If I told you what my husband said after one bite of these Fried Goat Cheese Balls, you’d laugh your ass off. Instead, I’ll keep it PG and just say, dude, you’ve like totally got to make these.
Creamy, tangy Chèvre is breaded in panko breadcrumbs, then quickly fried — like, real quick! 20 seconds tops! Drizzle with truffle honey (oh yes we did) and chopped pistachios.
Do not, we repeat, do not forget flaky sea salt at the end! It helps to counter the sweet tanginess of the goat cheese!
Anyway what we’re saying is these will become your new favorite hors d’oeuvres and you should probably go ahead and triple the batch. Worth it!
For more crowd pleasing appetizers, be sure to try our Eggplant Caponata, Green Olive Tapenade, or these Antipasto Skewers!
Ingredient Notes
But first, what Is Chèvre?
Chèvre is cheese made from goat’s milk. It is often used to describe fresh goat cheese (you’ll frequently see this in log form at grocery stores in the States, pictured above), but it comes in all shapes and sizes. Fresh Chèvre is bright, tangy, and creamy.
- Goat cheese
- All-purpose flour
- Eggs
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Canola or vegetable oil
- Truffle honey
- Crushed pistachios
- Flaky sea salt
While you can fry goat cheese in other oils, we recommend a neutral oil with a high smoke point.
How To Make Fried Goat Cheese
Let me first say that goat cheese balls only take 20 seconds to fry at 375-400F. That is fast. So when you’re ready to begin frying, do not walk away!
Assemble the goat cheese balls:
- Take an 8 oz log of Chèvre and cut it into equal pieces about 1 heaping teaspoon in size. You should get 24 pieces.
- Roll each piece of goat cheese into a small, round ball. It helps to wear disposable kitchen gloves to keep the balls neat.
- Place flour in a small mixing bowl, then drop the goat cheese rounds into the flour and toss to thoroughly coat.
- Transfer goat cheese balls to a mixing bowl with beaten eggs. Make sure they are covered on all sides.
- Carefully transfer goat cheese to a mixing bowl with panko breadcrumbs, allowing all excess egg to drip off before placing them in the bowl. Toss to evenly coat on all sides with panko. Freeze for 20 minutes! Do not skip this step or the goat cheese balls will fall apart in the oil!
To fry goat cheese:
- Heat canola or vegetable oil in a small sauce pan. Why a small pan? We recommend only cooking 4 or 5 goat cheese balls at a time, because they cook so quickly. The oil will heat quicker in a smaller pot, tool.
- When the temperature reaches 375-400F, carefully lower 4 or 5 goat cheese balls into the oil. To do this, we use a spider, or skimmer. This tool is also helpful to turn the goat cheese over and help ensure even cooking on all sides. In about 20 seconds, the goat cheese balls will begin making a popping sound. They should also be a light golden brown on all sides.
- Carefully lift out the fried goat cheese and transfer to a paper towel lined cooling rack. Immediately sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
Simple Toppings
Place fried goat cheese balls on a serving tray. Drizzle generously with truffle honey, then sprinkle with crushed pistachios.
Take a bite! The Chèvre will now be even creamier. These can be served immediately or at room temperature.
Sancerre and Chèvre go together like peanut butter and jelly. While any number of wines would pair beautifully with fried goat cheese, our preferred pairing is Sancerre.
Our family had the extreme pleasure of visiting Sancerre, in the Eastern part of the Loire valley, a few years ago. The region specializes in Sauvignon blanc, which pairs so well with Chèvre. Why? A lot of goat cheese is made from the same region.
While visiting the area, we were able to pop into a number of different goat farms. The same soil that is used to grow Sauvignon blanc grapes is also the home to many goats! No surprise that the flavors of one work alongside — not against — the flavors of the other.
If you or your guests insist on a red, Cabernet Franc or Beaujolais are both safe (and delicious!) bets!
Other Goat Cheese Recipes We Love
Perhaps you haven’t noticed that we are slightly obsessed with all things goat cheese in this house. No shame! Here are some of our favorite ways to use chèvre (and really, the possibilities are endless!):
Sheet pan chicken meatballs stuffed with goat cheese
Goat cheese quiche with butternut squash
Focaccia stuffing with chorizo, butternut squash, and goat cheese
And if you’re looking for a way to use goat cheese in dessert, this cheesecake is calling our names!
If you make this Fried Goat Cheese Balls recipe, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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For more easy appetizers, check out the following:
- Phyllo-wrapped feta with truffle honey
- Prosciutto-wrapped cantaloupe
- Old Bay shrimp
- Homemade ricotta
- Grilled jalapeño poppers
Fried Goat Cheese Balls Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (8 oz) log of fresh goat cheese
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs room temperature, beaten
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs not traditional breadcrumbs
- Flaky sea salt
- Truffle honey
- 1 Tbsp chopped pistachios
- Canola or vegetable oil
Instructions
Form the goat cheese balls
- Cut the Chèvre into equal pieces about 1 heaping teaspoon in size. You should get 24 pieces. Roll each piece of goat cheese into a small, round ball. It helps to wear disposable kitchen gloves to keep the balls neat.
