Fried Goat Cheese Salad (Goat Cheese Fritters)

Fried Goat Cheese Salad with strawberries, avocado, basil and honey balsamic vinaigrette is decadent and crave-able while still being light and fresh.

I’m bringing you this recipe today for no reason other than it’s so many of my favorite ingredients all on one platter (which is exactly what my Spring salad for Easter and smoked salmon pizza recipes ended up being, as well).

An online grocery ordering snafu brought me a gigantic package of goat cheese instead of the smaller one I thought I was getting. So after I used what I needed for goat cheese pasta salad, I decided to make some fried goat cheese for another meal.

Well, strawberries pair really well with goat cheese (when I’m not using them all in strawberry Moscow mules). And avocados pair with strawberries. And basil and honey and balsamic vinaigrette pair with all of that!

This fried goat cheese salad recipe is decadent while still somehow tasting light and fresh. It’s a plate of food I dream about and crave often!

What You’ll Need for This Fried Goat Cheese Salad Recipe

• goat cheese – more info on this below!
• flour – this will be the first part of the 3-step breading process for the cheese. I use all-purpose flour, but I think any type of flour would work here.
• egg – 1 large egg is the second step of the breading process.
• panko breadcrumbs – the final step of the breading process. I also love panko for making almond crusted chicken.
• vegetable oil – for frying the goat cheese fritters!
• honey – this will be used in the balsamic vinaigrette and you’ll probably want additional honey to drizzle over the fried goat cheese balls. You can also make a batch of honey lemonade while you have the honey out!
• balsamic vinegar – to make the vinaigrette to dress the salad. You can also use citrus salad dressing to dress this salad.
• olive oil – for making the vinaigrette.
• strawberries – you will need one pound of fresh strawberries, hulled and halved.
• avocados – 2 beautiful avocados, ripe but not overripe! Peel and quarter them into big, luscious chunks.
• pine nuts – preferably toasted. This guide on how to toast pine nuts will tell you everything you need to know on that subject.
• basil – nothing beats fresh basil leaves in this salad (and in basil cocktails and blistered tomatoes).
• salt and pepper – for seasoning the fried goat cheese as well as the salad.

The Best Goat Cheese for Fried Goat Cheese Balls

You’re going to want fresh goat cheese that is sold in plastic-wrapped logs. You will need 6 ounces of goat cheese to make 12 fried goat cheese balls for this salad.

So, you’ll need to buy one of the longer logs of goat cheese available (which are usually 8 – 10 ounces).

The shorter logs are generally 4 ounces, so if those are all that is available, you’ll need 1-1/2 of those logs for this recipe. You could use the remaining 2 ounces to garnish Instant Pot squash soup. If you buy a 10 ounce log, the remaining 4 ounces could be used for sweet potato breakfast casserole.

The goat cheese brands most commonly found in my area of the Midwest are Montchevre, Vermont Creamery, and then private label store brands like Meijer. All are perfect for this fried goat cheese salad recipe!

I recommend starting with plain goat cheese to get your frying technique down. From there, you could experiment with flavored goat cheeses like garlic and herb or even fig and olive for goat cheese croquettes, if you want (both also great in my cranberry appetizer).

How to Fry Goat Cheese and Make Goat Cheese Salad

1. DRESSING. In a large bowl, whisk together some the honey, vinegar and olive oil. Add the strawberries to the dressing and toss to combine.
2. PREP CHEESE. Divide the goat cheese into 12 pieces and roll each piece into a ball. One at at time, dredge the cheese balls in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs.
3. FRY. Heat two inches of vegetable oil in a large skillet to 350 degrees F. Working in batches, transfer the cheese balls to oil and fry until they are deep golden brown. Transfer the cheese balls to paper towels to drain and sprinkle with salt.
4. SERVE. Arrange the avocado quarters and marinated strawberries on a serving platter, then top with the cheese balls. Garnish with pine nuts and basil. Sprinkle with sea salt and ground black pepper and drizzle with honey.

Goat Cheese in Salad Variations

I love fried goat cheese balls, but you can also make this same recipe and shape the goat cheese into little hockey-puck shaped patties instead.

Follow the same process for breading and frying for this fried goat cheese salad recipe.

How to Store Fried Goat Cheese

Just like my shrimp wonton soup, fried goat cheese fritters are truly best eaten the moment after they are made. But, if you have any left over and would like to save them for another meal, you can.

First, transfer the fried goat cheese balls to the refrigerator and allow them to cool, UNCOVERED, completely.

If you cover the goat cheese fritters while they are still warm, the container will condensate and make the fried goat cheese balls wet and soggy.

Once they are completely cool, cover them with an airtight lid and keep them in the fridge for up to 2 days.

To reheat, place goat cheese fritters on a rimmed baking pan and heat in a 325 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until they are warmed through again.

Main dishes to Pair With Fried Goat Cheese Salad

Because this salad has so many big flavors going on in it already, I’ll often eat it on it’s own. But, if I want to pair a protein with it, I’ll choose something simple.

My buttermilk marinated chicken and lemon herb sockeye salmon recipe are two of my favorite simple proteins to serve with this fried goat cheese salad. Or, if I want to do a salad + sandwich type of meal, I’ll make a smoked salmon BLT.