Main Page
Fast and tasty
Cheese balls in a frying pan

Fried Cheese Balls

A finger-licking cheese appetizer. Like anything deep-fried, these cheese balls come out irresistibly good. Almost any cheese works here — the one rule is that it should melt well. Everything else is likely already in your kitchen.

Ropotushka

Recipe author

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Hard cheese

300

All-purpose flour

Eggs

Salt (a pinch)

Vegetable oil

600

Breadcrumbs

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 12 % 9 g

Fats 82 % 63 g

Carbohydrates 6 % 5 g

602 kcal

GI: 0 / 0 / 100

Cooking method

Cooking time: 30 min

Step 1:

If you love cheese, this snack is for you — fried cheese balls. Gather all your ingredients. Hard cheese is the star of the dish, so pick one that tastes good and melts well. About an hour before you start, put the cheese in the fridge so it's firm and easier to grate. Use good-quality flour and fresh eggs, and choose a neutral, odorless oil.
Step 2:

Before you start, chill the cheese well so it doesn't turn soft and is easier to shred. Grate it on the large holes of a box grater. A batter with bigger shreds of cheese is easier to work with.
Step 3:

Use a deep bowl so it's easy to mix everything together. Beat the eggs with a fork — no need to whip them to a foam.
Step 4:

Add the grated cheese to the eggs. Salt lightly — and if your cheese is already salty, you can skip the salt entirely. Stir everything together.
Step 5:

Add 3 tablespoons of flour to the cheese-and-egg mixture. The final texture depends on your ingredients, since brands vary, so add the flour a little at a time. If the batter is too loose — meaning it barely resists as you stir — work in a bit more flour.
Step 6:

Roll the batter into balls about the size of a quail egg. You can make them larger, but then you'll need more oil. The batter is quite sticky, especially since the cheese starts to melt in warm hands. Shape the balls with your fingertips to make it easier. When too much sticks to your hands, wash and dry them, then keep going. I ended up with 20 cheese balls.
Step 7:

Take a wide, flat-bottomed dish and scatter the breadcrumbs across the bottom. Set the balls in it and roll them around to coat on all sides — tilting and turning the dish so they pick up crumbs evenly. You could use flour instead of breadcrumbs, but the crumbs give a crispier crust. Grab a deep skillet about 8 inches (20 cm) across.
Step 8:

Whatever skillet you use, pour in enough oil for the balls to sink about halfway. Heat the oil over medium — working with very hot oil is risky and can burn you. To keep it from spattering, add a pinch of salt to soak up any moisture. Test the temperature by dropping in a couple of crumbs; the oil should bubble around them right away. Gently lower the balls into the oil.
Step 9:

Nudge them with a spoon or slotted spoon so they cook evenly and don't stick to the bottom. If they're browning too fast, lower the heat — that makes them easier to manage so the first ones don't scorch while you fish out the rest. Fry until golden, then turn to the other side. Mine took about 2 minutes per side, but timing depends on the crumbs, the oil, and your stove.
Step 10:

Once the balls are golden all over, lift them out and set them on paper towels to drain the extra oil. To keep their round shape, don't pile the hot balls up right away — they're soft and can flatten each other.

My cheese didn't seem too salty, so I salted the batter — but the balls came out a little too salty for my taste, so keep that in mind. Serve them hot or warm. They pair wonderfully with garlicky sauces and fresh vegetables, though I love them plain. And kids can't get enough of them.