Fried Goat Cheese Balls with Cranberry Hot Honey
Fried Goat Cheese Balls with Cranberry Hot Honey feature a golden panko coating surrounding warm, creamy goat cheese. They're served with homemade cranberry hot honey made from cranberries, fresh orange juice, honey, hot sauce, butter, and thyme for a sweet, tart, and spicy appetizer.
Servings 20 goat cheese balls
Calories 415kcal
Equipment
- Knife For dividing the goat cheese log into 20 portions.
- breading pans or three shallow bowls. For setting up the flour, egg, and panko breading station.
- baking sheet lined with parchment. For freezing the breaded goat cheese balls before frying.
- Saucepan (large). For cooking the cranberries and preparing the hot honey.
- fine-mesh sieve For extracting the cranberry liquid while removing the skins and pulp.
- Dutch Oven or heavy-bottomed pot. For maintaining a consistent frying temperature.
- thermometer for frying For monitoring the oil at 350°F (175°C).
- slotted spoon or spider strainer. For turning and removing the goat cheese balls from the oil.
Ingredients
Goat Cheese Balls:
- 10 oz (285 g) plain goat cheese log
- ½ cup (63 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp (1.5 g) table salt
- ¼ tsp (0.5 g) freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1½ cups (90 g) panko breadcrumbs
- vegetable oil canola oil, or any neutral oil for frying (approximately 1–2 inches / 2.5–5 cm deep)
Cranberry Hot Honey:
- ⅓ cup (35 g) fresh or frozen cranberries
- 2 tbsps (30 ml) fresh orange juice
- ½ cup (170 g) honey
- 2 tbsps (30 ml) Frank's Redhot Original Sauce or other hot sauce
- 1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter
- 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme plus more for optional garnish
- ⅛ tsp (0.75) table salt
Instructions
- Cut the goat cheese log into 20 equal portions, approximately ½ ounce (14 g) each, and roll into balls. If the goat cheese becomes too soft or sticky to shape, freeze for 15–20 minutes before breading.10 oz (285 g) plain goat cheese log
- Combine the flour, salt, and black pepper in a shallow bowl. Place the beaten egg in a second shallow bowl and the panko breadcrumbs in a third.½ cup (63 g) all-purpose flour, ¼ tsp (1.5 g) table salt, ¼ tsp (0.5 g) freshly ground black pepper, 1 large egg
- Working with one goat cheese ball at a time, coat evenly in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess. Dip into the beaten egg, allowing the excess to drip off, then roll in the panko breadcrumbs. Press lightly to make sure the entire surface is covered, with no exposed cheese that could escape during frying.1½ cups (90 g) panko breadcrumbs
- Arrange the breaded goat cheese balls in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet or plate. Freeze for 20–30 minutes, until firm. Chilling the coated cheese helps it maintain its shape and reduces the chance of the filling leaking into the hot oil.
- While the goat cheese balls are freezing, combine the cranberries and orange juice in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries soften and begin to burst. Press the cranberries with the back of a spoon to release their juices.⅓ cup (35 g) fresh or frozen cranberries, 2 tbsps (30 ml) fresh orange juice
- Strain the cooked cranberry mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing firmly with the back of a spoon to extract the cranberry liquid and color while removing the skins and pulp. Discard the solids.
- Return the strained cranberry liquid to the saucepan. Add the honey, hot sauce, butter, thyme sprigs, and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook for approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon but remains fluid enough to drizzle. Remove from the heat and discard the thyme sprigs. The cranberry hot honey will thicken further as it cools.½ cup (170 g) honey, 2 tbsps (30 ml) Frank's Redhot Original Sauce, 1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter, 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme, ⅛ tsp (0.75) table salt
- Pour 1–2 inches (2.5–5 cm) of vegetable or canola oil into a heavy-bottomed pot and heat to 350°F (175°C). Fry the chilled goat cheese balls in small batches for 1–2 minutes, turning as needed, until the panko coating is evenly golden brown and crisp. Monitor the oil temperature and allow it to return to 350°F (175°C) between batches to prevent greasy breading and excessive softening of the goat cheese.vegetable oil
- Transfer the fried goat cheese balls to a paper towel-lined plate to drain briefly. Arrange on a serving platter, drizzle with the cranberry hot honey, and garnish with fresh thyme. Serve immediately while the panko coating is crisp and the goat cheese center is warm and creamy.
Notes
- Keep the frying oil at 350°F (175°C), allowing it to return to temperature between batches so the panko browns without becoming greasy.
- The cranberry hot honey thickens as it cools, so avoid reducing it too much while simmering.
- Bread the goat cheese balls up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate, covered. Freeze for 30 minutes before frying.
- For the air fryer method, lightly spray the frozen breaded goat cheese balls with oil and cook at 375°F (190°C) for 6–8 minutes, leaving space between them. Air fryer results may vary and will not be as crispy as deep fried.
- Serve immediately after frying for the crispiest coating and warm, creamy centers.
- Nutrition is calculated using an estimated 10% oil absorption by weight of the breaded goat cheese balls, not the full amount of frying oil. Values include the cranberry hot honey but exclude optional garnish.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary, and Noble Pig makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition
Serving: 110g | Calories: 415kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 564mg | Potassium: 138mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 630IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 1mg