Gooey on the inside, crunchy on the outside, tirokroketes (fried cheese balls) is an irresistible appetizer that will leave guests wanting more. For this dish, I use three different types of cheese: feta, graviera, and gouda. The three types play well together and creates great flavor. Eat plain, dunk in your favorite dipping sauce, or squeeze a lemon on top before serving and enjoy!
Tirokroketes (Fried Cheese Balls)
Author: Eleni Saltas
Recipe type: Meze/Appetizer
Serves: 14-16 balls
Ingredients
- 4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
- 4 oz graviera cheese, grated*
- 4 oz gouda, grated
- 1 egg and 1 egg white
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- pepper, to taste
- all-purpose flour, for dredging
- vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add the feta, graviera, gouda, eggs, and milk. Combine mixture well and season with pepper and paprika. If the mixture looks too runny, add in bread crumbs.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, to allow the mixture to firm up.
- When the cheese mixture is ready, add some flour to a bowl or plate. Form the mixture and roll into balls, about golf ball sized. Then, roll the balls into flour and set aside.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a deep fry pan, to 350F/180C. Once hot enough, drop the cheese balls in batches so the pan isn’t overcrowded. Fry cheese balls until nicely colored and golden on all sides, about 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
*If you cannot find graviera cheese, you can use pecorino Romano, Parmesan, or Gruyere.
