Why You Should Grab A Bag Of Pork Rinds Next Time You Make Mozzarella Sticks

In many ways, mozzarella sticks are the perfect appetizer. They're hot and delicious, work just as well as a midnight treat as they do as a Happy Hour snack, and are beloved by celebrities and everyday people alike. That's to say nothing of the crispy coating, epic cheese pulls, and perfect pairing with ranch or marinara. If you're making mozzarella sticks at home, swapping pork rinds for breadcrumbs can be a real game-changer for this all-time favorite snack.

Giving your homemade mozzarella sticks a coating (or double coating) of breadcrumbs gives them plenty of crunch and also helps create a barrier between the cheese and the oil it's being fried in. Pork rinds are already super crunchy, so crushing them up and adding them together with additional seasonings gives you a flavorful, crispy, crunchy (and keto-friendly) mix.

Pork rinds already make a perfect pairing with guacamole thanks to their distinct flavor, so swapping pork rinds for breadcrumbs adds a real depth of flavor that turns mozzarella sticks from drab to fab instantly.

Apart from being a crispy, crunchy snack that's great for dipping (and for cheese coating), pork rinds can be used in many more things. With a little imagination, pork rinds can become your go-to topper for other dishes or as a handy mix-in.

Much like you can with mozzarella sticks, pork rinds can be a good coating for chicken, pork, and other meats — anything that calls for a breaded coating. really. They can be used as a crunchy topper for nachos, a coating for corndogs, and can even substitute in for crackers as a garnish for soup or chowder.

So the next time you want to change things up, forgo the breadcrumbs and saltine crackers and reach for the pork rinds for mozzarella sticks, cheese curds, or other breaded goodies. You'll get plenty of crunch, an incredible depth of flavor, and plenty of ways you can add pizzazz to the most ordinary of dishes.