Fried Cheeseballs

Crunchy and salty these cheeseballs are a mixture of goats cheese, feta cheese, cream cheese and mozzarella cheese. They are an easy and delicious hot appetizer recipe for parties or game night.

Okay, I know when I say cheese balls we think of those cheeseball packets/bottles we would get as kids (or adults – who is judging?) and they were crunchy and gone in a single bite. These cheeseballs are nothing like that. They are a more adult version with a mixture of 4 cheeses making for the perfect hot appetizer/starter/snack to make in little time.

What are cheeseballs?

Cheeseballs are a hot appetizer made out of a mixture of cheeses, formed into small balls, coated in panko breadcrumbs and fried until golden and crunchy. Serve them with ketchup or better yet, sweet chili sauce.

What ingredients do you need to make these cheeseballs?

The cheese mixture is made up of goats cheese, feta cheese, mozzarella cheese and cream cheese. I’ve seasoned it with dried herbs and black pepper. Before frying in oil they are coated in seasoned flour, then beaten egg and a panko breadcrumb and sesame seed coating. Serve them with a sauce such as ketchup, sweet chili sauce, mustard or warm honey as well.

What kind of cheese can you use to make these cheeseballs?

I would recommend using the suggested combination of goats, feta, cream cheese and mozzarella. However you could use camembert cheese, cheddar cheese or gruyere.

What equipment do you need to make these cheeseballs?

To mix the cheese mixture we need a mixing bowl and rubber spatula. I have used a little oil in my palms to roll the mixture into balls. You will need a couple of bowls for the coating process. I have fried these balls in a shallow heavy bottom sauce pot but you can use any pot you like. You will need a perforated spoon to remove them from the hot oil. Let them drain on paper kitchen towel and serve them in a plate while still hot.

How to make these cheeseballs?

In a heavy bottom sauce pan add oil, half way through. Let it get hot gently on low to medium heat. In a small bowl add the goats cheese, feta cheese, cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, dried herbs, black pepper and mix until combined. Add a little oil in your hands and using a teaspoon to portion out the cheese mixture start rolling it between your palms to form them into balls. Place on a plate and continue until all the mixture is portioned and formed into balls. Now set up the coating process, in one bowl add the flour, cayenne pepper powder and salt – stir together and set aside. In the second bowl add the egg and beat it well. In a third bowl add the panko breadcrumbs and sesame seeds, stir together and set aside. Keeping one hand for the dry ingredients and keep one hand for the wet (to control the messiness), coat the cheeseball in flour, then roll in beaten egg and then in the panko mixture, transfer to a platter and repeat until all are done.

At this stage you can CHILL or FREEZE the cheeseballs and fry them later.if you are frying them frozen make sure to allow the oil to get hot enough before or else they will not fry evenly and the center will be frozen. If you are frying them frozen they will take 3-4 minutes until golden and the insides are cooked through. If you are frying them from the fridge or immediately without chilling they will take 1-3 minutes until golden and cooked through. Be careful not to over cook them as the cheese will start oozing out of the balls as they fry. While frying don’t move them too much let the coating get fried first as this acts the barrier to keep the cheese inside. Remove from the oil using a perforated spoon and transfer to a paper kitchen towel. Let the excess oil drain out before serving. I love serving them with sweet chili sauce.

Serving and storing these cheeseballs?

I like to serve them with a dipping sauce, you could stick to ketchup, hot sauce, sweet chili sauce (like I have) or heat up a little honey and serve it with that too. Once these balls are formed and coated they can be stored in the freezer for 1 month. They can also be stored in the fridge for 2 days making for a fantastic make ahead appetizer. Once they are fried I wouldn’t recommend storing them for long as they can get soggy. They are best served hot once they are fried immediately.

Looking for more hot appetizers?

Now that we have covered how to make these Fried Cheeseballs, you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.