The Hungry MouseCrispy Fried Goat Cheese
Be still my heart. I think I would eat these every day if I could.
This is the first of my trio of holiday appetizer recipes that I developed for Sam’s Club. It’s definitely my new favorite munchy type thing.
These h’ors d’oeuvres are really easy to throw together on the fly. Basically, you take slices of goat cheese, dip them in beaten egg, then coat them in seasoned panko breadcrumbs, then fry in a little olive oil until crispy.
The outside crust is unbelievably crunchy and flavorful. The inside cheese is warm, creamy, and really smooth. The combination makes for a killer app.
The best part? Because goat cheese is more of a dry, crumbly cheese, it won’t melt and ooze all over as it cooks. (Granted, it’s in and out of the pan in a flash…)
You could also serve it as more of a main dish (say, for brunch), over a salad with some good garlic bread and a glass of red wine.
Tips for slicing goat cheese
- To make the cheese a little easier to slice, pop it in the freezer for about 15 minutes before cutting to firm it up.
- Use a sharp, non-serrated knife and wipe it down with a paper towel and warm water in between slices.
- Try cutting it cheese-shop style, with a piece of clean stainless steel wire—or unflavored dental floss.
This recipe is easy to scale
This is one of those recipes that’s easy to scale up or down, depending on how many people you’re feeding. Once you get the basic technique down, it’s simple.
Because this is holiday season, I included a recipe for a whole pound of goat cheese, so you can feed all your hungry friends.
If you wanted to get really fancy, you could also mold the cheese into different shapes before frying.
Crispy Fried Goat Cheese
16 oz. goat cheese log
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
1/2 tsp. ground white pepper
pinch of kosher salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup of flour
olive oil
Yields about 8 pieces of fried goat cheese, depending on how thick you cut the cheese
Chill your cheese
Grab your goat cheese. I used Laura Chenel goat cheese, which comes from Sonoma County. Pop it in the freezer for about 15 minutes to firm it up so it’s easier to slice.
Prep your dredging station
While your cheese is chilling, put together the stuff you need to bread the cheese. Grab your panko bread crumbs.
Panko are extra crispy Japanese bread crumbs, made from crustless white bread. You can find them at most major grocery stores these days. If you can’t find panko, you can order them online, or substitute regular breadcrumbs in a pinch.
Put the panko in a medium-sized bowl. Add the parsley, thyme, granulated garlic, ground white pepper, and kosher salt.
Stir to combine well.
Crack the eggs in a bowl. (I made a big batch, hence the extra egg in my picture.) Beat to scramble them.
Line a sheet pan or plate with wax or parchment paper.
Put the flour on a plate or in a shallow bowl. By now, your counter should look something like this.
Slice & bread the cheese
Grab your cheese out of the freezer. Slice it into 1/4 – 1/2-inch pieces. Use a sharp knife.
Wipe the knife off with a warm, wet paper towel in between cuts.
Now, your slice may crumble a little. If it does, don’t fret. It’s cheese, after all: Just smoosh it into a rough round shape and keep going.
Put the cheese in the flour. Flip it gently to coat on both sides.
Drop the floured cheese into the beaten egg. Flip it gently to coat with egg on both sides.
Lastly, put it into the seasoned panko breadcrumbs. Flip it to coat on both sides.
Your finished cheese should look like it’s wearing a crunchy little sweater by the time you’re done.
Put it on your lined pan or plate.
Repeat with the rest of the cheese. You could do this maybe an hour ahead of time and keep them in the fridge.
Fry the cheese
(Sigh. Those words just make me happy…) Put a little olive oil in a nonstick pan. Use just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Set it on the stove over high heat. When the oil shimmers, you’re ready to fry.
Grab one of your slices of breaded goat cheese. It’s going to sound silly, but I pick them up like this. It helps keep the coating on, and helps keep them from falling apart when you lift them.
Set the cheese down gently in the hot oil. It should start to bubble around the edges immediately. Repeat with the rest of the cheese. Depending on the size of your pan and how many pieces you’re frying, you might need to fry in batches so you don’t crowd the pan. (A crowded pan means your food will almost steam, instead of fry, and you’ll wind up with soggy cheese….and nobody needs that.)
