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Some food just makes you grin before you even take a bite. These are one of those.
I first had the idea for Nashville Hot Bacon Wrapped Mozzarella Sticks during a weekend in Nashville — the kind of trip where you “just want to look around” and end up eating half the city. Between the live music, neon signs, and the smell of fried chicken drifting through the air, I kept thinking, how do I take this heat home with me?
The answer, apparently, was to wrap mozzarella sticks in bacon and paint them in Nashville hot sauce. And yes — they’re exactly as ridiculous and wonderful as they sound. Crispy, smoky bacon hugging gooey, stretchy cheese, with just enough spice to make you reach for another… and maybe a sip of something cold.
Why You’ll Love These
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Bacon. Cheese. Spice. I mean… come on.
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Zero fuss – No breading, no deep frying, just wrap, brush, bake.
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Party gold – They disappear so fast it’s a little alarming.
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Custom heat – Make them fiery or mild depending on your crowd.
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Pure joy food – You don’t eat these politely; you just enjoy them.
A Few Ingredient Notes
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Mozzarella sticks – Frozen ones are fine, or cut your own from a block of cheese.
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Bacon – Thin slices wrap better and crisp faster.
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Hot sauce – Frank’s RedHot is a classic, but you can swap in whatever you love.
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Cayenne & smoked paprika – For that heat-and-smoke balance Nashville does so well.
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Butter – Helps the sauce stick to the bacon and mellows the heat a touch.
How to Make Them
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Preheat & prep
Oven at 400°F (200°C), baking sheet lined with parchment. -
Wrap the cheese
Take a mozzarella stick, wrap it in a slice of bacon, secure with a toothpick. Repeat. -
Mix the magic
Whisk together hot sauce, melted butter, cayenne, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper. -
Brush generously
Coat each bacon-wrapped stick like you mean it. -
Bake
15–20 minutes, until the bacon’s crisp and the cheese is this close to oozing out. -
Cool just a smidge
Two or three minutes… long enough so you don’t burn your mouth, short enough so they’re still molten.
Fun Twists
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Go mild – Less cayenne, sweeter hot sauce.
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Extra smoky – More smoked paprika or a tiny drop of liquid smoke.
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Cheese swap – Pepper jack for heat, cheddar for sharpness.
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Dipping – Ranch, blue cheese, or even honey for sweet-heat magic.
Serving Suggestions
If you want to pretend these are balanced, serve with carrot and celery sticks. For a full spread, add sweet potato fries or crunchy slaw. And if you’re hosting game day? Just make a double batch. Trust me.
These Nashville Hot Bacon Wrapped Mozzarella Sticks aren’t subtle. They’re bold, messy, and guaranteed to put a smile on your face. And honestly? That’s the whole point.
If you make them, save one for yourself before you set the plate down. Learned that the hard way.
Nashville Hot Bacon Wrapped Mozzarella Sticks
Ingredients
- 8 mozzarella sticks
- 8 slices bacon
- 1/4 cup hot sauce such as Frank's RedHot
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- toothpicks
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Wrap each mozzarella stick with a slice of bacon, securing the ends with a toothpick.
- In a small bowl, mix together the hot sauce, melted butter, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
- Brush the hot sauce mixture generously over each bacon-wrapped mozzarella stick.
- Place the sticks on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy and the cheese is melted.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition