Fried Burrata with Roasted Peppers & Pesto

This fried burrata is crispy, melty, and so creamy! Fresh burrata is coated in crispy, golden brown breadcrumbs, served over roasted peppers, and drizzled with garlicky pesto. This is my favorite impressive appetizer for a dinner party, the holidays, or happy hour!

If there’s anything I love in this life, it’s a good appetizer-for-dinner situation. A series of small plates, tapas, izakaya, anything of that nature. And on more than one occasion, half a bag of potato chips with onion dip. But I digress. Today, we’re talking about fried cheese, which is perhaps my favorite app of all.

If you’ve ever wanted to know what it’s like to eat a giant mozzarella stick, then you’re in luck! Because this burrata is basically just that. But, we’re taking it up a notch by adding some charred roasted peppers and a drizzle of fresh pesto. And for those of you who hate frying (me), don’t worry! I’m sharing a super easy frying method I learned when I was in culinary school. It’s so easy.

Make this app with other easy snacks like little smokies in a blanket and bruschetta on garlicky crostini. Voilà! Happy hour at home.

Like a mozzarella stick but better

After carefully testing this recipe way more times than I care to admit, I have come to two conclusions. One, there’s nothing better than deep-fried cheese. And two, it’s actually really easy!

• The cheese creamy, soft, and has the most lovely buttery flavor.
• The roasted peppers and pesto in this recipe add a nice brightness.
• Make this recipe as an elevated appetizer for happy hour at-home, a dinner party with friends, or the holidays.

All the ingredients you’ll need

• Burrata – this is a soft Italian cheese made with cow or buffalo milk. The outside is made up of a mozzarella shell but when you cut into it, the inside is basically a river of stracciatella (shreds of mozzarella) and cream. You can usually find this in the ‘fancy cheese’ section next to the mozzarella.
• Panko – this is my go-to breadcrumb for frying. It always has a light, airy texture.
• Bell peppers – you can use either mini bell peppers or regular. I like to use a variety of colors.
• Spices – garlic and thyme for extra flavor!
• Neutral oil – vegetable or canola are my favorite for frying because they have a high smoke-point.
• Pesto – use store-bought or my homemade lemon pesto.
• Crackers or baguette – for serving! I usually serve up toasted slices of baguette. You could also use sliced bread like ciabatta!
• Flaky salt – for extra flavor (totally optional).
• Parmesan – a sprinkle of parmesan adds some umami.
• Kitchen basics – you’ll need a few basics like all-purpose flour, Morton’s Kosher salt, an egg, and olive oil.

Substitutions & variations

Maybe you can’t find burrata or maybe you just want to switch things up! Here are a few ideas on how you can switch up this recipe depending on the season.

• Mozzarella – if you can’t find burrata, you can easily fry mozzarella! I tested this substitute and it’s just as delicious, it just has a thicker, meltier texture with intense cheese-pull action. Since mozzarella is denser than burrata, you’ll need to add an extra minute or two of cooking time.
• Tomatoes – roasting tomatoes instead of peppers is so delicious! You can use one pound of cherry tomatoes – roast them at 400°F for 30-35 minutes until they burst and have a soft, jammy texture.
• Sauce – if you want to skip the roasted veggies, you can also just serve the burrata over sauce. Pesto, roasted tomato sauce, vodka sauce, arrabbiata, or any other tomato-based sauce would be delicious!

Roast the peppers

1. First, preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Toss the sliced peppers with olive oil, garlic, fresh thyme, and Kosher salt in a roasting pan.
3. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the peppers are soft and have some charred spots.

Bread the burrata

1. While the peppers are roasting, start working on the burrata. Start by gently patting the burrata dry to remove any moisture. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven until it reaches 350°F.
2. Next, dredge the burrata in the flour followed by the egg and then the Panko. Repeat once more until you have a thick, even coating.
3. Place the burrata on a plate in the freezer for 20 minutes.

Burrata is very delicate. Make sure to bread the cheese carefully so it doesn’t fall apart! I usually just use my hands to “pat” the Panko onto the cheese so I don’t have to move it around too much.

Fry & garnish

1. After 20 minutes, fry the burrata until it’s golden brown and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel and season with Kosher salt.
2. Next, spoon the roasted peppers on a serving plate and place the burrata on top.
3. Finish with a drizzle of pesto, a pinch of flaky salt, and Parmesan.

Serve this appetizer right away or it will get soggy and the cheese will start to harden. If you need to keep it warm for longer, just pop it in an oven at 170°F for up to 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, the cheese will get too melty!

Sides & serving

When I make this burrata as an appetizer, I like to serve it up on a big platter so that my guests can dig in. Make sure to have some cheese knives on hand to make cutting into the burrata easier. It’s also great with a dry red wine for happy hour at home or a light, snacky dinner! Try serving it with these sides.

• Homemade crostini or garlic bread
• Crackers or breadsticks
• Belgian endive
• Olives or Marcona almonds

A few tips for frying

I tested this recipe 5 times and came up with some tips for frying the burrata along the way! Here’s how to guarantee that your recipe will come out perfectly every time.

• Use clean oil – using old oil can affect the taste of the breading.
• Use enough oil – you need to cover the cheese completely so that all of the shell is golden-brown. Otherwise, you’ll end up with soggy breading in some spots and not others.
• Heat it properly – it needs to be 350°F to ensure that it quickly fries the breading before the cheese gets too melty and falls apart.
• Double-dredge – one layer of breading is not enough. The cheese will 100% fall apart if you don’t get a good, thick coating.
• Freeze – do not skip this part! It’s essential in helping the cheese stay together when you add it to the oil.
• Move it around – be very careful so the cheese does not break. But, moving the cheese around a couple of times during cooking will prevent it from sticking to the bottom.

Storing leftovers & reheating

So, to be honest, this is not my favorite snack to enjoy as leftovers. But I know that leftovers happen so let’s chat about it!

Store any leftover burrata in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 1 day. Place the roasted peppers in a separate container so they don’t make the coating soggy.

To reheat the leftovers, place them in a small roasting dish or cast iron skillet. Bake in the oven at 350°F, rotating the burrata every once in a while to crisp up all of the coating. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the outside is crisp and the center is warmed-through.

If you make this recipe, I would love it if you left a star rating and review! I read every single comment and love hearing what you think about my recipes. Thank you for supporting Sunday Table!

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