Fried Burrata with Burst Tomato Sauce

Fact. Burrata makes everything better, including the game day favorite fried mozzarella. Fried Burrata with Burst Tomato Sauce combines creamy and decadent burrata hugged in a golden crispy shell with a light, bright, and fresh sauce begging for dipping.

Is there anything more satisfying than cutting into a tender ball of fresh burrata cheese and watching that luscious cascade of cream? Whether it’s a fun twist for Halloween like Burrata and Burst Tomato Crostini, or this update on fried mozzarella, when burrata is on the menu, you know you’re in for an event.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Is there anything not to fall head over heels in love with when it comes to ooey, gooey, molten cheese? Fried Burrata with Burst Tomato Sauce is like the adult version of the mozzarella sticks we all grew up with, playing on those familiar flavors and textures, but with slightly elevated ingredients.

• Fresh Flavors – Fried food in general can be heavy. It’s an indulgence for special occasions meant to be shared. Combining fried burrata with a bright and fresh tomato sauce lightens up the flavors of this dish. The sweet and delicate tomatoes help balance the richness.
• Versatility – Once you master how to fry burrata, you can have fun serving it up in different ways and with different sauces.
• Easy Process – There’s nothing complicated about the process. With a few tips, this just requires a simple three-part breading and fry.
• Familiar Flavors – If you love dipping fried mozzarella into marinara, you will love this.
• Shallow Fry – There’s no need for a deep fryer for this recipe. Because burrata is so delicate a shallow fry and basting the burrata ball with the hot oil works best.

What Is Burrata Cheese?

There are certain ingredients that if they’re on a menu, I am immediately going to order and burrata is one of them. Burrata is the little black dress, high heels, confident red lipstick of cheese. Mozzarella is a Monday night, burrata is an indulgent stolen Friday brunch with friends.

Burrata is a soft, fresh Italian cheese most often made from cow’s milk but occasionally made from buffalo’s milk. It’s mild in flavor, similar to fresh mozzarella. The name burrata itself lets you know you’re in for something special, coming from the Italian word for butter, burro.

Burrata comes packed in liquid to help it maintain its moisture as the outside of the burrata ball is made from fresh mozzarella and the inside is a combination of cream and stracciatella, shreds of mozzarella. A container of burrata usually comes with two balls of cheese. If you don’t plan on using both at the same time make sure that you keep the remaining ball packed in the liquid and use it within the week.

Ingredients

When you start with burrata, do you really need anything else? This burrata recipe celebrates the mild and rich flavor of the burrata with just the right accents.

• Burrata – The breading and sauce for this recipe will accommodate one or two balls of burrata.
• Breading – Keep it simple with three-part breading process. Flour, egg wash, and breadcrumbs. For this fried burrata recipe I use a combination of both panko breadcrumbs and finer Italian breadcrumbs. The panko gives a light, crispy texture and the fine breadcrumbs adhere better giving a better crust.
• Seasoning – Burrata is mild in flavor so make sure to give your flour a little seasoning. All you need is salt, pepper, and granulated garlic.

• Grape/Cherry Tomatoes – Use either or a combination. These sweet tomatoes intensify in sweetness as they cook and can be found year-round.
• Shallot – Gives a delicate and sweet onion flavor to the sauce without overpowering any of the other flavors.
• Garlic – Tomato’s best friend. Channel your inner Goodfella and slice your garlic paper thin. This will give you a more delicate garlic flavor than minced garlic. And remember, always use fresh!
• White Wine – Brings acidity and brightness to the burst tomato sauce and lightens up the flavors.
• Oregano – Gives a slightly citrusy and aromatic back note to the sauce.
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes – Gives a little burst of heat that compliments the sweet tomatoes.
• Basil – The sweetness of basil compliments the sweetness of the tomatoes. Save extra for topping your crostini.
• Parmigiano-Reggiano – While this is completely optional, a little flourish of freshly grated parmesan finishes off the burrata with a pop of umami and salty nuttiness.
• Crusty Bread – Is there anything better than crusty bread slathered in sweet tomatoes and molten burrata? This is the perfect vessel to transport this dish to your mouth.
• Oil – Pick a neutral oil with a high smoke point for frying the burrata, such as canola oil. You will also need olive oil for the burst tomato sauce.

