Hot honey mozzarella sticks feed that perfect sweet-heat comfort-food craving, delivering crispy breading, stretchy cheese and just enough spice to make them impossible to stop eating.
Hot Honey Mozzarella Sticks
The internet has been rediscovering the comfort food of chain restaurants. Chili’s in particular is quietly becoming cool again, thanks in part to its smart inclusion of the hot honey trend in its craveable honey-chipotle mozzarella “sticks” (which are actually thin blocks of cheese) and its Triple Dipper appetizer trio. Mozzarella sticks have been a classic appetizer as long as we can remember, and when you toss them in a swicy hot honey sauce, they feel like the ultimate throwback-meets-now appetizer.
Our version keeps everything we love about the Chili’s appetizer—the stretchy cheese, the crispy coating and the glossy hot honey—but lets you dial the heat exactly where you want it. Plus, using the air fryer translates to a lot less hassle. This recipe is also another excellent excuse to drizzle, dunk and toss food in hot honey. Whether you’re making them for game day, a snack-for-dinner moment or just because you want a spicy appetizer that makes people gasp a little when they take a bite, these hot honey mozzarella sticks understand the assignment.
Ingredients for Hot Honey Mozzarella Sticks
- Honey: Honey forms the sweet base of the hot honey and balances the salty cheese beautifully. Use a milder type of honey so the heat from the pepper flakes still has a chance to shine.
- Crushed red pepper flakes: These bring the heat and let you control how spicy things get. Start with a pinch and build up the spice with more if you want.
- Cider vinegar: A small splash of cider vinegar keeps the hot honey from tasting flat or cloying. That little bit of tang makes everything pop.
- Bread crumbs: Bread crumbs create the crispy coating that keeps the cheese where it belongs. Buy them at the store or make your own seasoned bread crumbs. Panko bread crumbs will work here too.
- All-purpose flour: Flour helps the egg mixture stick to the cheese so the coating doesn’t slide off while cooking.
- Eggs and water: This mixture acts as the glue between the cheese and the breading. Beating the eggs and water well helps everything coat evenly.
- Italian seasoning: Italian seasoning adds herby depth to the breading. If you made your own seasoned bread crumbs to use, there’s no need to add Italian seasoning.
- Garlic powder and pepper: These two seasonings give flavor to the breading without overpowering the cheese.
- String cheese: String cheese is perfectly portioned and melts evenly, which makes it ideal for mozzarella sticks. Keep the string cheese cold until you’re ready to bread them.
- Cooking spray: Using a good cooking spray helps the breading crisp up in the air fryer without needing to deep-fry.
Directions
Step 1: Make the hot honey
Heat the honey and crushed red pepper flakes in a small saucepan and bring them to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for two minutes.
Transfer the mixture to a canning jar, stir in the cider vinegar and let it cool completely, about an hour, before using.
If desired, strain out the crushed red pepper flakes.
Step 2: Toast the bread crumbs
Toast the bread crumbs in a small skillet until they’re lightly browned, one to two minutes. Let the crumbs cool completely before breading the cheese.
Step 3: Bread the mozzarella sticks
Place the flour in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, beat the eggs and water. In a third shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and pepper. Coat the cheese sticks with flour, next dip them into the egg mixture and then coat them with the bread crumb mixture.
Repeat the egg and bread crumb coatings.
Step 4: Freeze the mozzarella sticks
Cover the breaded mozzarella sticks and freeze them for at least eight hours or overnight.
Step 5: Air-fry the mozzarella sticks
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F and arrange the frozen mozzarella sticks in a single layer on a greased tray in the air-fryer basket. Spritz them with cooking spray.
Cook them for six to seven minutes, turning and spritzing them again halfway through, until they are golden brown and heated through.
Step 6: Toss with hot honey and serve
Warm the hot honey in the microwave for about one minute until it’s pourable, then gently toss the hot mozzarella sticks in the honey immediately. Serve while the cheese is melty and the coating is crisp.
Hot Honey Mozzarella Stick Variations
- Make ’em bigger: Make mozzarella planks instead of sticks, just like Chili’s! Rather than using string cheese, cut a block of low-moisture mozzarella into thick rectangles. Freeze the planks before air-frying to help them hold their shape.
- Change up the chilis: Hot honey can also be made with small fresh chilis, such as bird’s eye chili peppers. You can also stir a little chipotle powder or minced chipotle in adobo into the hot honey for smoky heat. This gives you that spicy-sweet kick with extra depth.
- Add some extra herbs: Add grated Parmesan or dried basil to the bread crumb mixture for a more Italian-inspired flavor.
How to Store Hot Honey Mozzarella Sticks
Hot honey mozzarella sticks are best eaten immediately, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If possible, keep them separate from the hot honey to preserve the crisp coating. Reheat gently so the cheese warms without leaking out.
How long do hot honey mozzarella sticks last?
When stored properly in the refrigerator, hot honey mozzarella sticks will last up to three days. After that, the texture starts to suffer and the breading loses its crunch.
How should you reheat mozzarella sticks?
Reheat the mozzarella sticks in the air fryer or oven until warmed through and crisp again. Avoid the microwave if you can, since it turns the breading soft and the cheese unpredictable.
Hot Honey Mozzarella Stick Tips
Can you deep-fry these mozzarella sticks?
You can absolutely deep-fry these mozzarella sticks instead of using the air fryer. Follow the method from our fried mozzarella sticks recipe for the best results, and expect extra crunch with maximum indulgence.
What else can you serve with hot honey mozzarella sticks?
Hot honey mozzarella sticks are great for dipping and pair beautifully with marinara, ranch or a creamy garlic dip. They also fit right in alongside wings, sliders or other game-day appetizers when you’re building a full spread.
Ingredients
- hot honey:
- 1 cup honey
- 1 to 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
- mozzarella sticks:
- 2 cups dry bread crumbs
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 12 sticks string cheese
- Cooking spray
Directions
- Heat honey and crushed red pepper flakes in a small saucepot. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a low simmer for two minutes.
- Transfer to a canning jar; stir in cider vinegar. Cool completely. Let stand 1 hour before using. If desired, strain out crushed red pepper flakes.
- Meanwhile, in a small skillet, toast bread crumbs until lightly browned, about 1-2 minutes. Cool completely.
- Place flour in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, beat eggs and water. In a third shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and pepper. Coat cheese sticks with flour, then dip into egg mixture and coat with bread crumb mixture. Repeat egg and bread crumb coatings. Cover and freeze for 8 hours or overnight.
- Preheat an air fryer to 400°. In batches, place mozzarella sticks in a single layer on a greased tray in air-fryer basket; spritz with cooking spray. Cook until golden brown and heated through, 6-7 minutes, turning halfway through cooking and spritzing with additional cooking spray.
- Place hot honey in a shallow dish, microwave until thin, about 1 minute. Gently toss hot mozzarella sticks in honey immediately. Serve immediately.
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These hot honey mozzarella sticks are the perfect appetizer to serve on gameday. They're cooked in the air fryer, so they're more approachable to make than traditional fried mozza sticks! —Margaret Knoebel, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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