Copycat Chili's Nashville Hot Mozzarella Sticks Recipe

There's a lot to love about Chili's menu, from the sizzling fajitas to burgers to the Triple Dipper. The latter is one of the most popular items at Chili's, not only because it gives you a chance to sample several things at once, but because it's completely customizable. Big Mouth Bites, chicken crispers, wings, and Southwest egg rolls are all viable Triple Dipper options, but real Chili's fans know that the Nashville hot mozzarella sticks are all but essential.

When you can't get yourself to Chili's to order Nashville hot mozzarella sticks, though, you can always bring the cheesy sticks to your home. Recipe developer Patterson Watkins is a fan of all things spicy, fried, and cheesy, so creating this copycat Chili's Nashville hot mozzarella sticks recipe was right up her alley. In fact, she describes mozzarella sticks as a "particular weakness," but she especially loves the addition of Nashville hot seasoning in this Chili's-inspired take. 

"What I like most about 'Nashville hot' stuff is that it is not spicy for the sake of being mean-hot, it is a really flavorful/thoughtful combination of seasonings: garlic powder, onion poweder, cayenne, smoked paprika, and chili powder," she says. "Those flavors are brought forward and highlighted thanks to the salty butter and sweet brown sugar combo," she adds. Slap all of that onto fried cheese sticks, and you've got a Chili's-worthy app right at home — whether you choose to make your mozz sticks part of a homemade Triple Dipper is totally up to you.

Not only does this recipe yield the mozzarella sticks themselves, but it also comes with a homemade ranch dip for the optimal creamy contrast. To make the ranch, you'll need mayonnaise, sour cream, dill pickle juice, dried parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and a pinch of black pepper.

Next, you'll make the Nashville hot sauce, which consists of salted butter, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder. Finally, for the mozzarella sticks themselves, you'll need a package of frozen mozzarella sticks (we'll touch on the best brands/options to go for in the FAQ below), vegetable oil for frying, and chopped chives to garnish.

To make the ranch dressing, place the mayonnaise, sour cream, pickle juice, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.

Whisk to combine, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

To make the hot sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Once melted, add the hot sauce, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder to the saucepan.

Whisk to combine and bring to a low simmer.

Cook for 5 minutes, whisking frequently. Keep the sauce warm over low heat while you fry the mozzarella sticks.

Fill a large pot or Dutch oven ¼ full with oil and bring to 350-375 F over high heat.

Once hot, fry the mozzarella sticks in batches, until crisp and melty, about 3 minutes.

Remove the fried mozzarella sticks from the oil and set them aside to drain on a wire rack or paper towels.

Brush or dunk the mozzarella sticks in the hot sauce, coating them completely.

Transfer the sauced mozzarella sticks to a serving plate or platter, garnish with chopped chives, and serve with the ranch dipping sauce on the side.

• Copycat Chili's Salsa Recipe
• Copycat Chili's Big Mouth Bites Recipe
• Copycat Chili's Southwest Egg Rolls Recipe
• Copycat Chili's Chicken Crispers Recipe
• Copycat Chili's Awesome Blossom Recipe

If you're at all familiar with Chili's mozzarella sticks, you know they have a unique look to them. Many mozzarella sticks are long and skinny with rounded ends, while Chili's are flat and rectangular. To make the most accurate version of Chili's Nashville hot mozzarella sticks, you'll want to look for frozen sticks with a similar shape. "You aren't going to be able to find a Chili's specific brand of mozz sticks at the grocery store, but TGI Fridays does have one (and that is what I used)," Watkins says. And, while she says this shape of mozzarella stick "offers more surface area for the homemade hot sauce to cling to," you can use whatever shape you prefer.

As for frying the mozzarella sticks, it's a pretty straightforward process, but organization is key. "When setting up my frying station, I like to make sure to have a digital thermometer, tongs, paper towels, and skimmers at the ready," Watkins says. The thermometer is essential to control the temp of the oil, and you may want to keep your tools on paper towels, as Watkins does, to keep your work area from getting greasy. 

If you want to skip the deep-frying entirely, though, air frying is your best option. Simply follow the instructions for air frying as recommended on the sticks' packaging. Watkins doesn't recommend baking the sticks because they won't have that crispy-crunchy exterior, and they'll become instantly soggy once sauced. 

The Nashville hot sauce in this recipe is crafted to perfectly balance spicy, sweet, savory, and even smoky flavor profiles, but you can always tweak the heat a bit depending on preference. "That combo of hot sauce, cayenne, and chili powder is what influences the heat," Watkins says, noting that, as written, it's a pretty spicy sauce. "If you want to reduce the heat, adjust the amount of cayenne and chili powder and replace the amount you reduced with some sweet paprika (don't sub with just smoked paprika — that would throw the flavor balance off)," Watkins advises. And make sure to avoid any hot sauces that feature habanero, ghost pepper, or cayenne peppers, as those will be extra spicy. 

Meanwhile, the ranch is pretty darn tasty as-is, and Watkins specifically highlights the dill pickle juice for providing a lively, fresh touch. A simple tweak you could make to the ranch is to opt for fresh herbs. If you end up with leftovers of the ranch (and there's a good chance that you will), Watkins recommends storing it in a sealed container in the fridge — it'll last for upwards of weeks if stored properly. As for how to repurpose the ranch, use it on all your favorite salads, sandwiches, or as a dip, or go ahead and whip up another batch of Nashville hot mozzarella sticks for round two.

• Beer Battered Mozzarella Sticks Recipe
• Air Fryer Homemade Mozzarella Sticks Recipe
• Dippable Baked Mozzarella Recipe
• Over the Top Chicken Parmesan Sliders Recipe