Fried Burrata (over Romesco Sauce)

Did you know you can deep-fry a whole ball of burrata? We didn’t either, until we did, and then immediately became completely obsessed. Think mozzarella sticks and marinara sauce, but with a major upgrade in flavor and appearance, and you’ve landed on our fried burrata with romesco sauce.

We could sing the praises of this fried burrata recipe all day, but we’ll let the comments section speak for itself. This recipe is a true reader favorite, with comments like this one from Emily: “This appetizer is amazing! Two people finished the whole dish. Everything meshes so well together,” and Oriana’s praise: “Wow! After trying a deep-fried burrata at a very good restaurant. I finally decided to make it myself. This recipe is perfect! It came out great, and everyone was impressed.”

We agree, ladies. We agree.

If you’ve made our Romesco sauce with rigatoni, then you can imagine how well this rich and flavorful tomato sauce pairs with a ball of crunchy on the outside, creamy on the inside, burrata cheese. It’s the kind of appetizer you’ll want to make for book club, holiday parties, and a night in front of the TV.

How to make fried burrata over romesco sauce

Ingredients

Process

1. Burrata: Pour flour, egg and panko into their own shallow dishes and set them up in that order. Dredge ball of burrata in flour, dusting off any excess.
2. Next dredge the ball in the beaten egg followed by the panko.

3. Dredge ball back into the beaten egg.
4. Then back into the panko for a double coating. Place ball on a small, parchment lined plate and place in freezer for 10-15 minutes.

5. Fill a tall saucepan with about 4 inches oil and heat to 350˚F.Carefully fry burrata in oil for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oil and transfer to a plate. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
6. Romesco Sauce: Place all ingredients into a food processor or blender, season with salt and pepper.

7. Blend until smooth.
8. Pour mixture into a saucepan and simmer until warm or hot, 5 to 7 minutes.

9. Assemble: Pour romesco sauce into a shallow bowl and place fried burrata into center or sauce. Top with fresh basil leaves and serve with toasted crostini.

Important tips for fried burrata

While this recipe looks complicated, it’s surprisingly simple. But a few key details will keep the crust crispy and intact while it fries.

• Pat the burrata dry, removing as much moisture as possible, so the breading sticks to the ball. If it’s too wet, the coating is more likely to fall off while frying, causing the cheese to leak out.
• Do not skip or shorten the freezing step. This ensures the cheese stays contained within the crispy shell rather than melting immediately upon hitting the oil.
• Check the oil temperature with a thermometer to keep it as close to 350˚F as you can. If the oil is too hot, the panko will burn before the cheese melts, and if it’s too cold, you’ll end up with a greasy, soggy mess.

Air fryer instructions for fried burrata

After originally posting this recipe, we had requests for an air fryer version, so if that was you, here you go! The dry heat from the air fryer does increase the risk of the burrata leaking and won’t make it look as uniformly golden, but it’s still possible to use the air fryer to make a lighter, less messy fried burrata ball.

Here’s how:

• Prepare the burrata as directed, up to the point of removing it from the freezer.
• After freezing the burrata for 15 to 20 minutes, spray the outer layer with cooking spray.
• Preheat the air fryer to 400˚F and either spray the basket well or use a liner to prevent the burrata from sticking.
• Air fry the burrata for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the outside is crisp and golden. Avoid shaking or moving the basket, as the extra movement increases the risk of the shell breaking and cheese melting out.
• Watch it closely in the last 1-3 minutes. You want to take it out as soon as the outside is golden and crisp, but before the cheese starts leaking.

Substitutions for romesco sauce

Our smoky, sweet romesco sauce is a favorite for pairing with fried burrata. We love ours as is, but if you need to make some substitutions, try these options:

• Instead of slivered almonds, you could use chopped almonds, walnuts, or pine nuts if you prefer. You could also make it nut-free and leave the nuts out entirely if needed.
• If you don’t have fresh lemon on hand, a splash of sherry vinegar will brighten the sauce up in a similar way.
• Add some smokiness or heat to the sauce with a pinch of smoked paprika or crushed red pepper flakes.

If you want to change up the sauce entirely, try pairing fried burrata with these other sauces:

• A simple marinara or fresh tomato sauce
• Vodka sauce
• Pesto
• Spicy Arrabiata sauce

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