Fried Goat Cheese

5 from 1 vote

These crispy fried goat cheese rounds are golden on the outside, creamy on the inside, and full of tangy, savory flavor. Perfect for topping salads, crostini, or serving as a snack.

Course Appetizer

Keyword Fried Goat Cheese

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 5

Chill Time 20

Servings

Calories 268

Author Erren Hart

Ingredients

4 oz goat cheese sliced into ½-inch rounds
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
Kosher salt & black pepper
¼ cup olive oil for frying

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Slice the cheese into ½-inch rounds and freeze for 15–20 minutes until firm.
Set up three shallow bowls—one with flour, one with whisked egg, and one with panko. Season each with salt and pepper. Dredge the chilled goat cheese rounds through flour, egg, then panko. Freeze again for 10 minutes if needed.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry goat cheese rounds 2 minutes per side or until golden. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Video

Notes

Erren's Top Tips

Freeze first—seriously.
This one’s non-negotiable. Freezing the goat cheese rounds helps them hold their shape during breading and frying. If you skip it, the cheese can melt too fast and ooze out.

Double freeze for extra hold.
After breading, pop them back in the freezer for 10 minutes. It helps the coating stick and prevents the cheese from softening too much when it hits the pan.

Use panko for the crispiest crunch.
Panko breadcrumbs give you that light, flaky coating that fries up beautifully. Regular breadcrumbs will work, but the texture won’t be quite the same.

Keep the oil at medium heat.
If it’s too hot, the outside will burn before the inside warms up. If it’s too cool, the cheese will melt before the crust crisps. Look for gentle sizzling when the cheese hits the pan.

Don’t crowd the pan.
Give each piece space to crisp up—otherwise they’ll steam instead of fry.

Use a thin spatula or tongs.
Fried goat cheese is delicate. A thin metal spatula makes flipping easy without breaking that crispy shell.

Storage & Freezing Instructions

To store:
Let the fried goat cheese rounds cool completely. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet or air fryer to bring back the crisp.

To freeze before frying:
Bread the goat cheese rounds and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Store for up to 1 month. Fry straight from frozen—just add an extra minute or two to the cook time.

To freeze after frying:
Not ideal, but doable. Let them cool, freeze in a single layer, and then store in a bag. Reheat in a hot oven or air fryer (375°F) for 5–8 minutes to re-crisp. Still tasty, but best fresh!

Nutrition