Ooey, gooey, fried goat cheesy goodness!
For the last few years I have constantly been hearing about these “fried goat cheese balls” by the staff at Sur on Vanderpump Rules.
Every time they talked about these tasty bites of ooey, gooey, cheesiness my mouth would begin to salivate. (Not ideal since I normally watch my reality TV shows while running on a treadmill. LOL)
Instead of hopping on a plane and flying to the California coast, I decided to try my own concoction at home. A mix of honey in the goat cheese filling, a light dusting of Panko breadcrumbs, then a quick pan-sear, and voila! These fried goat cheese medallions were born! (And they taste INCREDIBLE on top of this Fall Harvest Salad!)
Ingredients and Substitutions
The simple ingredients you need to make fried goat cheese at home include:
- Goat Cheese. Skip the crumbled goat cheese and make sure to grab a log. A few of my favorite brands that are also easy-to-find include Montchevre (nice mild flavor), Vermont Creamery (super creamy!), and Coeur de Chevre (harder to find, but organic!)
- Herbs. Fresh rosemary and thyme were tested in this recipe. However, dried herbs can also be substituted, you’ll just want to decrease the amount used by half.
- Honey. Pure local honey gives a subtle sweetness to the goat cheese. Pure maple syrup or even agave nectar can be subbed.
- Flour. All purpose flour or a gluten-free 1-to-1 blend will both work great.
- Panko Breadcrumbs. This gives the goat cheese a super crispy texture. Again, a gluten-free breadcrumb is used but a regular brand can be substituted if you are not gluten-free.
- Egg. This helps to bind the coating onto the goat cheese.
- Oil. Avocado oil is recommended since it has a higher smoke point than olive oil, but olive oil can also be used if that’s what you have on hand.
Step-by-step Instructions
For the detailed ingredient amounts, please see the recipe card below.
Combine the ingredients.
Mix together the soft goat cheese, herbs, and honey in a medium-sized bowl.
Use a fork to ensure everything is thoroughly combined.
Pro Tip: Allow the goat cheese to come to room temp for easier mixing.
Shape into a log and freeze.
Form the goat cheese mixture back into a log that’s roughly the same shape. Wrap in wax or parchment paper.
Freeze the log of goat cheese for 20-30 minutes or until firm. You can leave it in the freezer for up to 2 days if needed.
Slice and coat.
In three separate bowls prepare the following: 1) Flour, salt and pepper, 2) Egg and milk, 3) Panko breadcrumbs and garlic powder. Shallow bowls work great.
Cut the goat cheese log into 8 medallions or thick slices and dip each one into the flour, the beaten egg wash, and then coat in the Panko breadcrumbs.
Pan-fry the slices.
Fry the goat cheese slices in a large skillet with a bit of hot oil over medium heat until crispy and lightly golden brown. Be sure to cook them in a single layer in small batches, depending on the size of your pan.
Remove the goat cheese rounds with a spatula or slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate.
Other Flavors to Try
This recipe suggests that you use both fresh herbs, rosemary and thyme, as well as honey to flavor the goat cheese. If you are not a fan of one of those flavors, or simply want to try something different, here are a few variations you can try:
- Pure maple syrup instead of the honey.
- Fresh sage or tarragon instead of the rosemary or thyme.
- Basil and garlic.
- Cilantro and lime.
Mix, freeze, and prepare the goat cheese medallions and then refrigerate them without frying for up to 48 hours. The day of serving simply pull them out of the refrigerator and proceed with the frying instructions as directed.
Store it in an airtight container for up to 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator. For freezing, flash-freeze the pieces of fried goat cheese on a baking sheet for a few hours. Then, transfer to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 to 6 months.
There are two ways that will bring your fried goat cheese back to life when reheating. Heat them up in a skillet over medium-low heat while covered with a lid. Or, place on a baking sheet in the oven and heat up at 300? for 5-10 minutes.
Goat cheese is a super versatile food and goes with a wide variety of dishes. It tastes great on a salad, with crackers or toast, on a sandwich or burger, or with a simple drizzle of honey or hot honey!
Goat cheese does NOT melt when cooked. Rather, it softens, making it quite easy to spread and melt deliciously when coated in breadcrumbs and pan-fried.
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Fried Goat Cheese Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 (8-ounce) goat cheese log softened
- ½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- ½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
- ⅔ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2-3 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl mix together the goat cheese, rosemary, thyme, and honey with a fork until well combined.1 (8-ounce) goat cheese log, ½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary, ½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme, 1 tablespoon honey
- Place the goat cheese in the center of a piece of wax or parchment paper and roll into a log. Freeze for 20-30 minutes or refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Once the log has hardened, cut the goat cheese with a sharp knife into 8 medallions.
