. If they’re too thick, the cheese won’t melt properly. Try to go for a balanced thickness to get the best texture.
- Do not skip the hot honey coating: Mixing a little of the frying oil with hot sauce and hot honey creates a sweet and spicy glaze that coats the mozzarella sticks beautifully. This final step adds so much flavour, I highly recommend not skipping the sauce.
- Serve them immediately: Mozzarella sticks are best while the cheese is still hot and stretchy. Serve them hot with homemade ranch!
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Chili’s Hot Honey Mozzarella Sticks
Cheesy, spicy, saucy and so crispy: these Chili’s inspired hot honey mozzarella sticks with homemade ranch are literally everything. The double coating makes them extra crunchy and that cheese pull? Absolutely unreal.
servings
6 cheese sticks
prep time
10 min
freeze time
1 hr
cook time
10 min
Ingredients
Cheese
- 200g mozzarella cheese block, cut into 6 slices
Dry Coating
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
Wet Flour Coating
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- salt, to taste
- 1/3 cup water, adjust
Seasoned Breadcrumb Coating
- 1/2 cup fine breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- salt, to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Oil
- neutral oil, for frying
Hot Honey Glaze
- 1/4 cup hot honey
- 1/4 cup hot sauce (any red chilli sauce would work)
- 2 tbsp oil (taken from the fying pan)
Dip: Ranch
- 1 tbsp hung curd (or greek yogurt or sour cream)
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 tbsp coriander, finely chopped
- 1 tsp dill, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp milk or water, to adjust consistency
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- salt, to taste
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions:
- Prepare the cheese sticks: Take a 200g mozzarella block and cut it into 6 equal rectangle pieces. Each piece should be thick enough to give a good cheese pull but not so thick that the cheese doesn’t melt properly. If the slices are too thin, the breading might even overpower the cheese and the cheese could into the coating instead of staying gooey inside, which is something you do not want!
-
Prepare the dry and wet coatings: You’ll need three bowls-
• Bowl 1 : Cornstarch (to lightly coat the cheese and dry it out).
• Bowl 2 : A wet slurry made with cornstarch, all purpose flour, salt and water. This helps the breadcrumbs stick to the cheese.
• Bowl 3 : Breadcrumbs mixed with seasonings- salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and chilli powder. -
Coat the cheese (Double Coating for Extra Crispiness):
• Dip each cheese stick into cornstarch, coating it well and dusting off the excess.
• Dip it into the cornstarch slurry.
• Coat it with the breadcrumb mixture, pressing gently so the crumbs stick properly.
• Repeat the process: Dip it back into the cornstarch slurry and then coat with breadcrumbs again. This double coating prevents the cheese from oozing out while frying and gives the crispiest crunchy crust. - Freeze the coated cheese sticks: Place them on a parchment lined tray and freeze for at least an hour. Skipping this step can cause the cheese to burst while frying.
- Fry the mozzarella sticks: Heat oil over medium heat. If the oil is too hot, the coating will brown too quickly before the cheese melts and if it’s too cold, the cheese sticks will absorb excess oil. I like to fry 2 at a time until golden and crisp and then drain on paper towels.
- Make the hot honey sauce: Mix hot sauce and hot honey with a little oil from the frying pan. Toss the hot mozzarella sticks in this sauce while they're still hot to coat them evenly.
- Serve with ranch: Mix hung curd, mayo, oregano, coriander, dill, salt, pepper, onion powder and pressed garlic in a bowl with a whisk or a fork for a quick homemade ranch. Serve immediately while the cheese is hot and stretchy!
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I tried making it the day she came out with the video and it was simply phenomenal i loved it you should give it a try!! easy and eggless it’s perfecto
Response from shivangi kooks
Yayyy so happy you loved it 🌶️