- Place flour in a small mixing bowl, then drop the goat cheese rounds into the flour and toss to thoroughly coat. Transfer goat cheese balls to a mixing bowl with beaten eggs. Make sure they are covered on all sides.
- Carefully transfer goat cheese to a mixing bowl with panko breadcrumbs, allowing all excess egg to drip off before placing them in the bowl. Toss to evenly coat on all sides with panko. Freeze for 20 minutes! Do not skip this step or the goat cheese balls will fall apart in the oil!
Fry the goat cheese
- Heat canola or vegetable oil in a small sauce pan until it reaches a temperature of 375-400F. Why a small pan? We recommend only cooking 4 or 5 goat cheese balls at a time, because they cook so quickly. The oil will heat quicker in a smaller pot. When hot, carefully lower 4 or 5 goat cheese balls into the oil. In about 20 seconds, the goat cheese balls will begin making a popping sound. They should also be a light golden brown on all sides.
- Carefully lift out the fried goat cheese and transfer to a paper towel lined cooling rack. Immediately sprinkle with about ½ teaspoon of flaky sea salt.
For serving
- Transfer goat cheese balls to a serving tray. Drizzle with about 2 teaspoons of truffle honey (using more or less based on your specific taste), then sprinkle with crushed pistachios. Serve immediately or at room temperature.
Video
Notes
- Nutrition facts were calculated before frying.
- While you can substitute panko breadcrumbs with traditional breadcrumbs, the overall texture will be different. We recommend panko if you have it on hand!
- Make sure you do not skip freezing the goat cheese balls before frying. They will not hold their shape as well during frying if you skip this step!
- We use a spider, or skimmer, to lower and lift out goat cheese balls from the oil. This tool is also helpful to turn the goat cheese over and help ensure even cooking on all sides.
This recipe is such a winner. Super simple but full of flavor. The combination of the crunchy breading, smooth and tangy goat cheese, sweetness of the honey, and a little texture from the pistachios make this recipe a home run. I made them for my mother-in-law’s birthday brunch and we are still talking about that recipe several weeks later. *chef kiss*
It is a totally easy recipe and that’s why we love it so much!! Definitely love the sweetness from the honey and that extra crunch from the pistachios! Three cheers for fried goat cheese!! xo, Ari
The fried goat cheese balls are DELICIOUS!!
They are easy to make and taste so good, their flavor and texture are perfect!
YESSSS, they are killer! Love the crunch, both from the goat cheese and the pistachios! Hooray! xo, Ari
Is it okay to shape ahead, then refrigerate until ready to put into the freezer and then fry?
Yes, absolutely!! You’re good to go! xo, Ari
So excited to try these! Do you think this could be done with air frying oven?
Hi Elle! Yes, absolutely! I haven’t tested them with an air fryer, but many people have made them this way and reported that it works well. I have to insist that you DO NOT SKIP the step requiring them to go into the freezer before frying. If you skip this step — even with an air fryer — they are more likely to fall apart. Freezing for a short period of time will keep them together! xo, Ari
These are fantastic! I made them as an appetizer for some friends. They are delicious and impressive. I will be making them again soon!
Always so delicious and impressive! Love that crunch and of course the truffle honey!! xo, Ari
Absolutely loved this recipe! My family loved it!
That is so wonderful to hear! They are totally irresistible! xo, Ari
These were delicious! I made the goat cheese balls in advance and froze them fully. I fried them directly from frozen and just added maybe 20 seconds to the frying time. I also couldn’t find truffle honey so I used hot honey, which was still great. The cheese inside was gooey and melty, but so crunchy on the outside. I think the key here is keeping them small – too big and it would be too much goat cheese in one mouthful. I will definitely make these again!
Totally agree, keep them nice and small and bite size! Glad you all enjoyed them! xo, Ari
Can’t wait to make these. Please tell me where you got that gorgeous pan?!
Hi Jen! I’m scouring my email to see if I can trace the plate back to its original source (I know I bought it online!), but I am failing. I’ll circle back if I can find the shop. Enjoy these, they’re one of my fav apps! xo, Ari
Thank you SO much for even taking the time to look!
My husband and our dinner guests are obsessed! These are amazing! I made several hours ahead of our dinner and left in the freezer during that time which meant cook time was at least a minute to get the interior hot and creamy for serving 🙂
Isn’t that the best?! Something that can be prepped well in advance and takes so little time to cook to order?! Glad you loved, thanks for the review! xo, Ari