Whether you have a holiday party coming up or you’re simply craving these delicious bite-sized treats, these goat cheese balls fried in the air fryer are perfect for any occasion. I am in love with how they’re crunchy, creamy, and tangy all in one bite. They’re so addictive and will melt in your mouth.
Perfect on their own or with a drizzle of honey, these fried cheesy balls will disappear fast. Always a crowd-pleaser, they come together quickly and easily with a few simple ingredients so you can whip them up last minute for any occasion. Want another easy-to-share appetizer? Try my carb cakes recipe or salmon cake recipe.
Key Ingredients You Need
- Goat cheese — Goat cheese comes in all kinds of flavors. Use your favorite! I use plain goat cheese. Make sure you buy cheese that comes in a log and is not pre-crumbled.
- Flour — Use flour of your choice. You can use regular all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour.
- Egg — Don’t skip the egg, as it helps bind the breadcrumb coating to the cheese balls.
- Breadcrumbs — You can use regular or gluten-free breadcrumbs.
How to Make Air Fryer Goat Cheese Balls
Step 1: Divide the goat cheese into 12 pieces.
Step 2: Roll the goat cheese into balls. Place on a plate and put in the freezer for 20 minutes.
Step 3: Remove the goat cheese balls from the freezer and dredge in the flour.
Step 4: Then dredge into the beaten egg
Step 5: Finish off by dredging in breadcrumbs.
Step 6: Spray the coated balls with a light coat of olive oil and place the goat cheese balls in a single layer in the air fryer and cook at 370 F for 6 to 8 minutes, until they are golden. Drizzle some honey over them and garnish with thyme and serve immediately.
Tips For This Recipe
- Make sure you do not skip freezing the goat cheese. If you skip this step, you risk the cheese melting or the balls falling apart as they air fry.
- While I use panko breadcrumbs, you can substitute them for traditional breadcrumbs if that’s what you have on hand. However, the texture will be slightly different.
- Another cheese perfect for these cheese balls are garlic and herb flavored goat cheese or honey flavored goat cheese. You can also stir in flavor mix-ins to the cheese before rolling into balls.
- If you’re having trouble rolling the balls, let the goat cheese sit out, so it's closer to room temperature.
- Flaky sea salt or chopped nuts are great options for garnish as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
These air fryer cheese balls are the perfect ??bite-sized appetizer. They’re also delicious on top of salads or with a big bowl of creamy soup.
You can roll and freeze the goat cheese into balls ahead of time. Once they’re frozen, transfer the cheese balls into a freezer-safe bag until ready to coat and air fry. You can also bread the cheese balls and freeze them to air fry later.
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Reheat them in the air fryer when ready to enjoy.
IF YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE TRY THESE OUT!
If you’ve tried this Air Fryer Goat Cheese Balls Recipe, then don’t forget to leave me a 5 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Air Fryer Goat Cheese Balls
Ingredients
- 8 oz goat cheese
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 large egg beaten
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- olive oil spray
Garnish:
- honey
- thyme
Instructions
- Divide the goat cheese into 12 pieces and roll into balls. Place on a plate and put in the freezer for 20 minutes.
- While the goat cheese balls are in the freezer, create the dredging stations: one for flour, one for the beaten egg, and one for the breadcrumbs.
- Remove the goat cheese balls from the freezer and one by one, dredge in the flour, then the beaten egg, then the breadcrumbs. Once the goat cheese balls have finished with the dredging station, place on a plate or sheet pan and spray with a light coat of olive oil.
- Place the goat cheese balls on a single layer in the air fryer and cook at 370 F for 6 to 8 minutes, until they are golden.
- Drizzle some honey over them and garnish with thyme and serve immediately.
These are perfect for the air fryer. What I did was to freeze then again for 20 minutes before frying and none of them split open.
Great idea Vic! Thank you for the tip.