Fried Goat Cheese Balls

Crispy fried goat cheese balls that are coated in seasoned breadcrumbs and drizzled with warm honey for the perfect delectable bite.

If you can’t tell, goat cheese & I are in a serious relationship at this point. It may not be monogamous (I am looking at you mozzarella) but I have clearly been obsessed!

If you follow me on instagram, I briefly talked about this, but I visited the grocery store shortly after Christmas day. Per usual, I was wandering the fancy cheese section, and saw a ton of bright yellow & red stickers. Seriously, that cheese fridge looked like a Christmas tree with all of the bright colors under it! It was clearance cheese! I know what you’re thinking… “It’s probably on clearance because it’s going to expire.” Well, these cheeses didn’t expire for months, and a 10 ounce goat cheese log was only 2 dollars!

I was so curious as to why there were so many gourmet cheeses, that were far from expiration date, were so cheap! I asked the grocery clerk and he said that they had a lot of extra cheeses from the holiday season that they were just trying to push out. I don’t know if too much cheese is a thing? I would argue one can not have too much cheese. So I stocked up, baby! Mozzarella, mascarpone, mozzarella balls, parmesan, asiago, feta, and of course… goat cheese logs! So if you have been seeing a lot of cheese recipes on here, pretend you haven’t.

Goat cheese is one of my all time favorite cheeses. How could I have all this goat cheese and not fry it? These fried goat cheese balls are creamy and warm inside with a crispy, flavorful exterior. Think of mozzarella sticks but with rich goat cheese.

These delicious fried goat cheese balls can be prepared ahead of time and made when ready to eat. Perfect for a party, girl’s night, or any event! This recipe takes only 10 ingredients and 30 minutes to make. They can be eaten on their own with honey for dipping or even placed on top of a salad for an extra decadent bite. This easy recipe is a must-try!

What type of milk is goat cheese made of?

Goat cheese is as predictable as you thought, it is made of goat’s milk! It is popular around the world in many forms, from soft to hard.

Is goat cheese the same as chevre?

It sure is! Chevre means “goat” and “goat cheese” in French. Throughout this recipe, I use the American term goat cheese instead of the French term chevre.

Ingredients

Before we get to the full recipe detailed below, here are a few notes about the ingredients you will need to make these fried goat cheese balls.

Goat cheese: For this recipe you will need a 10 ounce goat cheese log. The goat cheese log is spreadable and very creamy. For these goat cheese balls, I like to get the goat cheese log with herb or garlic added in. It gives the flavor of the balls an extra oomph.

Breadcrumbs: You will need ½ cup of Italian breadcrumbs. I like the seasoned flavor that the Italian breadcrumbs add to the goat cheese ball coating, however regular bread crumbs will also work.

Egg: One egg is needed for this recipe for the coating on the goat cheese balls. The egg combined with the flour helps provide a moisture seal on the goat cheese ball to ensure that it does not absorb the oil.

Flour: This goat cheese ball recipe calls for ¼ cup of unbleached all purpose flour. The flour in the coating helps brown the goat cheese balls and provide a crunchy exterior.

Seasonings: Do not skimp on seasonings with these goat cheese balls! You will need salt, pepper, and garlic powder. It is crucial to season every element in the coating or you could have a bland outside. You will need a total of ¾ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.

Vegetable Oil: Vegetable oil is used in this recipe to fry the goat cheese balls. It is flavorless and has a high smoke point, therefore makes the exterior of the goat cheese balls extra crispy!

Honey: Honey is drizzled on top of the goat cheese balls after frying. The warm, sweet honey paired with the earthy, creamy goat cheese is just everything.

Variations & Substitutions

Experiment with different flavors of goat cheese! There are a variety of different goat cheese logs out there! From savory to sweet, so many options to try! My favorites are the herb, garlic, or honey!

The Italian breadcrumbs can be substituted for regular breadcrumbs or Panko. I like the way breadcrumbs coat the goat cheese ball and fry, however for a crunchier texture, you can substitute with Panko! Also, if you don’t like the seasoning in Italian breadcrumbs, you can substitute with plain breadcrumbs and add your own seasonings.

