Everybody loves mozzarella sticks, a wonderful, gooey and cheesy snack beyond compare! And so easy to eat and carry around anywhere, and port me around as well! But what about when it comes time to reheat them? What is the best way to warm them back up?
Heating the mozzarella sticks up in the oven is the best way to maintain quality, and still isn’t quite as time-consuming as using a skillet for similar results.
We’ll get into the nitty gritty as the article progresses, as there are plenty of other options to look at that may suit you more than a conventional oven.
Certainly the most standard and frequently utilized method for warming up mozzarella sticks would be using a conventional oven. This is a great one in terms of pure quality. It may well be the best as far as maintaining the taste and texture and keeping them consistent with the more freshly fried sticks.
So why wouldn’t you use it? Well, it’s the one that takes the most time. Making use of a conventional oven to reheat mozzarella sticks will take nearly as long as cooking new ones. That isn’t really ideal for what would normally be pretty quick with other methods.
That said, if you have the time and patience, feel free to try it out with the steps below.
Steps
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Let it sit for five minutes before proceeding.
While those five minutes pass, take out the sticks and place each one individually on a baking sheet, ideally lined with parchment paper. Avoid letting them touch.
Place the mozzarella sticks into the oven and let them bake for ten minutes. Flip them once, and let them continue baking for five more minutes.
In the event that these are frozen sticks we’re talking about, you can go ahead and up the temperature to a fiery 450 degrees Fahrenheit rather than 350.
A very convenient option is to simply deep fry the mozzarella sticks, get this… a second time! I mean it only makes sense, right? This is the way they were cooked up in the first place, it’s only natural that this would be a great option to reheat them.
The process is quite straightforward as well, and it is quicker than an oven. Of course deep frying isn’t the most gentle solution and the odds of them coming out with the same quality as before are slim-to-none. Still, you’re probably already prepared for this one.
Steps
Fill up your deep fryer or pan with an oil of your choosing.
Preheat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Be sure to make use of a thermometer to ensure the temperature is just right.
Put the mozzarella sticks in and let them sit until the refrying process is completed.
This shouldn’t take long. 1-2 minutes at most.
As they fry, it’s best to keep rattling the sticks around in the pan to make sure that they don’t end up sticking to the bottom, as well as ward off burning.
3. Air Fryer
I think it’s safe to say that what everybody wants out of a mozzarella stick is that nice gooey texture to the cheese on the inside. And an air fryer is a great quick option to maintain that once they’ve gone cold.
Thanks to their double convection fans, air fryers are able to cook at higher temperatures without the same nuking effect that microwaves are known for. So reheating with an air fryer means the sticks come out crispy rather than soggy. The step-by-step on achieving that is as follows:
Steps
This step should be familiar to you by now: preheat the air fryer to what else but 350 degrees Fahrenheit! Let sit for two minutes.
While you wait, lay out the mozzarella sticks on parchment paper. You can also take the opportunity to sprinkle a little dash of seasoning on them to ensure their taste stays strong!
Once the air fryer has been properly preheated, open the basket and place the parchment paper and mozzarella sticks inside. Set the timer for around 5-7 minutes or so.
Check at the halfway point and flip the sticks to ensure a nice and even reheating job.
The skillet treatment is a nice way to add a ton of extra crispiness. That said it does come with an extra dose of grease, which might be a turn-off for some. That just happens when you refry already fried foods.
This method is much like the deep fryer method except it takes longer and requires more babysitting, so it’s not really recommended unless the deep fryer isn’t an option for you.
Steps
Set the stovetop to the classic 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Add in oil, atleast enough to cover the whole bottom of the skillet.
Once the oil begins shimmering, that’s when you know for sure that it’s hot enough. Then you can add in the mozzarella sticks.
Let them fry for 4-5 minutes. Stick around and frequently toss them to make sure the cooking remains even.
One complete, let the sticks sit on a paper towel for 30 seconds to remove any excess oil.
5. Microwave
The purists never really like this option, since while they’re always a quick and convenient method, microwaves can be tough on food. The mozzarella sticks could easily turn very soggy and oily after a good microwaving, it certainly isn’t the best option for quality.
That said, not everybody is going to have the means or the time to reheat their food in an oven. When in a pinch, the good ‘ol microwave can still come through for you. Don’t let the elitists get you down, just pop ‘em in the microwave and let it do the work.
Steps
Take the sticks and place them on a microwave-safe dish.
Put your food into the microwave. Warm them up for around 30 to 45 seconds. Then flip them over and warm for another 20 seconds.
Test to see if they’re ready by cutting one of the pieces in half so you can judge their crispiness and/or melty status. If they aren’t ready, reheat for another fifteen seconds.
…And uh yeah that’s it, there aren’t really that many steps when it comes to using a microwave!
So we’ve looked at some of our most common options… which one is the best? If you’re in a hurry, the microwave might be the only real choice, but you already knew that much already. Let’s assume you’re not in a hurry and you also might not mind putting in effort. What is the very best option for sheer quality?
Depending on your preference, refrying the sticks with a skillet or a deep fryer might be a good bet. But if you’re happy with how your mozzarella sticks turn out and simply want them to heat up without sacrificing quality, the conventional oven is probably the best place to go.
In Conclusion…
There’s many ways to reheat mozzarella sticks, and which way is the right one might depend on the circumstances. If time is truly limited, the most obvious choice, the microwave, can work out for you. Otherwise options like the oven or the skillet might be a better idea.
While they may take longer, the result could well be worth it as the difference in quality can be surprisingly substantial. But you’ll find that no matter what option you take, it shouldn’t be too hard to properly reheat those sticks. At the end of the day, you should still have a delicious and handy meal when it’s all said and done.
