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Home Recipes Seasonal All year round

Crispy Cheese Jalapeno Bacon Bites (Fried Cheese Balls)

35 mins
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Author: Dini K.
Posted: 1/26/2018
Updated: 9/12/2019
Crispy Cheese Jalapeno Bacon Bites - These creamy, crunchy, flavorful fried cheese balls are perfect for game day snacking or as any party appetizer! Like Bacon Jalapeno Poppers, but even better!

Extra creamy, extra cheesy and extra flavorful – these Crispy Cheese Jalapeno Bacon Bites (Fried Cheese Balls) are PERFECT for game day snacking and entertaining! Quick and easy, and can be frozen for later too. Gluten free options also included.

Crispy Cheese Jalapeno Bacon Bites - These creamy, crunchy, flavorful fried cheese balls are perfect for game day snacking or as any party appetizer! Like Bacon Jalapeno Poppers, but even better!

Is there anything better than gooey, melty cheese in a crispy shell? Well, yes of course. These Crispy Cheese Jalapeno Bacon Bites right here! These are similar to Tirokroketes (a Greek fried cheese ball) and Texas Roadhouse rattlesnake bites but with jalapeno, bacon and hot sauce! There’s so much flavor packed into these extra cheesy, extra creamy, crispy fried cheese balls, they’ll disappear in a flash.

Crispy Cheese Jalapeno Bacon Bites - All the ingredients for crispy cheese balls, in a bowl, ready to be mixed.
Crispy Cheese Jalapeno Bacon Bites - The cheese mix comes together so quickly. It's creamy and delicious and perfect to eat as it is too.

These crispy cheese jalapeno bacon bites are perfect for game day and entertaining. They are beat eaten hot so you get the best of that stretchy, creamy, melted cheese goodness, but they taste just as great at room temperature too. While the cheese won’t be as gooey then, they’ll still be just as creamy because of the cream cheese and have plenty of flavor thanks to the jalapeno, bacon and hot sauce.

Crispy Cheese Jalapeno Bacon Bites - Bacon Jalapeno Cheese poppers that have been shaped and need to be chilled before being coated in breadcrumbs.
Crispy Cheese Jalapeno Bacon Bites - Crumbed with Panko crumbs and ready to be fried.

Here are some tips to help you get PERFECT results when making these crispy cheese jalapeno bacon bites.

  • Make the cheese balls to be about 1 inch in diameter. You can refrigerate the cheese mix to make it easier to form portions, OR use a small cookie scoop or regular spoon to portion out the cheese. Roll each portion into 1 inch sized balls and place them on a tray.
  • Refrigerate the jalapeno popper cheese balls, so they become firm and it’s easier to coat them with the flour, eggs, and panko breadcrumbs. To make this process faster, you can freeze the cheese balls for about 15 – 20 minutes instead.
  • ALWAYS coat with the flour mix FIRST! The flour mix is seasoned as well, so it’ll add another layer of spice and flavor to the cheese balls. I prefer to do a double coating of flour (flour – egg – flour – egg – breadcrumbs), so that I end up with a thicker coating that protects these fried cheese ball even more.
  • Choosing the right breadcrumbs – I used Panko breadcrumbs, because it gives crispier results. Due to the slightly larger size of panko breadcrumbs, they may not cover the entire surface of the cheese balls, resulting in some cheese leaking out while frying. This isn’t an issue for me though. If you use regular breadcrumbs, they are not as light and crispy as Panko, but since they are finer, they will coat the cheese balls better, which will potentially lessen the chance of melted cheese leaking out while being fried.
  • These creamy and crispy cheese jalapeno bacon bites are best fried when the cheese is either at room temperature OR a little cold (not frozen) – you want these crispy cheese jalapeno bacon bites to fry up quickly (in 1 – 1.5 minutes), as they turn golden brown, and all the cheese inside has had time to melt completely (that’s another reason for making sure the fried cheese balls are about 1 inch in diameter).

Crispy Cheese Jalapeno Bacon Bites - These creamy, crunchy, flavorful fried cheese balls are perfect for game day snacking or as any party appetizer! Like Bacon Jalapeno Poppers, but even better!

You can freeze these creamy jalapeno popper bites for later as well if you like. But make sure to defrost them in the fridge overnight first, so that they’ll be perfectly cheesy and gooey after you fry ’em up.

As someone who tunes in for game days and other sporting events purely for the food and drinks, these fried cheese balls are super addictive for me! 🙂 And I can guarantee everyone will be hooked on these delicious fried cheese balls with jalapeno and bacon!

