I Tried All the Frozen Mozzarella Sticks I Could Find — The Winner Is a Crispy, Gooey Masterpiece

Whether I’m hosting a game night with friends or enjoying a stay-at-home movie night with my husband, I love having a mix of easy appetizers and snacks that we can munch on throughout the evening. Homemade apps have their place at the table, but when I want something quick (and delicious), I know I’m reaching for that box of frozen mozzarella sticks tucked away in the back of my freezer.

One cheesy night I wondered, is there a brand that tops the rest? Surely they can’t be that different? (Spoiler alert: They can be!) So I visited five different stores nearby to pick up as many boxes of frozen mozzarella sticks as I could find. Now my freezer’s packed full of them, and I’m not mad about it! Although, some I’m definitely happier to have than others. Let’s take a look.

I was able to find a good mix of frozen mozzarella sticks from name brands, store brands, and restaurant favorites, and even a few gluten-free and vegan options (although the variety of the latter two was way more limited than I expected)! I made two of each brand in my air fryer. My husband and I then dunked each cheesy and breadcrumb-coated stick in our favorite marinara sauce to see which one had us reaching back for more. Some mozzarella sticks were too greasy or under-seasoned. Our favorite of the bunch was perfectly crispy and had that classic melty and chewy cheese pull. That’s the box of frozen mozzarella sticks I’ll be keeping on hand from now on.

Right on the box, FarmRich promises snack-sized bites of gooey mozzarella cheese surrounded by a crispy golden breading, and I feel they deliver on that promise. Each bite starts out pleasantly crisp, and is followed by a mouthful of gooey stringy cheese that makes it almost impossible not to finish a stick in record time. The breading has just the right amount of salt to balance out the rich mozzarella cheese. The cheese is gooey but not so gooey that you have a mouthful of molten hot liquid. It’s chewy and exactly what you want a mozz stick to be.

The one thing I felt was missing from all the brands we tried was some herbs in the breading. My solution? Sprinkle whatever dried herbs you have on hand (oregano, basil, thyme, to name a few) on top. The tiny addition brings a touch of freshness and takes your frozen mozzarella sticks from a simple appetizer to a restaurant-quality late-night snack. 

Buy: FarmRich Breaded Mozzarella Cheese Sticks, $7.99 for 24 ounces

What are your favorite frozen mozzarella sticks? Tell us about it in the comments!