How to Make Fried Burrata with Burst Tomato Sauce

The burst tomato sauce for this recipe comes together in the amount of time it takes for your oil to heat up. Combined with a couple of tips for making frying burrata easy, this burrata recipe gives you a restaurant worthy dish with minimal effort.

• Chill – Thoroughly dry off your burrata and place it on a plate in the freezer for 15 minutes.
• Bread – Create your three-part breading station, flour, egg wash, breadcrumbs. Because of the shape of the burrata ball, using bowls makes it easier. Dip your burrata into the flour, then the egg wash, and finally the breadcrumbs. Dip the burrata back into the egg wash and then the breadcrumbs.

• Chill – Place the breaded burrata back on the plate and let it freeze for another 15 minutes. This is the perfect time to make your sauce and get your oil heating up.
• Sauté – Heat a small skillet with your olive oil and add the shallots and garlic. Sauté them until they’re fragrant, but don’t let them get any color. Add the tomatoes, salt, oregano, and crushed red pepper. Leave the tomatoes alone until they begin to slump.

• Deglaze – Add the white wine and stir. Let the tomatoes come to a simmer and cook until they have broken down and the sauce has reduced. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil. I keep the skillet on the grill on indirect to keep it warm.

• Fry – Pour 2″ of oil into a cast iron skillet or fry pan and allow it to heat to 375. Carefully lower the burrata ball into the hot oil. It will not be fully submerged. Begin gently basting the top with the hot oil for one minute. Carefully flip the burrata and cook the other side for another minute or until golden brown. Remove the burrata to a paper towel lined plate to drain.

• Garnish – Place the burrata into the skillet of sauce. Garnish with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt and freshly grated parmesan.
• Serve – Serve with charred bread or crostini. Cheers!

Substitutions

We’ve all been there. You get that Instacart message, we’re sorry, the store is out of burrata. There’s nothing like heading to the store for one specific item or having an Instacart order go wrong to make you pivot with a recipe. This same recipe can be make with a fresh ball of mozzarella or even Mozzarella di Bufala. Follow the same process of drying it off, freezing it for 15 minutes prior to breading followed by freezing for 15 minutes once breaded.

In addition to swapping out the cheese, you can also change up the breadcrumbs a little. If you don’t have panko breadcrumbs you can use all Italian, fine breadcrumbs in this recipe. I don’t recommend using all panko however.

How to Serve Fried Burrata

Do you have to serve this fried burrata with the burst tomato sauce? Absolutely not. Here are a few additional ideas just to get you started, but have fun making it your own.

• Tomato Sauce – Part of why this recipe works is because the warm skillet of burst tomato sauce keeps the fried burrata warm longer. Skip the fresh burst tomatoes and serve this up in a skillet of warm Rustic Tomato Sauce or your favorite marinara.
• Balsamic Marinated Tomatoes – Toss together a quick salad of fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. You can also just drizzle some balsamic glaze over this molten crusty ball of burrata and call it done.
• Caprese Salad – Skip the fresh mozzarella and plop this golden orb into the middle of your sliced tomatoes and basil. Better yet, add two!
• Arugula Salad – The peppery freshness of arugula simply dressed with a little lemon and olive oil makes an ideal base for this fried burrata. Don’t forget to shave on some Parmigiano-Reggiano.
• Pesto – Swirl store bought pesto onto a plate, of for a smoky kick Charred Jalapeno Pesto. The fresh flavors pair well.

• Cheese Board/Charcuterie – Dress up your next cheese board or charcuterie with this fried burrata recipe.

Tips From the Beach

There may have been a few burrata explosions in the process of creating this recipe. Here is a simple list of top tips.

• Dry – Make sure that your burrata is thoroughly dry both before the initial freeze and then before breading it.
• Chill – Chill your burrata in the freezer prior to breading it and then after breading it. You’re not looking to freeze it solid, just make it a little more stable. Allow for 15 minutes for both portions.
• Double Dip –George Costanza had it right. It’s okay to double dip, at least when it comes to frying up burrata. Dipping the burrata in the egg wash and breadcrumbs twice creates a thicker shell, helping to prevent the creamy filling from spilling out.
• Shallow Fry/Baste – Skip the deep vat of oil. Using a shallow fry technique and then basting the burrata with hot oil keeps this process more delicate.

Looking for more delicious tomato recipes? Make sure to check out Lobster Panzanella Salad. And for another easy side check out White Wine Garlic Mushrooms.

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