Fried Cheese Bites
These Fried Cheese Bites feature rich fontina and earthy parmesan cheeses mixed with simple but zesty seasonings and fried until crispy and golden. They’re a melty, delicious appetizer perfect for any occasion.
If you love cheese and anything fried, then this is the recipe for you! We love making these delicious, crispy cheese bites for all kinds of occasions. Honestly, we make them whenever we have an excuse! The fontina is so rich, and the parmesan adds such depth of flavor. Then, we fry them, and that’s when things get really delicious! Make them for yourself and see what we mean!
Table of contents
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It only takes a handful of simple ingredients.
- It’s an easy recipe that only takes about 35 minutes from start to finish.
- It features rich cheese, bold seasonings, and a crispy, golden coating.
- It’s a great snack or appetizer for any occasion.
🛒Ingredients
You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe, and the fontina cheese might just be the only thing you have to shop for. That’s how simple the ingredients really are.
All the ingredients are listed here, but you can find the exact quantities in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Shredded fontina cheese
- Shredded parmesan cheese
- Baking powder
- Flour
- Eggs
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Oil for frying
🔪 How to Make Fried Cheese Bites
Making these cheese bites is an incredibly easy, straightforward affair. It only takes a little mixing and frying, and you’ll be all done. That’s it!
Step 1: Prep
In a high-sided frying pan, add 1 inch of oil. Preheat it on medium-low heat while making the cheese balls.
Step 2: Make the Cheese Balls
Combine all the ingredients and stir thoroughly to combine. Using a teaspoon, scoop out a bit less than a full scoop and form it into a ball. Repeat until all the cheese mixture has been formed into balls.
Step 3: Fry
Using a spider skimmer or spoon, gently place the balls into the hot oil and fry for about a minute. Then, turn the balls over and cook the other side – about 3 to 5 minutes total. Use the skimmer to make sure the balls don’t stick together.
Step 4: Enjoy!
Transfer the fried cheese bites to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Let the balls sit for a couple of minutes for maximum crispness, then serve and enjoy!
📝Variations
Do you want to change up this recipe and make it your own? Here are some ways that you can do that!
- Add red pepper flakes or cayenne for spicy cheese bites.
- Try mozzarella in place of fontina for these cheese bites.
- Use your favorite spices to change the flavor of these cheese bites.
If you love cheese bites of all kinds, then try these dried beef cheese balls.
🥄 Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowl
- Large frying pan
- Plate
- Paper towels
- Spoon or spider skimmer
🥫 Storage
Refrigerate these fried cheese bites for up to 4 days in an air-tight container. For longer storage, freeze them for up to 3 months in an air-tight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag with as much air removed as possible.
Serve With
Serve these cheese bites with your other favorite savory appetizers and dip them in your favorite sauces. Marinara works well, as does a variety of other sauces like BBQ, ranch, and more!
💭 Tips
- Use a large frying pan so the oil stays hot.
- Use a little less than a full teaspoon to make the cheese bites. They’ll expand as they fry.
- Let the cheese bites cool for a few minutes, but serve them warm.
⁉️ FAQ
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
Fried cheese bites are a rich, creamy cheese mixture that’s formed into balls and deep-fried until golden and crispy.
If you crowd the frying pan, the cheese mixture will absorb the oil rather than begin to crisp immediately.
Fried cheese bites are delicious with marinara sauce, BBQ sauce, ranch, and your other favorite dipping sauces.
🍽 More Recipes
Do you enjoy anything fried? Then try these delicious recipes:
🧾Recipe Card
Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.
Fried Cheese Bites
Equipment
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Mixing Bowl
- Large frying pan
- Plate
- Paper towels
- Spoon or spider skimmer
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups shredded fontina cheese
- ¾ cups shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- In a high sided frying pan, pour enough oil to reach about 1” depth for frying.
- Start heating the oil to medium/low heat.
- In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients (minus the oil) and stir to thoroughly combine.
- Using a teaspoon, scoop up just a little bit less than a full scoop and form into a ball.
- They will increase in size when they cook.
- Gently place the balls into the hot oil, a spider skimmer works well.
- Turn the balls over about a minute after being in the oil to cook the other side.
- Using the skimmer, make sure they don’t stick together or to the bottom of the pan.
- Once they are golden brown, about 3-5 minutes, scoop them out and place them on a paper towel to drain off a bit of oil.
- Serve warm with your favorite dip!