- In three separate shallow bowls add the flour, salt, and pepper to the first bowl, whisk the egg and milk in the second bowl, and whisk together the Panko breadcrumbs and garlic powder. Dip each medallion in the flour mixture, dredge in the egg wash, and then coat completely in the Panko breadcrumbs. Repeat with remaining slices.⅓ cup all purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon milk, ⅔ cup Panko breadcrumbs, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- In a large skillet over medium heat add 1-2 tablespoons of oil. Let oil heat up completely and then add 4 goat cheese slices. Cook for 1-2 minutes per side or until the coating becomes lightly golden. Remove from skillet and place on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with the remaining oil and goat cheese slices.2-3 tablespoons avocado oil
- Serve fried goat cheese with a Fall Harvest Salad or as an appetizer with additional honey and fresh herbs.
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Notes
- Oil: Avocado oil has a higher smoke point and works best when lightly frying.
- Nutritional information: This has been adjusted according to the amount of coating ingredients that will be left over.
- Gluten-free: You can use a gluten-free 1-to-1 blend in place of the all purpose flour and gluten-free Panko breadcrumbs.
- Prepping Ahead: Mix, freeze, and prepare the goat cheese medallions and then refrigerate them without frying for up to 48 hours. The day of serving simply pull them out of the refrigerator and proceed with the frying instructions as directed.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator. For freezing, flash-freeze the pieces of fried goat cheese on a baking sheet for a few hours. Then, transfer to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 to 6 months.
- Reheating: There are two ways that will bring your fried goat cheese back to life when reheating. Heat them up in a skillet over medium-low heat while covered with a lid. Or, place on a baking sheet in the oven and heat up at 300℉ for 5-10 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Other Appetizer Recipes
If you’re looking for easy appetizers, try one of these recipes next.
Crispy Zucchini Fritters and Fried Pickles are always crowd pleasers. Don’t forget the Homemade Ranch.
Speaking of ranch, Ranch Pretzels are so simple to whip up.
You can’t go wrong with Baked Chicken Taquitos Recipe or Baked Potato Wedges.
Check out these other dinner party appetizer ideas.
More Recipes with Goat Cheese
Goat cheese is a secret ingredient that makes so many dishes better, and these recipes are no exception.
Goat cheese is delicious on salad recipes like a Fall Harvest Salad, Strawberry Spinach Salad, or Chopped Kale Salad.
You can add it to an Air Fryer Hamburger or Greek Turkey Burger.
Be sure to try this Roasted Butternut Squash with Goat Cheese, too.
Easy way to cut goat cheese.
Use dental floss. Unscented of course
That’s a great tip! Thanks for leaving a comment!
This recipe is very good and easy to understand. I made these for my birthday party the other day, and everyone raved about them. I will be makining them again. The only thing I did differently was to cover them in crushed pistachios. Very delicious!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Cara! Happy belated birthday. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
The addition of the honey in the goat cheese really smoothed out the tanginess. I literally made a plain spring mix salad with a drizzle of ranch dressing and topped with the fried goat cheese. AMAZING!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Darlene! I think the honey is the perfect addition to goat cheese. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
This sounds delicious. I have made similar without the honey and herbs, and then frozen before frying. After rolling the cheese in the panko, I simply put them on a parchment lined baking sheet, freeze, then store in a freezer bag. I can then used them any time i want a delicious treat. So you could make them a week ahead for a dinner party .
What a great idea. Thanks for leaving a comment!
Can I make these ahead of time and reheat next day for appetizer?
Absolutely! You can even make them ahead of time and wait to fry them up until the day of serving. Can’t wait to hear what you think of the recipe, Allison!
a rest. near my house serves a goat cheese stack salad – with fried goat cheese like this on top of a thick sliced tomato with olive tapande, arugula and balsamic reduction – it all goes SO good together… cant wait to try to recreate it myself with your recipe for the goat cheese.
Oh that flavor combo sounds incredible! Can’t wait to hear what you think about the recipe, Renae!
Can I make these in an air fryer?
Absolutely! I haven’t personally tried them yet but I’m sure 375 degrees for 5-10 minutes should do it! Would love to know how they turn out 🙂
This recipe is the perfect preparation, and I know that many people enjoy the taste of goat cheese. I however, did not. Is there another type of cheese that this could be made with?
Goat cheese has a pretty specific consistency and works really well when prepared like this so I honestly don’t know what else you could try. You could always try a different brand of goat cheese?
What can I use instead of eggs?
I’ve not personally tried it, but a flax egg might do the trick!