Hello crispy, crunchy, creamy, cheesy meatballs! If you love cheese and cheese, this is cheese heaven. It’s everything you never knew you wanted, in one portable, pick-and-pot package.
I like the touches of cheese. Give me ALL the cheese, especially when it’s melted and especially when it gets gooey and pullable. There’s something so visceral about melted string cheese. Cheese makes everything better, and these smooth, fluffy mozzarella-stuffed potato balls are no exception. They are essentially a version of kibble.
What are croquettes?
Croquettes are filled balls or cylinders that are coated in breadcrumbs and fried. They are usually made with béchamel sauce or potatoes and can have a multitude of fillings. Croquettes originate from France but nowadays they are eaten almost everywhere. I love croquettes! There’s nothing better than mashed potatoes coated in crispy panko and deep fried for a satisfying golden crunch.
What are cheese balls?
These little cheese balls are essentially a croquette filled with cheese. A ball of mashed potatoes filled with fried cheese, that melts in your mouth. The outsides are crispy and crunchy and the insides are filled with creamy mashed potatoes and a melted core of cheesy goodness.
These cheese balls were inspired by two different things: the famous Los Angeles Port Meatballs and those Korean cheese balls you see in the mukbang. If you’ve been to Los Angeles, then I’m sure you’re familiar with Porto Bakery, the Cuban bakery famous for its papas rellenas potato balls. They are filled with picadillo (a Cuban meat dish) and are so good. Mike and I always stop when we’re in the area to stuff our faces with meatballs and Cubans.
The other inspiration for this potato ball is the Korean mozzarella ball. Korean cheese balls are chewy and crunchy donut-type fried cheese balls that are very popular among mukbangers (those YouTubers who eat INSANE amounts of food). Cheese balls are usually sold alongside Korean fried chicken. They’re really cheesy and tuneful and are great for cheese rolls.
I combined the deliciousness of a mashed potato ball with the glory of a cheese ball and there you have it: cheese balls! They hit all the right notes and even though we’re in the middle of a heat wave right now, I’ve made a commitment to fry these guys up at night so I can have a decadent snack after dinner, just because.
So satisfying to make and eat
These potato meatballs look impressive but are actually really easy to make and even easier to eat. If you have leftover mashed potatoes, this recipe becomes even quicker, but I recommend making mashed potatoes just for this purpose – more on that later.
Ingredients for cheese balls
- Potatoes. The best potatoes to use for potato balls are Yukon golds. Yukon gold potatoes are a dense, rich, soft potato that will stand up to boiling without being too watered down. Waxy potatoes like red or white potatoes end up being rubbery, so avoid those. If they don’t sell Yukon gold at your grocery store, rust/Idaho potatoes will work too. You can also use leftover mashed potatoes – I’ve done this for croquettes in the past, but in this case a firm potato works better to hold the cheese when frying. If your mashed potatoes have too much butter and cream/milk, the cheese will tend to leak out while you’re frying.
- Cream. There is a very small amount of full fat cream in the potatoes – adding too much excess liquid will make the potatoes too loose to roll into balls. The cream adds body, flavor and creaminess. If you don’t have cream, you can use milk.
- Salt. It is important to salt both the water in which you cook the potatoes and salt the mashed potatoes. Taste them and add salt to taste. We like to use sea salt or kosher salt instead of table salt because it’s easier to pinch and add to dishes.
- Cheese. The best cheese for cheese balls is mozzarella, hands down. Mozzarella is best for melting and stretching. It adds a delicious delicate creamy flavor and pairs well with potatoes. You can use diced mozzarella wedges or grated mozzarella, which is what I used. I recommend using shredded cheese because it’s easier to wrap the potato balls. If using shredded mozzarella, mash the mozzarella into balls before wrapping it with the potato. Other cheeses will work too, but the cheese rolls will vary.
- Flour. Flour is the first step in a three-step beating process. All-purpose flour is the gold standard for this.
- Egg. You need one beaten egg for the egg wash portion – you could do without using one but beating two eggs gives you more room to coat your potato patties. Make sure you give your eggs a really good whisk so you don’t end up with sticky bits stuck to your potato patties. Pro tip, don’t throw the eggs away after you’re done, you can scramble them for a quick snack.
- Panko. Panko is the secret to light, breaded things. Panko is what makes Japanese pork tonkatsu so good. You might think that a breadcrumb is a breadcrumb is a breadcrumb, but panko isn’t just breadcrumbs, they’re better! Panko, also known as Japanese breadcrumbs, are softer and larger than regular breadcrumbs because they are made of crustless white bread. They are drier and flakier which makes the panko pans airy and extra crispy. It’s worth buying a bag of panko, especially if you love the crunch. Panko is sold at most grocery stores in the Asian aisle, but it’s cheaper to buy it at an Asian grocery store.
- Oil. You need about 1-2 cups of oil to fry the potato balls. Choose an oil with a high smoke point as you want the oil temperature to be between 350°-375°F. The best oils for frying are, in order of smoke point from highest to lowest: safflower, bran rice, soybeans, corn, sunflower, rapeseed or grape seeds. You want a neutral oil that has no flavor. We usually buy safflower because I think it’s pretty, but we opt for what’s convenient.
How to make cheesy potato balls
► Peel and boil the potatoes. He starts by peeling the potatoes and cutting them into large, uniform pieces. After the potatoes are peeled, place them in a large pot and cover with COLD water. Starting with cold water ensures that the potatoes cook evenly. If you add potatoes to boiling water, the outsides cook faster than the insides. Add a generous amount of salt and turn the heat to medium-high. When the potatoes and water come to a boil, set a timer for 15 minutes. The potatoes are done when tender. Insert a fork into one piece. If it flows easily, it’s done. Drain the potatoes well.
