What’s better than cheese? Fried cheese balls! Only three ingredients in this easy, cheesy appetizer that’s crunchy on the outside while melted and gooey on the inside.
These fried cheese balls are a popular snack in Latin America where they’re known as bolitas de queso — literally, little balls of cheese.
They can be eaten plain or with a sauce for dipping. I prefer MayoKetchup myself which has a hint of garlic.
My husband loves them dipped in ranch dressing. He loves everything with ranch!
Now, the typical cheese used for these is gouda — real gouda, which comes in a ball dipped in red wax.
However, it’s not the only cheese that can be used. My old Spanish cookbook lists Edam, Swiss, or cheddar, and I’ve seen other cooks use Monterrey Jack.
Any semi-firm cheese that you like or have should work.
Just keep in mind that it will have a strong, salty cheese flavor, so choose a mild cheese.
I don’t recommend using any pre-shredded cheese. That stuff is coated with anti-caking powders, and you want fresh cheese that’s going to melt beautifully.
Shred by hand with a box grater or run it through the shredding plate on your food processor in less than a minute like I do. I love my food processor!
After shredding, mix with 1 whole egg or 2 egg whites. I like the flavor of just the egg whites a little bit better (the yolk makes it very rich), but I also hate to waste food. Either option works!
You’ll also mix in some cornstarch or all-purpose flour. The cornstarch makes them extra crispy (and gluten-free), but wheat flour has a little bit better flavor. Again, the choice is up to you.
You can mix the ingredients with an electric mixer or by hand, but it will take a little bit of elbow grease to get it to come together and form a dough.
You may need to add additional flour if the mixture is too wet, but not too much since it will stiffen up when refrigerated.
Scoop little spoonfuls of the dough and roll into balls. I like to use a little cookie scoop so they’re all even. Some people roll the bolitas in cornstarch, flour, or cracker crumbs to form a coating. This step is completely optional.
I’ve tested all of these options, so you don’t have to. Here are the results: The cornstarch was messy when frying, and I don’t recommend it. The flour was fine but unnecessary.
The cracker crumbs gave it an extra crunchy coating, but they brown faster when cooking, so keep a close eye on it.
Conclusion: I prefer to leave them naked, which is quick and easy, or rolled in cracker crumbs.
At this point, the bolitas de queso can be fried. But for much better results, refrigerate the balls until they are chilled. This will help the cheese keep its shape better when frying. You can also freeze them to cook later. Freeze until hard, then put them in a zip-lock bag.
When you want fried cheese balls, just pull out the amount you need and fry them without waiting to thaw. Fry the cheese balls until crispy and golden.
Serve immediately as an appetizer, snack or with your favorite Latin meal like Puerto Rican rice and beans with pork chops. Just think of these as a mac and cheese alternative!
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Fried Cheese Balls Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups Shredded Gouda Cheese (8 ounces)
- 1 Egg or 2 egg whites
- 2 tablespoons Cornstarch or all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Cracker Crumbs for dredging (optional)
- Vegetable Oil for frying
- Your Favorite Sauce for dipping
Instructions
- With an electric mixer or by hand, mix the cheese, egg and cornstarch (or flour) in a large bowl until a soft dough forms.
- Scoop 2 teaspoons of dough and roll into a ball. If desired, roll balls in cracker crumbs for an extra crispy coating. Refrigerate cheese balls until thoroughly chilled, about 30 minutes.
- In a medium frying pan, heat oil over high heat (350°F for deep frying). Fry cheese balls until golden brown, turning once, about 30-60 seconds per side.
- Drain on paper towels. Serve hot with your favorite sauce for dipping.