I like to serve these jalapeno popper bites with fry sauce. It’s simple, classic and a perfect pairing for these bites. But sriracha, tomato sauce, my spicy sweet chili sauce or ranch dipping sauce will be great alternatives too.

Crispy Cheese Jalapeno Bacon Bites - The crispy cheese balls are coated in a crunchy panko crumb coating, and is the perfect texture for the gooey melted cheese center.

CLICK BELOW FOR THE VIDEO RECIPE FOR CRISPY CHEESE JALAPENO BACON BITES (FRIED CHEESE BALLS)

 

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Crispy Cheese Jalapeno Bacon Bites - These creamy, crunchy, flavorful fried cheese balls are perfect for game day snacking or as any party appetizer! Like Bacon Jalapeno Poppers, but even better!
5 from 9 votes

Crispy Cheese Jalapeno Bacon Bites (Fried Cheese Balls)

Author: Dini K.
Crispy Cheese Jalapeno Bacon Bites - these creamy, crunchy, flavor-packed, fried cheese balls are perfect for game day snacking and as party appetizers. Like bacon jalapeno poppers, but even better!
PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE IS INACTIVE TIME FOR CHILLING THE CHEESE BALLS
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Print Rate

Ingredients:

Crispy Cheese Jalapeno Bacon Bites

  • 4 oz cream cheese softened
  • 4 oz mozzarella cheese shredded from a block (please see notes)
  • 4 oz white cheddar shredded from a block (or monterey jack cheese)
  • 2 - 3 jalapenos seeds removed, chopped finely (about ½ cup)
  • 6 oz of bacon sliced finely and cooked to crispy bits
  • 1 tbsp hot sauce
  • Salt to season

Dredging Station

  • Spiced flour mix recipe below
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ½ - 2 cups panko breadcrumbs or gluten free breadcrumbs

Spiced Flour Mix

  • ½ cup AP flour or gluten free flour
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • Oil for deep frying

Instructions:

Crispy Cheese Jalapeno Bacon Bites

  • Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine well. Add salt to season ONLY if needed. I add extra hot sauce, and usually don't need to add extra salt.
  • Using a spoon, portion out the cheese mix and make 1 inch balls. Place the balls on a tray, and freeze for about 10 - 15 minutes until they are firm (but not frozen). You can keep them covered in the fridge overnight as well.
  • Get the dredging station ready. Mix all the ingredients for the spiced flour mix. Lightly whisk the eggs, and place the panko crumbs in a plate.
  • Coat the chilled cheese balls in the spiced flour mix, and then coat with eggs, followed by the flour again, and the egg mix again, for a double coating. This created an extra crunchy coating (flour - egg - flour - egg).
  • Finally coat the cheese balls with the panko crumbs and set aside until all the cheese balls are coated.
  • At this stage, you can place the cheese balls in the fridge overnight (in a single layer, on a tray, covered with plastic wrap) until you are ready to fry them and serve. OR you can freeze them as well. However, if you do freeze them, allow the cheese balls to thaw in the fridge overnight before frying.
  • Heat enough oil to deep fry the cheese balls, to 350°F/180°C. Deep fry, without over-crowding the pan, for about 1 - 1 ½ minutes.
  • Remove the cheese balls from the oil and let them drain for a couple of minutes. Serve warm with dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Tips & Tricks

  • Note about the cheese - it’s better to use cheese that you shred yourself from a block, rather than using pre-shredded cheese. But if you can only find pre-shredded cheese or it's more convenient, that's fine too.
  • Note about freezing - make sure the cheese balls are refrigerated OR frozen on a baking tray, in a single layer. Wrap the tray well with plastic wrap to prevent freezer burns.

“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”

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  1. Gabrielė says

    January 4, 2021 at 12:10

    5 stars
    The cheese balls turned out great! I just used less bacon, which turned out to be a great choice. Also, the cheese was melty, which is what I always look for in fried cheese snacks. Thank you for a great snack recipe!

    Reply
  2. Amanda Martin says

    November 20, 2020 at 09:20

    I wonder if they will turn out good if done in the air fryer? Have you tried them that way yet? I have already made them at least 4 times, they are my families favorite.

    Reply
    • Dini says

      November 25, 2020 at 09:34

      Hi Amanda!
      I haven’t really made these in an air fryer unfortunately. It could work, but since air fryers will need a longer time than frying in oil, there’s a chance that the cheese might leak out.
      I hope that helps!

      Reply
  3. Sheila says

    September 17, 2020 at 13:17

    Love these. Can I freeze them after cooking them?

    Reply
    • Dini says

      September 17, 2020 at 20:10

      Hi Sheila
      You could freeze leftovers. Reheating them might be tricky as you would have to re-fry them or re heat them in the oven and prevent the cheese from oozing out or caramelizing the bread crumbs even further.
      I hope that helps!

