Baked Buffalo Mozzarella Balls

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These baked buffalo mozzarella balls are filled with ooey gooey mozzarella cheese and encrusted in a spicy buffalo and crispy panko breading for a healthier, more flavorful alternative to the classic mozzarella stick.

Who doesn’t love crispy, melty cheese?!? Baked in the oven, instead of fried, and filled with delicious buffalo spices for a quick and easy appetizer that is sure to make your taste buds very happy.

Baked Buffalo Mozzarella Balls are the perfect game day appetizer to wow your friends or even for a night in alone…. I don’t judge, because honestly I could eat these all by myself too, they are that addicting!

BAKED NOT FRIED

Mozzarella sticks are one of my all time favorite appetizers, but I hate how they make my stomach feel sometimes because of all of the oil the breading absorbs from the fryer.   

The great thing about these baked buffalo mozzarella balls is that they are baked in the oven to avoid the excess oil and I still get that crisiness that I look for in a good mozzarella stick.

SECRET TO CRISPY BAKED BUFFALO MOZZARELLA BALLS

The secret to making these baked buffalo mozzarella balls so crispy and delicious is the panko breadcrumbs.  Panko is a traditional japanese breadcrumb made from crustless white bread.  

Not only are panko breadcrumbs a crispier alternative to regular breadcrumbs, but panko is also a healthier alternative.  Panko breadcrumbs are typically lower in fat, calories, and sodium.  

Obviously alway read the label on the ingredients you are buying, so you know what you are putting in your body!

BUFFALO SEASONING

The ingredient that makes these baked buffalo mozzarella balls special and gives them a kick is the buffalo seasoning blend. I used Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Seasoning Blend but you could definitely use any buffalo seasoning dry rub or blend or even make your own.  

Here are some seasoning blends that would also work really well for this recipe:

• Frank’s RedHot Original Seasoning Blend
• The New Primal Classic Buffalo Seasoning
• Flavor God Buffalo Seasoning

INGREDIENTS

• ½ container perline sized mozzarella pearls – I find these in the deli section of the grocery store.  I prefer the perline size mozzarella pearls, but the ciliegine size would work too.
• ½ cup flour
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 1 egg – whisked to make an egg wash
• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs – panko gives the baked buffalo mozzarella balls a crispier texture
• 2 tsp buffalo seasoning

STEPS TO MAKE BUFFALO MOZZARELLA BALLS

Pat the mozzarella pearls dry.  This step is very important because removing the excess moisture will allow your baked buffalo mozzarella balls to be crispier and coating will more evenly coat the mozzarella pearl.

Set up a dredging station.  Your dredging station should set up with three bowls in this order (1) seasoned flour (2) egg wash (3) seasoned panko breadcrumbs.  Setting up a dredging station will make the process of breading the mozzarella pearls much quicker and cleaner. 

Dredge your mozzarella pearls in seasoned flour, then egg wash, then seasoned panko breadcrumbs and repeat until all mozzarella pearls are coated in breading. 

Place breaded mozzarella pearls on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Parchment paper is great, because it helps to prevent your baked buffalo mozzarella balls from burning and allows for easy clean up!

Bake at 375° for about 8-10 minutes or until crispy.

I love to top my baked buffalo mozzarella balls with extra hot sauce and dip them in ranch!

If you couldn’t tell by my recent Spicy Game Day Chili and Egg White Bites with Sausage, Roasted Tomatoes, and White Cheddar blog posts, my recipes are heavily influenced by football season right now and I’m not even mad about it. Check them out by clicking on the links below! 

• Spicy Game Day Chili
• Egg White Bites with Sausage, Roasted Tomatoes, and White Cheddar

FINDING FLAVOR COMMUNITY

If you loved this dish or made this dish your own by getting creative in the kitchen, please leave me a comment below! I invite you to join the Finding Flavor community by following me Instagram and Pinterest.