Nashville Hot Mozzarella Sticks with Crispy Bacon Twist Recipe
These Nashville Hot Mozzarella Sticks with a Crispy Bacon Twist are a spicy, cheesy appetizer perfect for fans of bold flavors. Wrapped in thin-cut bacon and coated with a flavorful Nashville-style hot sauce, these sticks can be baked or air-fried to crispy, melty perfection. Serve them fresh with ranch or blue cheese dressing for dipping.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 10 mozzarella sticks 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Air Frying
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 10 mozzarella string cheese sticks
- 10 slices thin-cut bacon
- Toothpicks (optional, for securing)
Nashville Hot Sauce:
- 2 tbsp butter (melted)
- 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp brown sugar (optional)
- Salt to taste
Optional Garnishes:
- Ranch or blue cheese dressing
- Chopped parsley
- Extra hot sauce for dipping
Instructions
- Freeze cheese: Unwrap mozzarella sticks and place them in the freezer for 30–45 minutes to prevent the cheese from melting too quickly during cooking.
- Wrap with bacon: Take each frozen mozzarella stick and tightly wrap a slice of thin-cut bacon around it, spiraling from one end to the other. Secure with toothpicks if necessary to keep the bacon in place.
- Preheat and prep: For air frying, preheat the air fryer to 390°F (200°C). For baking, preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper or grease it lightly.
- Cook: Place the bacon-wrapped sticks in the air fryer basket and air fry for 10–12 minutes, or bake them in the oven for 15–18 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking time. Cook until the bacon is crispy and the cheese is soft inside.
- Make hot sauce: While the sticks cook, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a bowl. Stir in cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar (if using), and salt to create the Nashville hot sauce.
- Glaze sticks: Once cooked, immediately brush or drizzle the hot sauce over each bacon-wrapped mozzarella stick to coat them evenly with spicy flavor.
- Serve: Serve the hot, spicy mozzarella sticks fresh and crispy with ranch or blue cheese dressing and optional garnishes like chopped parsley and extra hot sauce for dipping.
Notes
- Freeze the cheese sticks before cooking to prevent the cheese from oozing out and creating messes or ‘blowouts.’
- Use thin-cut bacon as it crisps better and wraps more easily around the mozzarella sticks.
- Adjust the amount of cayenne pepper in the sauce to control the spice level; start with less if you prefer milder heat.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze the uncooked bacon-wrapped sticks to prepare later.
Keywords: Nashville hot mozzarella sticks, bacon wrapped cheese sticks, spicy appetizers, air fryer mozzarella, hot cheese sticks, party snacks
