Gooey Fried Cheese Balls

Fried Cheese balls. Are there any three words that go so perfectly together? I think not! These ooey, gooey fried cheese balls are the perfect snack or appetizer. They are made with a few simple ingredients and are so tasty that I bet you can’t eat just one. So let me teach you how to make cheese balls below…

Why You’ll Love Fried Cheese Balls

• Quick Prep: The prep for these will only take you 15 minutes and you’ll have the whole thing done in under an hour 
• Perfect Snack: These are an amazing snack or appy. Seriously I love to make these up when I’m craving some comfort food
• Dip It: Pick your favorite dip for these bad boys. Whether marinara, ranch, or whatever you want or have

Ingredients

Cheese: You can use vegan or dairy cheese for this recipe. Use whatever is your preference. Each type of cheese will give a different flavor profile. Just make sure you can grate it! 

Maria Koutsogiannia

Maria is the creator of FoodByMaria and your go-to Greek food expert for cozy, flavor-packed recipes. Inspired by her Mediterranean roots, she brings traditional Greek flavors, feel-good ingredients, and a whole lot of joy to everyday cooking.

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Seasoning: The mix of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili flakes, makes these extra flavorful, however, feel free to experiment and use whatever you have on hand, or different amounts of each.

How to Make Fried Cheese Balls

1. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Set aside. 
2. In a large bowl, add cheese, eggs, flour, and spices. Use a hand mixer to combine.
3. Scoop the mixture and roll into small balls, this should be approximately 2 tbsp worth. 
4. Roll the cheese balls into the bread crumbs, evenly coating them. Place completed cheese balls onto the baking tray and set in the refrigerator for 30 – 45 minutes until thoroughly chilled.
5. As the cheese balls are set up, line another baking tray with a paper towel, to soak up excess oil from frying. 
6. After, pour 6-8 cups of vegetable oil into a deep large pot. You will need about 2-3 inches of oil. Heat the oil to 350-355F with a deep-frying or candy thermometer. If the oil is too cooler, the cheese balls will get soggy; and any hotter, they will be too dark and harden.
7. Remove the baking tray from the fridge and carefully place 4 – 5 cheese balls into the oil. Cook until golden brown, about 30 seconds on each side. Drain on a paper towel.
8. Serve immediately with marinara sauce and basil.

Tips and Tricks

• Dip: Use marinara sauce with basil, ranch, hot sauce, whatever you want. These are so good even on their own!
• Cheese: Feel free to use whatever your favorite cheese is – you can even use a combination

Best served with

• Greek Tiropita Recipe
• Easy Shrimp Cakes
• Whipped Eggplant Dip
• Zucchini Fritters

How to Store Leftovers

Store in the fridge in a tightly sealed container for 7 – 10 days. Reheat in the oven to serve or enjoy chilled.

Common Questions

4.50 from 14 votes

Gooey Fried Cheese Balls

Ooey, gooey, and oh so delicious. These fried cheese balls are the perfect snack or appy. They can be made with any combo of your fav vegan (or regular) cheese too!

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

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Course Vegetarian

Cuisine American-Inspired

Servings 24 -28 minutes

Calories 78

Servings: 24 -28 minutes

IngredientsInstructionsNutrition

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 cups cheese or vegan cheese, grated
• ▢ 2 eggs
• ▢ 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 tsp garlic powder
• ▢ 2 tsp onion powder
• ▢ 2 tsp oregano
• ▢ 1 tsp black pepper
• ▢ 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ▢ 1 tsp chili flakes
• ▢ 1 cup bread crumbs
• ▢ 6-8 cups vegetable oil

Instructions 

Start Cooking

1. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Set aside. 
2. In a large bowl, add cheese, eggs, flour, and spices. Use a hand mixer to combine.
3. Scoop the mixture and roll into small balls, this should be approximately 2 tbsp worth. 
4. Roll the cheese balls into the bread crumbs, evenly coating them. Place completed cheese balls onto the baking tray and set in the refrigerator for 30 – 45 minutes until thoroughly chilled.
5. As the cheese balls are set up, line another baking tray with a paper towel, to soak up excess oil from frying. 
6. After, pour 6-8 cups of vegetable oil into a deep large pot. You will need about 2-3 inches of oil. Heat the oil to 350-355F with a deep-frying or candy thermometer. If the oil is too cooler, the cheese balls will get soggy; and any hotter, they will be too dark and harden.
7. Remove the baking tray from the fridge and carefully place 4 – 5 cheese balls into the oil. Cook until golden brown, about 30 seconds on each side. Drain on a paper towel.
8. Serve immediately with marinara sauce and basil.

Notes

Use your favourite combination of cheeses or vegan cheese! Like classic cheddar, gouda, swiss, gruyere, Monterey jack, applewood smoked, provolone, etc!

To make completely vegan, replace cheese & egg with your favourite substitute. Add an additional 2 tbsp of nutritional yeast along with these substitutions for a more cheesy flavour, and adjust seasonings to taste. 

Replace any spices with your favourite!

Store in the fridge in a tightly sealed container for 7 – 10 days. Reheat in the oven to serve or enjoy chilled.

NutritionHide Nutrition

Serving: 28Calories: 78kcalCarbohydrates: 7.5gProtein: 1.2gFat: 4.6gSaturated Fat: 2.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 13.3mgSodium: 142.2mgFiber: 0.9gSugar: 0.3g