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Cheesy Garlic Parmesan Potato Balls

These crispy Cheesy Garlic Parmesan Potato Balls are a nice balance of garlicky mashed potatoes and melty, gooey cheese that is fried to crispy perfection!
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Freeze (Chill) Time1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 11 Balls

Ingredients

Roasted Garlic Mashed potatoes 

  • 1 large head of garlic
  • olive oil
  • 498g (1.1pound) russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks see notes
  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • Salt to taste

Coating and Filling

  • 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • 3-4 large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, adjust to taste see notes
  • salt to taste
  • 11 (1/2 inch) mozzarella cheese chucks

Frying and Serving

  • 2-3 cups avocado or vegetable oil, plus more as needed
  • parmesan cheese, grated
  • fresh parsley, finely chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400F. Cut tip of garlic head off and place in the center of a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle some olive oil over the exposed garlic cloves and wrap the garlic up in the foil. Roast garlic until tender, 25-35 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
  • Bring a pot of water to a boil under medium-high heat. Season generously with salt and boil the potatoes until fork tender, 10-14 min. Drain and spread out the potato chunks on a baking sheet to cool to room temp.
  • Add cooled potatoes into a mixing bowl, squeeze over roasted garlic and mash until smooth. Mix in the flour, parmesan cheese, parsley, onion powder and salt to taste.
  • Evenly divide mashed potato mixture into 11 balls. I used a 1.5 ounce (3 tablespoons) cookie scoop which yielded 11 balls.
  • Set up breading station to include (3) bowls. In bowl 1, add flour, season with salt and mix. In bowl 2, add and whisk together the eggs. In bowl 3, add and mix together the breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder and salt to taste.
  • Working with one potato ball at a time, pat into a flat disk, place a chunk of mozzarella in the center and enclose. Repeat with remaining potato balls and mozzarella chucks.
  • Double coat potato balls one at a time by first coating in the flour, then in the egg and lastly in the breadcrumb mixture. Do a second coat but time only coat the breaded balls in the egg and back into the breadcrumb mixture. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining balls.
  • Place breaded potato balls in the freezer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours to chill.
  • Heat oil to 350F in a deep bottom pan or pot over medium heat. Fry the potato balls in batches, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crispy, about 3-4 min, or longer as needed. Transfer to a paper towel lined baking sheet to remove excess oil.
  • Garnish with parmesan cheese and parsley. Serve hot as is or with sauce of choice. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Potato measurement in recipe card is the weight of the potato once it was peeled and cut into chunks. For accurate results, weigh the potatoes after it has been peeled and cut into chucks. 
  • I ended up using (4) eggs in total since my eggs were on the smaller side. You can start off with (3) eggs if your eggs are on the larger side and just whisk in an additional egg as needed to avoid waste. 
  • If you prefer a more subtle garlic flavor, adjust the amount of garlic powder added to the breadcrumb mixture by using anywhere between a 1/8 to 1/4 tsp of garlic powder. Alternatively, the garlic powder can be omitted, if preferred. 
  • I recommend using a kitchen thermometer to help monitor the temperature of the oil for even, consistent frying.