fried goat cheese balls (deep fry, air fry, or bake!)

The crunchy deep-fried goat cheese balls are the most delicious appetizer! They’re perfect little bites of crispy panko and warm tangy goat cheese. We love to serve them with hot honey!

why I love it:

These fried goat cheese balls check all of my boxes for favorite foods. Crunchy, salty, tangy, cheesy, and perfectly bite-sized. They’re less complicated than you might think and they’re so fun.

They fry up super quickly and the entire process can be broken down in several stages, for a few days if you want. Snag 20 minutes here and there to shape the balls, bread them, and fry them.

This make-ahead method is especially helpful for anyone busy (like… the world) who also wants to make delicious food for people they love.

fried goat cheese ball ingredients:

• goat cheese
• all-purpose flour
• eggs
• panko
• oil, for frying
• hot honey

How to make these goat cheese balls in an air fryer:

1. Preheat air fryer to 450°F.
2. Spray frozen, breaded goat cheese balls all over with canola oil cooking spray.
3. Air fry for about 5 minutes or until golden and crispy.

Tips:

• Don’t overcrowd the basket, and work in batches if needed.
• Keep the extra goat cheese balls in the freezer until it’s their turn!

How to bake them in the oven:

1. Preheat oven to 500°F.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil and add frozen goat cheese balls. Spray them all over with canola oil cooking spray and arrange them evenly on the sheet.
3. Bake for 5- 7 minutes or until golden brown and crunchy. 

Why this is the best fried goat cheese recipe:

• We take the frustration out of frying soft cheese. The key is to work with frozen goat cheese!
  • I always break this recipe up into 2 days. Day 1 is for shaping, freezing, breading, and freezing. Then day 2 for frying and eating.
  • Build in time to let them freeze completely for an easy breezy frying experience! 
• Double breading: This might seem annoying at the time, but trust me. We do a double panko coating for a thick and durable breading that holds the molten goat cheese together and won’t explode in the oil!
  • If you’ve ever had cheese balls fall apart in hot oil, you know this is worth it. Plus, they taste so deliciously crunchy!
• A million ways to customize them. I consider this recipe a blank slate, base-line type of recipe and I want you to go wild with your favorite flavors.
  • Below is a list of ways to make these goat cheese balls extra delicious, with ingredients you can mix into the goat cheese, modifications to the panko coating, and dips or glazes you can serve the fried balls with.

Make these goat cheese balls your own:

Mix in a few tablespoons of the following into the goat cheese:

• Minced sun-dried tomatoes
• Minced kalamata olives
• Minced chives
• Smoked paprika
• Cracked black pepper
• Minced dried cranberries
• Grated fresh truffle
• Grated lemon or orange zest
• Finely chopped pecans

Modify the panko breading:

• Add 2 tbsp everything bagel spice into panko breadcrumbs
• Substitute half the panko with shredded coconut for a tropical flair
• Mix in ½ teaspoon of cayenne and 2 tsp of smoked paprika
• Add ¼ cup sesame seeds to panko

Add a dip or drizzle them with a glaze:

• Hot honey
• Buffalo sauce (buttery Frank’s hot sauce mixture)
• Balsamic honey glaze
• Fig port glaze
• Chili crisp
• Cranberry orange glaze
• Honey mustard dip
• Saffron aioli
• Truffle aioli
• Fig jam
• Raspberry or mango coulis
• Basil pesto
• Apricot mostarda
• Green goddess dressing
• Sweet chili sauce
• Herbed yogurt dip
• Sriracha mayonnaise

Tips:

• Use a scale for the most even goat cheese portions and perfectly sized balls. If that doesn’t concern you, roughly divide the log into 16 portions (cut in half, over and over again).
• Freeze! Freeze the rolled goat cheese balls before breading, and then freeze again before breading. Both times, freezing completely will dramatically improve the process. If you’re strapped for time, freeze them for as long as you can. 
• Deep-fry in refined coconut oil for the crispiest, non-greasy feel.
• Use a thermometer for the oil temperature. Deep frying at the right temperature is key to a crispy outside that is perfectly golden brown and dry, vs burnt or greasy. I love this instant read thermometer!
• Use the grill. If you absolutely hate frying and the smell it leaves in your house, try it outside! I love to heat the oil on the extra burner of our grill to keep the mess and smell of KFC out in the wild.
• Double the recipe and store all the extras in the freezer for a backup, delicious appetizer. Just heat some oil and fry to order!
• Use these in the most delicious fried goat cheese salad (with strawberries, herbs, and edible flowers!)

Make ahead and reheating tips:

These fried goat cheese balls can be prepped ahead in the following ways:

• Freeze unfried balls for up to 1 month. Bread the goat cheese balls, freeze on a sheet pan, then transfer to a ziptop bag for long-term storage.
  • Fry according to the recipe at any point!
• Refrigerate fried balls. Let goat cheese balls cool completely, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. 
  • To reheat, place in the oven at 350°F for about 5 minutes, or until heated through and crisp.
• Freeze fried balls for up to 1 month. Let goat cheese balls cool completely, then freeze on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. Once frozen, transfer to a ziptop bag for long-term storage.
  • Reheat in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes, or until heated through and crisp.

more appetizers to try:

arancini

honey baked camembert

prosciutto bruschetta

truffle arancini

whipped feta dip

Print