Keep an eye on your cheese…it cooks fast. When the cheese is brown on the bottom (this will happen very quickly), flip it over carefully with a spatula.
When it’s brown on the second side, remove the cheese from the pan, and transfer to a paper towel or paper bag lined plate. If you’re fying a lot of these little guys, you could try keeping them warm in a super low (like 150 degrees) oven, so the cheese doesn’t melt.
Serve and enjoy!
Transfer the fried goat cheese to a serving platter.
Stay tuned for another fabulous holiday app!
69 Comments on “Crispy Fried Goat Cheese”
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I’ve never been a fan of goat cheese, but I would totally give this recipe a try. It looks amazing!
I ate fried goat cheese in Paris almost everyday and this looks identical to what I have – LUV IT.
this exact recipe is one Wolfgang Puck came up with years ago (and I’ve been making ever since) He sets it atop mesclun tossed in vinagrette with pine nuts and citrus supremes-awesome!
this is so good, did it on New Year eve to bring at a party and it was a success!!
just love all the pictures…you can never go wrong, thanks Jessie
from Montreal, Canada
This is reminds me of various grilling cheeses you can buy at road side cheese outlets in Wisconsin. If the cheese is mild enough even my wife will eat it…frying helps.
This looks really, really good! I love goat cheese and will try this soon. I bookmarked it already, that is step # 1
I am especially thankful for the detailed description and all the photos since I’m not a very talented cook…
Looks yummy! We’re going to make this tonight as an app alongside our roasted bone marrow…
Are there any other cheeses you could use instead? To be blunt, I’ve always hated goat cheese, haha
Panela works great, and has much milder flavor.
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Thank you so much for the recipe and detailed pictures! My boyfriend and I had this at a B&B and he bought me goat cheese and said, “Please make what we ate at the B&B.” Without the recipe I was clueless. Thank you!
Trying these today with a little Sunday champagne brunch. *wow*
I’m making these tonight and am SO excited. Thanks for the photos to help!
i just tried these they came out great will do it again… i bought goat cheese to try for the first time n didnt really like it so i had to findout wat else can i do with it n thanks i loved it mmmmm
What a great tutorial, Jessie! Love the detailed prep photos. And the closeups at the end .. I think I drooled on my keyboard! My name is Blondie and I am a cheeseaholic. LOL
I’ll be trying these very soon. I think your suggestion of a nice fresh salad is perfect!
My husband I make something similar every new year’s eve but instead of patties we make them into little balls. They’re amazing drizzled with some honey!!
I made these last night – amazing!
Thanks for the recipe and the well photographed tutorial.
We tried these for breakfast this morning since all we had in the house was a log of goat cheese… AMAZING! Super rich but super delish! I did shove some jalapenos inside when they just came out of the fryer. Everything is better with jalapenos. =)
These were a snap to make, and helped me use up what I had left of my goat cheese. I’m currently noming on this with a glass of Riesling. Delicious!
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OMG this looks amazing!!! Can’t wait to try it.
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Absolutely incredible!! I love drizzling honey and balsamic on top and putting into a salad…delicious!!
I like the crust of that kind of the food. It feels like crunchy on the outside and yummy and juicy on the inside. I will have to try making one soon.
An easy way to slice the goat cheese perfectly every time is to use dental floss. Easily slices through the log every time!!
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I too am not a fan of goat cheese, but this is a terrific recipe even for those of us who don’t like goat cheese. I made them once without the seasoning and put them on top of a dollop of marinara sauce with a sprig of basil. I made them for my book group and I think everyone would have licked the plate if they’d been at home. I am going to make them for the same group again tonight and this time will season the bread crumbs. The chilling step is important. Enjoy. Thanks for such a good site.
These were so good! I added some chilli flakes to the breading and finished it off with a drizzle of honey on top of fresh blueberries and spinach salad. YUM. I already want some more.
Scumptious! Very easy to prepare and luscious! My wife and I love goat cheese and this new taste treat is a nice addition.
I made these for a super bowl party I was invited to. I figured this dish, being somewhat dainty and more sophisticated then beer and chips, would not go too quickly. I was wrong. It disappeared within five minutes. There were leftovers of every dish but this one. Thanks for a fantastic recipe!!!