► Mash the potatoes and cool them. I usually like to push my potatoes through a sieve so they’re extra light and fluffy, but for these meatballs that doesn’t matter much, so just give them a light mash making sure they don’t have any lumps. Stir in just 1 tablespoon of cream – you want a stiff potato so it’s easier to shape – and season with salt to taste. Spread the potatoes out to cool. You can prepare the potatoes the day before and keep them in the refrigerator overnight if you want to prepare the meatballs in two steps. Be sure to remove the potatoes from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature as they will be easier to shape.
► Shape and fill the potato balls. Use an ice cream/cookie scoop to scoop about 2 tablespoons of potatoes and then pat into a round patty. Cup your hand and place a cube of cheese inside and bring the potatoes up and around the cheese to cover making sure the potato surrounds all of the cheese. You want the cheese to be completely encased in the potato, otherwise the cheese will leak out while you’re frying. Roll the meatball lightly in your hands.
► Cover the potato balls. Set up a breading station with three bowls: flour, beaten egg, and panko. Use your right hand to pick up a ball and roll it in flour, then place it in the bowl with the egg. Use your left hand to roll it in the egg until coated. Insert it into the panko and use your right hand to rotate it until it is completely covered by the panko. Using different hands for wet and dry ingredients will prevent bunching on your hands.
► Fry the meatballs. After all the balls are coated, heat the oil over medium-high heat. You want the oil temperature to be between 350°F and 375°F. As you add your meatballs, the oil temperature will drop, so try to start with 375°F. I use an instant-read thermometer to be sure to find myself in the right range. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can check whether your oil is ready with an uncoated wooden spoon or uncoated chopsticks. Just put the spoon/chopsticks into the oil. If nothing happens it means the oil is not hot enough. If the oil starts bubbling steadily around the chopsticks/spoon, then you are ready to fry. If there are too many bubbles and it feels like it’s boiling around the drumstick, the oil is too hot. When the oil is ready, gently lower a couple of patties being careful not to crowd the pan and lower the temperature of the oil too much. Move gently and fry until the outside is golden brown. Scoop with a slotted spoon and let drain on a wire rack.
Tips for Making Cheesy Potato Balls
- Room temperature mashed potatoes: Cooled mashed potatoes won’t burn your hands, are easier to shape, and hold their shape better. I made the mess the day before (okay, actually several days before because I forgot about them) and then took them out on the counter to bring them to room temperature. Bringing the potatoes to room temperature is also key because you don’t want to fry the balls cold as the outside will color but the cheese inside won’t melt.
- Same size balls: Using a cookie scoop or measuring cup will keep your meatballs the same size, meaning they will all finish cooking at the same time. Plus your meatballs will look nice and professional. Maybe you can start a potato ball food truck!
- Constant heat: It is inevitable that the temperature of the oil will rise and fall as substances are added to the oil. Try to keep it at the same constant temperature. I use an instant read thermometer to check obsessively because I’m type A that way.
Time to eat!
Now that you’ve fried the balls, it’s time to eat! Be careful as the cheese can be very spicy. We like to eat them as they are, separating them to achieve the cheese extraction effect. You can have them plain or with ketchup or hot sauce. They are essentially a snack but if you want, serve them with some Korean fried chicken!
PS – Do you have extra panko? Here are some other recipes that use it too! Oven-fried tonkatsu, air fryer chicken strips, cheddar broccoli and quail scotch eggs
Cheese Balls
For 6 people
Preparation time 40 minutes
Cooking time 20 minutes
Total time 1 hour
- 2 large rust potatoes peeled and cut into cubes
- 1 tablespoon cream or milk
- Salt to taste
- 40 1/2″ cubes mozzarella
- 1 cup flour
- 1-2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1.5 cups panko
- High heat oil for frying such as grape seeds
- Add the potatoes to a large pot and cover with cold water. Add a generous pinch of salt to the pot. Bring to a boil and cook potatoes over medium-high heat, uncovered, until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well and mash. Stir in the cream and salt to taste. Set aside to cool.
- When the potatoes are cold (you can prepare them the day before and then remove them from the refrigerator to come to room temperature for 1-3 hours) use an ice cream scoop or measuring cup to scoop out 2 tablespoons of potatoes. Form a ball, then flatten slightly and place a cube of cheese in the middle. Bring the mashed potatoes around the cheese cube, enclosing it. Gently roll into a ball shape. Repeat if necessary.
- Set up a breading station with three shallow plates. One with flour, one with lightly beaten egg and one with panko. Working gently, with one ball at a time, dip the ball into the flour, shaking off the excess, then coat with the egg wash. Roll in panko to coat completely. Set aside on a plate or tray and continue coating all the balls in panko.
- In a deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat 2 inches of oil over medium heat until it reaches 375°F. Gently place the cheese balls into the hot oil, being careful not to overcrowd, turning occasionally and keeping oil temperature 350°F, until breading is golden brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to paper towels to drain. Let cool slightly and enjoy the heat while the cheese is still springy.
variations: Add garlic powder, onion powder, bacon or green onions to mashed potatoes. Change the cheese.
I used grated cheese because that’s what I had in the fridge, but it’s much easier to cube mozzarella or string cheese and wrap it.
The recipe makes about 40 balls
Nutritional values
Cheese Balls
Quantity per serving
calories 332
Calories from fat 43
% Daily Value*
Fat 4.8g 7%
Saturated fat 1.7 g 11%
Cholesterol 66mg 22%
Sodium 274mg 12%
Potassium 714mg 20%
carbohydrates 59.5g 20%
Fiber 5.4g 23%
Sugar 3.6g 4%
Protein 12.4g 25%
* Percent daily values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
