Jalapeno Feta Cheese Balls (Tirokroketes) Recipe
Happy 4th of July! Independence Day is almost here, and I created a new appetizer recipe. What is “tirokroketes” you may ask? This is what we call Greek cheese balls that are fried. I have an abundance of jalapenos in the garden, so I did a spicy twist.
I hope you enjoy this tasty appetizer recipe!!
Ingredients:
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup of feta cheese
- 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2-3 jalapenos, remove seeds, and dice
- 1/4 cup of bacon bits
- Pinch of salt and black pepper
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon of oregano
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour
- 1 cup of panko bread crumbs
- Vegetable oil
Method:
- In a medium bowl mix together the cream cheese, feta, mozzarella, diced jalapenos, and bacon bits.
- On a baking sheet, line the pan with parchment paper. Gently roll about a tablespoon of the mixture in a ball. Repeat until all mix is used up. Cover the balls with plastic wrap and chill for about 1 hour.
- Prepare the batter.
- In a small bowl mix the dried spices, salt, pepper, and flour together. Then add the flour mixture to a large plate.
- Place the flour on one plate, and the panko crumbs on another plate. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Place the vegetable oil inside a large frying pot. The temperature of the oil should be 350 degrees or 180 Celcius.
- Remove the cheese balls from the refrigerator, and then prepare them in the batter.
- Place the ingredients in this order. Left to right- flour mixture, eggs, and then panko bread crumbs.
- Roll the cheese balls in the flour, then eggs, then panko crumbs. Repeat for all cheese balls.
- You can fry 2-3 balls at a time. Do a test run on the first one making sure the cheese ball is cooked evenly and golden brown all over.
- Place cooked cheese balls on a plate lined with a paper towel to drain the excess oil.
- Serve with tzatziki dip or a squeeze of fresh lemon.