Pepperoni Pizza-Inspired Mozzarella Sticks Recipe

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If there's one classic meal that is hands down a family favorite, it's pizza. The toasted, chewy crust, tangy sauce, melted cheese, and nearly endless list of possible toppings makes for a winning combination that is consistently a crowd-pleaser. For a fun twist, recipe developer Miriam Hahn has merged classic pepperoni pizza and mozzarella sticks to create handheld pepperoni pizza-inspired mozzarella sticks, delightfully cheesy and savory little snacks that the whole family can enjoy. By using pre-made pizza dough, these mozzarella sticks are a breeze to make. Just trim the dough, stuff with mozzarella string cheese, diced pepperoni, sauce, and spices, then into the fryer the sticks go to get that perfect golden-brown crust.

"This is one of those recipes that is fun for little helpers to help with," Hahn says. "You can set up a rolling station for the kids and then take over for the frying." She notes that you can also prep these mozzarella sticks in advance, if you anticipate a busy evening. "If you want to get a jump on making these early in the day, just roll them, and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to cook," Hahn advises.

To make this recipe, pick up a tube of refrigerated pizza dough. While you're in the refrigerated section, grab some eggs and mozzarella string cheese. Head to the deli counter and add some pepperoni to your cart. Then check your pantry and spice cabinet for olive oil, some sort of high-heat neutral oil (like vegetable or canola) for frying, all-purpose flour, dried oregano, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. For dipping, your favorite store-bought marinara sauce (or a homemade version) will make the perfect optional accompaniment. 

In a small bowl, mix the chopped pepperoni with olive oil, oregano, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.

Dust the flour over a large work surface and roll the pizza dough out onto the surface.

Cut the pizza dough rectangle in half horizontally, then cut out 8 strips that are roughly 3 inches wide and 4 ½ inches long.

Spread pizza sauce onto each dough piece.

Sprinkle some of the diced pepperoni onto each dough piece.

Place one string cheese stick on each dough strip and roll up the dough, pinching the seam to close.

Brush each wrapped stick lightly with the beaten egg.

Heat about 2 inches of neutral oil in a deep skillet over medium heat until it reaches 350 F.

Fry the sticks in batches for 2 to 3 minutes, turning as needed, until golden brown and crispy.

Drain the mozzarella sticks on a paper towel-lined plate.

Serve the mozzarella sticks right away, optionally with warm marinara sauce for dipping.

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There are various customizations you could make to this recipe, stating with the dough. If you want to dabble in a homemade crust, you can use your favorite recipe or try making two-ingredient pizza dough with Greek yogurt and self-rising flour. You can knead in seasonings like garlic granules, Italian seasoning, or dried basil. Other pre-made doughs will work and will give you different textures, like crescent roll dough for a buttery and flaky taste, or puff pastry for a lighter version.

For the filling, instead of pepperoni, swap for cooked sausage or add a little of both in for a meat-lovers stick. To make the sticks vegetarian, use plant-based meat, crumbled and seasoned tofu, or textured vegetable protein. You can easily add in some veggies like diced mushrooms, peppers, olives, or onions.

For the cheese, mozzarella sticks work well and are convenient, but shredded mozzarella cheese works just as well. You can even go with provolone, cheddar, or pepper Jack cheese instead. To make this recipe dairy-free, use a plant-based cheese and to make them vegan, you'll also want to skip the egg wash and use a plant-based milk to brush the sticks instead.

When frying mozzarella sticks, it's not always easy to keep the cheese from oozing out. To avoid this recipe pitfall, make sure you are sealing the dough well when rolling up the mozzarella stick. The egg wash will help to seal the dough as well, and you can also use oil or milk instead. If you don't feel like the sticks are staying sealed, after they are rolled, put them in the fridge for about 30 minutes to chill.

When you are ready to fry, make sure the oil is hot enough. If you don't have an instant read deep fry food thermometer to test the heat of the oil, test the oil by dropping in a cube of bread — if it turns golden in about 1 minute, the oil is at the right temperature. If the oil is not hot enough, it won't crisp the dough quickly enough and will give the cheese time to ooze out.

The dough thickness will affect how the stick holds together while frying, and if your dough has had too much time at room temperature, it will tend to thin out and not be stable enough to contain the cheese. Make sure it is ¼-inch when rolling up the cheese sticks, and that no holes appear when rolling. You want to also make sure you aren't overfilling the stick or making the dough stretch more than necessary.

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