Vietnam
Phô Mai Que Recipe: Vietnamese Fried Cheese Sticks

Phô Mai Que Recipe: Vietnamese Fried Cheese Sticks

Hanna Tran Hanna Tran | Updated October 16, 2026

Phô mai que, fried cheese sticks, has become one of the most popular snacks among young people in Vietnam in recent years, especially in Saigon. It’s what they order when they hang out with friends over a glass of iced lemon tea. It’s also easy to make at home, and a good thing to put out when you have people over.

Phô Mai Que Recipe: Vietnamese Fried Cheese Sticks

Plan ahead: the coated sticks go in the fridge for 3 hours before their second coat, then rest for 15 minutes before frying.

    Ingredients

    • 200 g mozzarella cheese
    • 3 egg yolks
    • ½ bowl flour, mixed in the proportion 1 wheat flour : ½ tapioca flour
    • ½ bowl breadcrumbs (bột chiên xù)
    • Some oregano leaves
    • Salt and pepper
    • Oil, for deep-frying
    • Chilli sauce, to serve

    How to make phô mai que

    1. Cut and coat the cheese

    Cut the mozzarella into long, thin sticks.

    Put the wheat and tapioca flour on a plate and roll each stick in it until every side is covered. Roll gently so the sticks don’t break.

    Cheese sticks rolled in the flour mix

    Beat the egg yolks well and roll the floured sticks in them.

    Floured cheese sticks in beaten egg yolk

    Put the breadcrumbs on a plate and mix in the salt, pepper and oregano. Roll the sticks through the breadcrumbs.

    Cheese sticks coated in seasoned breadcrumbs

    2. Chill, then coat again

    Arrange the sticks on a plate and put them in the fridge for 3 hours. This step is a big part of getting them right.

    Breaded cheese sticks on a plate, ready for the fridge

    After 3 hours, coat them a second time: flour, then egg yolk, then breadcrumbs, exactly as before. Leave them for 15 minutes, then fry.

    3. Fry

    Heat enough oil to cover the cheese sticks completely. Lower them into the oil gently, one at a time, and fry until golden brown.

    Cheese sticks frying in oil

    Lift them out onto a plate lined with paper towels to soak up the excess oil. Serve with chilli sauce.

    A fried cheese stick pulled open
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