If you love spice, try these fried goat cheese balls with hot honey instead of regular honey. I go between original honey & hot honey, and truly can’t decide which is better! Depending on what flavor of goat cheese you use, the hot honey could compliment better than regular honey. For instance, regular honey would go great with cranberry goat cheese whereas the hot honey would go great with garlic goat cheese.

These fried goat cheese balls can also be cooked in the air fryer! If you don’t want to mess with the frying of these goat balls, you can also heat them up in the air fryer! They come out just as crispy! Simply preheat your air fryer to 390F and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until golden brown.

Tips & Tricks

Don’t skip the step of freezing the goat cheese balls! Skipping the freezer step could cause the fried goat cheese balls to fall apart or melt when added to the frying oil. 

Test if the oil is hot enough. All you have to do to test if your frying oil is hot enough, is pop a wooden spoon into it. If little bubbles start to disperse around it, it’s good to go, throw the goat cheese balls in! If it doesn’t bubble, continue to check until you see the little bubbles. 

Season every element of your coating. I know this may seem like an overkill, but I have found when you lightly season each element of the coating, rather than just one, the seasoning is more evenly dispersed and the food doesn’t lack any taste! Don’t crowd the pan. Most likely your pan won’t be crowded if you’re using a large frying pan, as the goat cheese balls are small. However, if you find that your pan is crowded, fry the goat cheese balls in batches. If you crowd the pan you will end up with unevenly cooked goat cheese balls or goat cheese balls that are not crispy!

Instructions

Cut & ball the goat cheese log. Cut the 10 ounce log of goat cheese into 10 even slices. Then cut each slice in half and form into a round ball. Repeat with the remaining slices. You will have 20 goat cheese balls in total.

Prepare the coating ingredients. Add flour to a shallow dish. Add the beaten egg to another shallow dish. Add the italian breadcrumbs to a separate shallow dish. Season each dish with ¼ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, and ⅓ teaspoon garlic powder.

Coat the goat cheese balls. Working one by one, dredge a goat cheese ball in the flour, then the beaten egg, and lastly the seasoned breadcrumbs.

Freeze the goat cheese balls. Place on a large plate and freeze for 15-20 minutes.

Heat up the oil. Heat 16 ounces of vegetable oil in a large pot or pan, over medium heat. This should be just about an inch of oil in the pan.

Fry the goat cheese balls. Test the oil to see if it is hot enough. Then fry the goat cheese balls in small batches, making sure to not overcrowd the pan. Cook for 30 seconds then gently move around the pan to get the other side of the ball. They will take 1 minute total to fry, and will be golden brown when finished. 

Absorb the excess oil. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the fried goat cheese balls on a paper towel lined plate to soak up the excess grease.

Plate & serve. Then transfer to a platter. Drizzle with honey and flaky sea salt. Serve warm. 

Serving Suggestions

Serve these goat cheese balls as soon as they are done frying. Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top. Drizzle with honey.

These fried goat cheese balls are perfect as an appetizer! For an appetizer platter you can pair them alongside, goat cheese dip, balsamic strawberry baked brie, parmesan popovers with honey herb butter, and everything bagel mozzarella sticks.

They are also so delicious on top of salad instead of grated cheese. Try them on top of a bed of dressed arugula, pear salad, or buffalo chicken salad.

Storage & Reheating

The leftover fried goat cheese balls can be stored in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 2 months.

Follow the regular heating instructions to reheat. They can be reheated by frying or in the air fryer.

FAQ

Can I make these goat cheese balls ahead of time?

Yes! After coating, place in an airtight container in the freezer. When ready to eat, follow the regular cooking instructions.

Does goat cheese melt?

Goat cheese doesn’t fully melt like other cheese. When it is exposed to heat, it softens and gets hot but doesn’t melt in a puddle the way mozzarella would.

What else can I dip fried goat cheese balls in?

These fried goat cheese balls would also be delicious dipped in marinara or pesto. The dipping options are endless!

Where can I buy goat cheese?

Goat cheese can be purchased at most grocery stores. It can be found in the speciality cheese section next to the deli department. It can be found in popular grocery stores like Kroger, but can also be found at Whole Foods or even Trader Joes!

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