Easy Fried Garlic Cheese Bombs

Tested and perfected right in my own kitchen, this recipe uses simple pantry staples and beginner-friendly steps to deliver puffy, golden-fried bites oozing with mozzarella and rich garlic-butter goodness — ideal for game day, casual get-togethers, or just Tuesday night snack attacks. The approachable instructions and helpful tips throughout make you feel confident from the first pop of oil to that first irresistible bite.

At Ajpal, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

How to Make Fried Garlic Cheese Bombs

There is a restaurant in Denver’s south suburbs that has my all-time favorite food rich, doughy, buttery garlic knots. They are so delicious, fluffy, and light – but they are also super, super far from my house. I wanted to put my own spin on the doughy treats, fill them with cheese and fry them to puffy, golden, deliciousness. The results? Perfect, tempting, and so easy once you make them you will dream about when to make the next batch!

How to make Easy Fried Garlic Cheese Bombs

Assemble the following ingredients:

Kraft french bread – you can get this at any grocery store, you can of course make your own french bread dough but this is so much easier and quicker.

Mozzarella Cheese – I live mozzarella but you can also use oaxaca or any other part skim melting cheese.

Corn oil – I prefer corn oil for frying because of the high smoke point but you can fry in any oil you want.

Cilantro paste – cilantro paste is a great way to get that herbaceous hit of cilantro in a way that will coat these fried cheese balls more evenly than fresh cilantro.

Garlic paste – garlic paste is my secret weapon to getting a super strong garlic flavor that can soak through the crust of these cheese bombs.

Butter – butter will help the pastes come together and add a richness.

Olive Oil – olive oil is useful for thinning the dipping sauce for these cheese bombs, use more if necessary.

Steps to Make Garlic Cheese Balls

Heat the oil. Heat the oil in a large pan to 365 degrees.

Assemble the sauce. While it is heating make the garlic sauce by mixing the pastes, oil and butter. Set aside. Unroll the French bread and tear off pieces. In each piece put a bit of cheese, roll and tuck to seal.

Fry. Once the oil is at temperature add the cheese balls and stir gently to make sure they cook evenly. Fry in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan. When they are puffy and golden set them aside on paper towels to drain extra oil.

Serve. Move them to a plate while still warm and drizzle with the garlic butter sauce. Alternatively, you can use it as a dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Tips and Tricks for perfect Fried Garlic Cheese Bombs

Oil temp matters – Heat your frying oil to about 365°F — this gets you crispy exteriors without greasy, doughy centers.

Don’t overcrowd the frying oil. Adding too many bombs at once will lower the temperature of the oil and you will get oily sogy garlic cheese bombs instead of crispy ones. Fry in batches if necessary.

Watch the hot oil. Hot frying oil can be very dangerous so make sure you watch your distance from the pan. It can pop and bubble resulting in serious burns so use caution.

Serve immediately – These are best enjoyed right out of the fryer when they’re hot and gooey — if you wait, the crispiness softens as they cool.

Seal to prevent leaks – When you wrap the cheese in dough, be sure to pinch seams tightly so molten cheese stays inside.

Cheese Bomb FAQs

This will keep at room temperature for about 3 hours. They won’t reheat with the same crisp, so I prefer to eat them all after making them or share them!

Yes! You can bake them at high heat for a slightly less indulgent version — just expect a different texture than deep frying.

Store any cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave if desired.

Mozzarella gives that classic gooey pull, but you can also use Oaxaca or other good melting cheeses for variation.

Yes — freeze uncooked bombs on a tray, then transfer to a bag. Fry or bake straight from frozen, adding a couple minutes to cook time.

A simple garlic butter, marinara, ranch, or even spicy aioli all complement these bites beautifully. Serving sauce elevates them even more. See all my dip recipes.

What to Eat with Fried Garlic Cheese Bombs

These fried garlic cheese bombs make a great appetizer for any of these incredible mains.

Hamburger Cabbage Soup

Chile Relleno Skillet

Polish Country Style Ribs

Leftover Pizza scrambled Eggs

Spicy Harissa Chicken Thighs with Smashed Olives

Boneless Ribeye Roast Recipe

Tomato Soup Pot Roast

Roasted Pork Loin and Sweet Potatoes

To check out all our cheesy recipes click here!

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