      Reply
  4. Jill says

    June 11, 2020 at 22:27

    5 stars
    Really Really good!! Will definitely be adding these to my recipe list! I love jalapeño poppers, but sometimes hard to eat as the cheese comes out as you are trying to bite through the pepper. These do not have that issue. I followed this recipe to a “T” and they were devoured!

    Reply
  5. Terri Arnone says

    May 18, 2020 at 12:16

    5 stars
    This recipe never disappoints. The only thing I changed is that I pulverized my panko in my food processor. My panko was just too big.

    Reply
  6. ashley says

    March 10, 2020 at 19:10

    I normally whizz about half the Panko so it’s smaller and will cover all the ball no leaky cheese!

    Reply
  7. Christina Huston says

    February 20, 2020 at 15:41

    5 stars
    I added about 1/2 tsp of Cajun seasoning to the cheese mixture (I love hot & spicy) – turned out amazing!

    Thanks for the recipe 🙂

    Reply
  8. Lisa says

    November 10, 2019 at 20:11

    5 stars
    Absolutely divine!

    Reply
  9. Ashley says

    August 25, 2019 at 20:14

    5 stars
    Made these tonight for a snack. OMG amazing! Only change I made was that I added garlic and onion powders into cream cheese mixture also for an extra kick. Thanks for a great recipe

    Reply
    • Dini says

      August 26, 2019 at 19:52

      Thanks so much for letting me know Ashley, so glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂

      Reply
  10. Phil Hurkett says

    June 6, 2019 at 07:28

    How many balls does this recipe make?

    Reply
    • Dini says

      June 6, 2019 at 11:40

      Hi Phil
      It makes about 24 balls. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  11. Cara says

    December 27, 2018 at 10:26

    Is this melty cheese like in the picture or stringy like in the video?

    Reply
    • Dini says

      December 27, 2018 at 10:42

      Hi Cara,
      It’s both actually! 🙂 Because it’s mozzarella cheese, it’s stringy when melted. The pictures and video are of the same product, and the stringy cheese is kind of pooled together in the picture. I hope that helps.

      Reply
      • Cara says

        January 1, 2019 at 09:31

        So if I don’t put mozerlla cheese in it will it still be good? And not melty?

        Reply
        • Dini says

          January 1, 2019 at 11:08

          Hi Cara!
          I used processed mozzarella cheese (not fresh mozzarella cheese), and this cheese is known for its stringy quality as it melts. Other cheeses that have a similar property are Provolone or Oaxaca. I combine different types of cheese to get both melty and stringy qualities. If you leave out mozzarella cheese and only use cheddar cheese, the cheese balls won’t be stringy and only melty.
          They will still tastes delicious, but not stringy. Hope that helps!

          Reply
        • Sultana says

          May 3, 2020 at 13:26

          They taste amazing,but how can I stop the cheese to ooze out while frying?

          Reply
          • Dini says

            May 3, 2020 at 15:02

            Hi Sultana
            The cheese comes out if I don’t coat the balls properly (more gaps for the cheese to come out), or if the cheese balls were cooked too long in the fryer.
            Adjust the heat of the oil or the frying time to get the right balance of melted cheese, but have no cheese leaking out. This can take a few tries because it varies depending on the pot/fryer, heat of the oil, the size of the balls etc. If the oil was too hot, the cheese can melt too fast on the outside but still not melt the cheese inside too.

            Reply
  12. Amy says

    June 30, 2018 at 20:34

    5 stars
    These are awesome! I will be making them again in the future!

    Reply
  13. Anne says

    March 2, 2018 at 12:32

    These look amazing! I’m dying to try this recipe and many more on your site! I’m sooo glad I found your page!

    Reply
    • Dini says

      March 2, 2018 at 14:48

      Thanks so much Anne! I’m really happy to hear that, and I hope you enjoy these too! They are quite addictive. 🙂

      Reply
  14. Donna says

    January 26, 2018 at 15:00

    5 stars
    Ahhh these are AH-mazing!! Cheese and bacon and jalapeños – like a flavor party I need to try ASAP!

    Reply
  15. Shadi Hasanzadenemati says

    January 26, 2018 at 12:07

    5 stars
    Can I just say these are AWESOME? Love everything with cheese, of course. I always use Panko too, it gives a nice texture!

    Reply

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Hi! I’m Dini, a third culture kid by upbringing and a food-geek by nature. I was born in Sri Lanka, grew up in New Zealand and lived in Australia, and then the US, before moving to Canada in 2019! My food is a reflection of those amazing experiences!

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