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Fried Goat Cheese Balls with Spicy Sage Honey – soft, creamy, and tangy goat cheese, rolled in Sesame-Panko crumbs, and then fried until golden. Golden and crisp on the outside and extra soft and melty in the center. Drizzle each fried cheese ball with spicy sage honey for a delicious appetizer. Perfect for New Year’s Eve celebrations and January game nights. These cheese balls are addicting. I’d highly recommend doubling the recipe.
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Ingredients
- all-purpose flour
- black pepper
- panko breadcrumbs
- sesame seeds
- large egg
- goat cheese
- avocado oil
- honey
- garlic
- hot sauce
- fresh sage leaves
- sea salt
What you need in the kitchen for this recipe:
- serving platter
- teaspoons
- medium bowl
- medium to large shallow bowl (pasta bowl could work)
- parchment paper
- skillet
- paper towels
- plate
We’ve got one final appetizer to round out our 2023 holiday season. And it’s GOOD one. Fried goat cheese, dipped, dunked, and drizzled in a spicy sage honey. The fried goat cheese is, of course, delicious, but it’s the spicy sage honey that makes these little balls addicting.
I made these for my family over Christmas and they’ve been asking for them ever since.
They are so yummy!
Here are the details
Step 1: the breading
You’ll need flour, an egg, Panko bread crumbs, and sesame seeds.
Add the flour to a bowl, the egg to another bowl, and then the Panko and sesame seeds to yet another bowl.
Step 2: the goat cheese
Take your favorite log of creamy goat cheese and roll it into cute bite-size goat cheese balls.
Now, dip each ball through the flour. I think it’s easiest to coat each ball in flour before moving to the next step.
Step 3: bread, then freeze
Once the goat cheese is coated in flour, dip each ball through the beaten egg and then through the Panko.
When all the balls are well coated, freeze them for 20 minutes, until super firm. If you want to make these ahead of time, you can freeze the balls overnight. Then, they’ll be ready for frying whenever you’re ready to serve!
Step 4: the spicy sage honey
This is the secret to why these are so delicious.
Gently warm the honey in a small saucepan with garlic, hot sauce, and sage. Do not boil the honey, just a little simmer to infuse the honey with garlic and sage is all you need. No more than 5 minutes.
Step 5: fry
I love to use avocado oil to fry. Heat a bit of oil in a skillet with sides. When the oil is hot, you can fry the goat cheese balls in 2-3 batches.
Don’t let the balls sit for more than 2-3 minutes, or the cheese is at risk of melting out. Wait until golden-brown. You’re looking for a golden crust and crispy exterior.
Step 6: serve!
Drizzle the warm fried goat cheese with honey, season with salt, then enjoy these perfect little bites!
Alternatively, these are great in salads, with a dollop of warmed marinara sauce, or served with fresh herbs and flaky sea salt.
These are great at room temperature, but I highly recommend serving them warm, if possible.
These are so delicious when hot and melty with that spicy sweet honey. Serve these for New Year’s Eve, but make sure to keep them in mind for January game nights too. And, of course, these would be perfect for the Super Bowl! Trust me, you’ll be the most loved host or hostess among your friends and family.
Looking for more recipes? Here are a few to try:
Baked Gruyère in Pastry with Rosemary and Garlic
Prosciutto Wrapped Baked Brie in Pastry
Cranberry Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Swirls
Sheet Pan Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Soft Pretzels
Fried Buffalo Goat Cheese Balls
Baked Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls with Cilantro Lime Ranch
Buffalo Cauliflower with Spicy Tahini Ranch
Baked Crunchy Hot Honey Chicken
Lastly, if you make these Fried Goat Cheese with Spicy Sage Honey, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Fried Goat Cheese Balls with Spicy Sage Honey
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- black pepper
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup sesame seeds
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 log (10 ounces) goat cheese
- avocado, oil for frying
Spicy Sage Honey
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 2-3 tablespoons hot sauce
- 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
- sea salt
Instructions
- 1. Add the flour and a pinch of pepper to a bowl. Add the egg to a separate bowl. Mix the Panko and sesame seeds in a 3rd bowl. 2. Line a plate with parchment paper.3. Roll the goat cheese into 20-24 balls (about 1 tablespoon each). Roll each ball in flour, tossing to coat. Dip through the egg, and then dredge through the Panko, tossing to coat. Place each ball on the prepared plate. Freeze for 20 minutes or overnight.4. Meanwhile, make the sage honey. Warm the honey, garlic, hot sauce, and sage in a sauce pot.5. Heat 1-2 inches of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the goat cheese balls in batches for 1 to 2 minutes or until golden and crisp on all sides. Remove and drain onto a paper towel lined plate. 6. Arrange the balls on a serving plate and drizzle with sage honey. Sprinkle with sea salt. Enjoy, enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
These were delicious! I used sage and loved them.
