Potato Cheese Balls
These crispy potato cheese balls are golden outside with a soft fluffy center and melted mozzarella inside, simple comfort food that feels warm and satisfying.
🍽️ Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 100 g potatoes peeled
- 10 g cornstarch
- 2.5g parmesan
- 1 g chopped dill
- 30 g mozzarella cheese
- 1 g salt
- neutral oil for frying
Instructions
- Cut the potato into evenly sized pieces, then cook it in lightly salted water for about 20 minutes until fully tender and easy to break apart.
- Drain the potato well and let the steam escape for about 2 minutes to remove excess moisture, then mash or press it until completely smooth with no lumps.
- Add cornstarch, parmesan, salt, and finely chopped dill to the potato, then mix until a soft but shapeable dough forms.
- Cut the mozzarella into small cubes about 1.5 cm by 1.5 cm so they melt evenly inside without leaking too quickly.
- Take about 30 g of the potato mixture, flatten it in your hand, place a cube of mozzarella in the center, then seal it tightly and roll into a smooth ball.
- Heat the oil to 170 °C / 340 °F and keep the temperature steady.
- Fry the balls in small batches for about 4 minutes until evenly golden and crisp on the outside.
- Remove and place on a rack or paper towels to drain excess oil while keeping the coating crisp.
- Serve immediately while the inside is soft and creamy with melted cheese in the center.
Tips & More Info
Why is removing moisture from the potatoes so important?
Excess water in the potatoes will weaken the structure of the dough and make it harder to seal the balls properly. A drier base helps the starch bind everything together, giving you a crisp exterior instead of soggy or fragile croquettes.
How does cornstarch affect the texture?
Cornstarch creates a light, slightly elastic structure that crisps up beautifully in hot oil. Without it, the balls would be softer and more prone to breaking apart during frying. It also helps create that clean contrast between a crunchy shell and a creamy interior.
Keep the oil at a steady temperature
A stable frying temperature ensures the outside crisps up before the cheese overheats and leaks out. If the oil is too cool, the balls will absorb oil and become heavy. If it is too hot, the crust browns too quickly while the inside stays underheated.
How to get a perfectly melted center without leaks?
The size of the cheese cube matters more than it seems. A compact cube melts slowly and evenly, giving you that soft, stretchy center without breaking the potato shell. Sealing the dough tightly with no thin spots also prevents weak points.
How to make a lighter version?
For a lighter result, you can bake or air fry them with a light coating of oil. The texture will be slightly less rich but still pleasantly crisp if the surface is well dried before cooking.