Made these last night to go on top of a salad of spinach, olive tapenade, artichokes and grape tomatoes. Absolutely divine…crispy and creamy…so delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
We usually use our goat cheese as part of a stuffing for chicken breasts, but I wanted to see how else I could use the ingredient outside of the main dish. Saw this recipe and looked no further. Threw them together as a last minute appetizer and my family loved it, especially the 12-month-old! It was AWESOME!
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What perfect timing! I was thinking about making a arugula, candied pecan, and dried cranberry salad with fried goat cheese on top when I stumbled upon your recipe. I love those up close pictures I can just picture the crunchy exterior and creamy interior to this cheese. BAM
I can’t believe how easy these were to make and how delicious too! They made my meal seem extra fancy when they took such little effort.
Had this for the first time a few weeks ago at Adam’s Inn in High Point~ Absoutely wonderful! Can be used as an appetizer or put on top of a salad made of fresh greens!
Found you on pinterest and made this recipe tonight. Used the goat cheese rounds to go on my homegrown lettuces for dinner tonight. I changed some of the spices just b/c I did not want to dig around in the spice drawer! LOL! Thanks for the recipe. Have had something similar in restaurants and it was nice to re-produce at home and easy!
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I was going to make fried mozzerella for this weeks girls night, but then I saw these! My mouth is watering. I can’t wait!
OK…I have been wanting to try this for some time now. The Rooftop Cafe in Key West serves the fried goat cheese over mixed baby greens with pistachios and mango vinaigrette. I’ve made my mango vinaigrette…probably a quart….it just kept growing the more I tweaked it. I’ve got my baby romaine (hubby doesn’t like all the frilly mixed greens) crisping….toasting my pistachios.. and the goat cheese is in the freezer. Wish me luck! I’ll let you now how I make out
Well how did these turn out lol
I think I’m trying it tomm I love cheese!
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I just say Ina Garten do these and she uses dental floss instead of a knife to cut the goat cheese.
I just saw Ina Garten do these and she uses dental floss instead of a knife to cut the goat cheese.
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I just made these and they’re delicious. I also fried a piece of cheddar the same way. mmm
you can’t go wrong with friend cheese
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Just made these this afternoon- family loved them and all requested I make them again! Thanks for the recipe!
Just made these! I used honey almond goat cheese…amazing!! Everyone enjoyed
Thanks!
Oh question: can you store these in the fridge for the next day?
It’s amazing!
Tried this for brunch today, was amazing! Definitely a keeper.
These are awesome! The pictures & method is perfect & served w/ beets, they were pure deliciousness!! Heaven!!
These look amazing. I want to make them for tomorrow night’s party. Would they do well if I make ahead? If so, best way?
Can’t wait to try these with a fig and duck bacon on a skewer. Regular bacon or prosciutto is a-ok, too .
this is a wonderful dish! thnx for the recipe..it was a big hit
THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! <3 Now I can make this for X-mas dinner appetizer. I just bought goat cheese today.
These were amazing! I just made them and served them on top of a salad of mixed butter lettuce with pears, pine nuts and a homemade basil honey dressing. I can’t wait to make them as an appetizer with honey drizzle per the suggestions above … or by themselves to nibble with a glass of wine
Salad night isn’t my husband’s favorite but he loved this one!
Costco had a great deal on goat cheese so I picked some up and made this tonight…very good!
Only complaint is the prep time.
Fantastic recipe! Really good mixing toasted pine nuts or walnuts ground up and mixed with the flour if you like something different. These go really well on pesto chicken paninis with caramelized onions and roasted red peppers w/ roma tomato slice and romaine lettuce.
The recipe was easy to follow and the end result was a success. My mother-in-law requested the recipe. I served them with mixed greens, red onions, toasted pecans, pears and vinaigrette. 😍
Thanks a lot for a delicious and clearly explained recipe! Spray the knife with the non stick spray before cutting through the cheese. It makes cutting a lot easier.
So glad I saw this on Pinterest! I made these last night, and they were delicious!! Thanks for sharing this recipe!!
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