Thanks so much, Patt! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you! I appreciate you giving it a try! 🎃 xXT
Can I make ahead for thanksgiving?!? Thank you so much!
Can I freeze them for thanksgiving?
Hey Finleigh,
Yes, I think if you wanted to freeze them that would work nicely for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Can these be prepared in advance? I mean, should they be served warm?
Hi Carrie,
Yes, these are best served warm:) You could have them prepped in advance, but I wouldn’t fry them too early. I hope you love this recipe! xT
Wow! Crazy good! And really, quite easy! We will definitely make these again!
Thanks so much, Julie!! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe:) Happy Friday! xT
What kind of hot sauce do you recommend using for this recipe?
Made these to take to a friends for dinner. They were a hit. Simple to make and they turn out so pretty
Thank you so much Annette! So glad these were a hit! 🙂 xT
do you think you could cook these in air fryer?
Hi Jami! I’m not too familiar with the air fryer so I can’t say for sure, but you can give it a try! xT
I took them directly from the freezer to the air fryer and they turned out well.
They were crispy on the outside and the cheese was melting on the inside.
Deep fried stuff is always fantastic but I was happy with the result from the air fryer and did not have to deal with cleaning up oil.
I am a long-time lover of your recipes, but rarely comment. These were phenomenal, I made a test batch tonight to see if I could execute them well enough to take to a work party next week. Total win! Made the recipe exactly as written. For my party I will add. A little bit more heat to the honey and a little bit of extra salt to the goat cheese, but that is a personal preference 🙂
While I was focused on them, I did your crockpot coconut tikka masala for dinner for DH and myself. Thank you so much! Your work is loved in our household.
Hi Kaitlyn! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a sweet comment! You’re the best! Have a great week 🙂 xT
These were delicious! I made them for a NYE party and they were a hit! I thinned out the dipping sauce by adding a little bit of hot water, but otherwise followed the recipe.
Hey Katy! Thank you SO much! Always love to hear when a recipe is a success! Hope you have an amazing New Year! xT
I made these tonight for New Year’s Eve. Holy cow they are incredible. Our 15-year old said, “Of everything we had, the fried goat cheese was the best.” The sage honey made them spectacular. Well done.
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try! Hope you have an amazing New Year! 🙂 xT
I got an air fryer for Christmas. I’m wondering if I could use it for this recipe?
Oops! Apologies for asking the air fryer question before reading the comments already written. Cheers and Happy New Year!
Can’t wait to try!! Do you think you can make the spicy sage honey a day before and reheat?
Hey Molly! Sure, that should be fine! 🙂 xT
Have you used something other than goat cheese?
Hi Jenny! I haven’t ever tried it with any other cheese! 🙂 xT
What’s the best oil to fry in?
She said avocado oil in the story
I usually fry in vegetable oil or avocado oil! xT
I wonder if you could use an air fryer instead of frying?
I’m hoping for an answer on this also!
WOW, do none of you have anything better to do than harass a food blogger with the same repeated questions? This hate group is getting out of control. Tieghan, I make your recipes on repeat AS INTENDED and they never fail! Ignore the haters!
Exactly what I came here to ask as well!!
Yawn. More people with no life setting themselves up to fail so they can give this recipe a bad review. Maybe make it the way Tieghan wrote it and graciously provided to us for free? Thank you Tieghan!!
I love all of your recipes and I’m so grateful for you sharing them with us. Happy New Year, I can’t wait to make this one 😊
Hi Pam! I don’t personally have an air fryer but you can totally give it a try in the air fryer! xT
I cooked in an air fryer for 4 min at 400. For a batch of 5 or 6. It came out fine but I honestly think oil frying would be tastier. Loved this recipe and will make again! Thanks Tieghan!!