Before you fry these little packages of joy, everything—salad, sides, fellow diners—should be at the table and ready to feast. Like carbonara not eaten immediately or risotto that sits for more than a few moments, the essence of this dish fades just as quickly as it comes together. These crispy-creamy fritters shine with all kinds of accoutrements, from your favorite pesto and leafy greens to fresh or sun-dried tomatoes and some warm ciabatta.—Ozoz Sokoh, recipe developer
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What you’ll need
Tongs
$21 At Amazon
Medium Skillet
$50 At Amazon
Citrus Juicer
$20 $15 At Amazon
Medium Bowl
$17 At Amazon
Whisk
$10 At Amazon
Chef's Knife
$34.53 At Amazon
Cutting Board
$10 At IKEA
Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
½
1
1
2
2
10
6
2
8
Preparation
Step 1
Whisk ½ cup all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper in a medium bowl to combine. Place 2 large eggs in a shallow bowl and beat lightly to blend. Place 2 cups panko or coarse dried breadcrumbs in another shallow bowl.
Step 2
Place 10 oz. spring greens salad mix or other mixed greens in a large bowl and evenly drizzle 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil over. Cut 1 lemon in half and squeeze juice over greens. Toss to coat, then season salad with salt and pepper.
Step 3
Cut 8 oz. fresh mozzarella into eight ½"-thick slices. Working with 1 slice at a time, dredge mozzarella in seasoned flour, shaking off excess, then dip in eggs, letting excess drip back into bowl. Dredge in seasoned flour and dip in eggs a second time. Coat in panko, pressing gently to adhere before shaking off excess. Transfer coated mozzarella to a plate as you go.
Step 4
Heat remaining 4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a medium skillet over medium. Working in 2 batches, carefully place mozzarella slices in pan and cook, turning halfway through, until golden brown, 5–7 minutes total. Using tongs, carefully transfer mozzarella fritters to paper towels to drain.
Step 5
Mound salad into shallow bowls or on small plates. Arrange mozzarella fritters on top. Cut remaining 1 lemon into wedges. Serve fritters with store-bought pesto, ciabatta or other crusty bread (if using), and lemon wedges for squeezing over.
How would you rate Mozzarella Fritters With Pesto and Greens?
Leave a Review
Reviews (38)
Back to TopI make this on rotation—really no edits except that refrigerating the mozz before frying a bit helps keep them from blowing out, so you get the golden without premature ooze. So great and the brightness of the salad really make this a winner.
Alli
Cleveland, OH
11/6/2023
These should be made illegal!!! Tried these out yesterday and I single handedly devoured these and could have done with more. Great recipe, and would definitely make as entrees. Thanks for sharing!
Jeanne
Victoria, Australia
8/28/2021
So delicious! It does need plenty of salt in the flour as mozzarella is so mild - so don't skimp. Added a big handful of tomatoes from the garden to make it a bit more voluminous for supper.
AJ
London, UK
8/26/2021
They are easy and great. Fun to serve as a quick appetizer. I tried air frying it too, and it worked well that way. I will try a vegan cheese next time to see how that pans out. Mix some spices and herbs in the panko and jazz it up a bit for different flavors.
India B.
Greensboro, NC
8/11/2021
I made this one as soon as I saw it in BA. It turned out wonderful and was totally satisfying.
David M
Mill Valley, CA
8/10/2021
I intend to make this tomorrow night...so easy!!!
Anonymous
New Jersey
8/10/2021
Delicious, easy and quick. Makes dinner for myself & my husband. I like to add chopped fresh basil for garnish. I think combinations of herbs or nothing else is fine as there is pesto. Pesto is salty, that's why fresh herbs , balsamic & olive oil to dip bread. Folks can be creative.
Steff C.
Seattle
8/9/2021