Crispy fried goat cheese salad served with colorful fruits and vegetables. Served with Fresh arugula, beets, carrots, peas, avocado, berries, and homemade raspberry dressing.
Recipe Science
- Placing goat cheese in the freezer firms up its naturally soft, creamy texture, making it easier to cut cleanly and precisely.
- Coating goat cheese slices in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs before frying creates a nicely browned crust.
- The dry texture of goat cheese helps it withstand heat without melting, keeping its shape during brief frying.
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Featured Comment 17
“I must thank you for your tip on putting the goat’s cheese in the freezer for 15 minutes; this actually works. One of my favorite foods, and I shall certainly try the raspberry dressing with it.”—Anna
Why It Works
Are you looking for a colorful and healthy gourmet dish? This gorgeous fried goat cheese salad recipe always impresses my dinner guests. The peppery arugula leaves paired with fresh fruits and vegetables create irresistible textures.
Creamy goat cheese is lightly battered and fried for a deliciously crunchy crust. A bright raspberry poppyseed vinaigrette brings all of the farm-fresh flavors together in one beautiful bowl. A stunning appetizer to highlight spring and summer ingredients.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Cheese: If you are like me, you will find any excuse to add goat cheese to your meals. For this salad recipe, I used a French Chèvre, which has a light texture, earthy and a slight tart flavor.
- Breading: To make this goat cheese the star of the dish, it is lightly breaded with flour, eggs, and panko breadcrumbs. I also add thyme and chopped pecans to the coating. It’s then pan-fried in vegetable oil to give a contrast of soft and crispy textures.
- Salad: A colorful mixture of arugula, sliced beets, carrots, radishes, sugar snap peas, avocado, blueberries, and raspberries.
- Raspberry Dressing: The salad dressing is a combination of juicy fresh raspberries, lemon juice, honey, olive oil, and crunchy poppy seeds.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
The fried goat cheese salad is easy to customize! Try these delicious options:
- Make it Gluten-Free: Instead of all-purpose flour, use gluten-free flour or cornstarch. Make your own gluten-free homemade breadcrumbs, cornmeal, or rice krispie cereal. Use finely chopped almonds, pecans, macadamia nuts, or hazelnuts.
- Breadcrumbs: Use regular, finer breadcrumbs instead of panko. It will not be as crunchy in texture when pan-frying the goat cheese.
- Lettuce: Instead of arugula, try other types of lettuce like spring mix, baby kale, spinach, or bibb lettuce.
- Vegetables: Add crisp cucumber, sugar snap peas, bell peppers, or sweet tomatoes.
- Fruit: Add figs, blackberries, apples, pears, peaches, or nectarines. Add dried fruit like apricots, cranberries, or golden raisins.
- Dressing Swaps: To sweeten the dressing, use maple syrup instead of honey. Use chia seeds instead of poppy seeds. Use orange juice instead of lemon for a less tangy taste.
How to Make Fried Goat Cheese Salad
Step 1: Chill the Cheese
I like to place the packaged goat cheese log in the freezer before slicing. This helps to firm up the soft-ripened cheese, making the creamy paste-like texture easier to cut.
Step 2: Assemble the Salad
Assemble the salad in a large bowl or individually plate each portion. Add the arugula as the base. I use a spiralizer to turn the beets into thin curly ribbons. For the carrots, use a vegetable peeler to create wide strips. Thinly sliced radishes make for delicate yet eye-catching red and white circles that add a little spicy flavor. Crisp sugar snap peas, creamy avocado slices, and bright peppery arugula add gorgeous shades of green. Ripe blueberries and raspberries add some extra sweet and tart flavors.
Step 3: Make the Dressing
The easiest way to enhance the natural flavors of the fried goat cheese salad is to prepare a homemade dressing. I use fresh raspberries, lemon juice, honey, olive oil, and poppy seeds for a bright, sweet, and citrusy dressing. It all comes together in seconds in a kitchen blender!
Step 4: Prepare the Breading
To make a flavorful breading, I combine panko bread crumbs, chopped pecans, thyme, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt. In two separate bowls, add a whisked egg and flour.
Step 5: Slice the Cheese
Take the goat cheese out of the freezer and, using a small sharp knife, cut it into ½-inch rounds. Clean the knife after each slice to keep the cuts neat. If the rounds need tidying up, you can easily reshape them into smooth circles.
Pro Tip: Dipping the cheese in flour first makes this reshaping process even easier.
Step 6: Bread the Goat Cheese
A standard breading procedure is used: each goat cheese slice is dipped into flour, egg, and the seasoned breadcrumb coating before being added to the hot oil. The goat cheese does not melt, so it holds up very well for a few minutes of frying to achieve the golden-brown crust.
Make-Ahead Tip: If not frying immediately, you can refrigerate the coated cheese slices for up to an hour.
Step 7: Fry the Cheese
In a small frying pan, add oil to about ¼-inch deep and heat to 375°F (191ºC). Gently place the goat cheese in the oil and fry until golden brown, about 30 to 45 seconds per side. Keep a close watch as it cooks quickly. Once golden, use a spatula to flip and fry the other side. Drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.
Expert Tip: Fried goat cheese remains crisp for over an hour, making it ideal for preparing in advance. To keep the crust from getting soggy, rest it on a wire rack until ready to serve.
Step 8: Serve the Salad
This fried goat cheese salad recipe effortlessly showcases seasonal flavors. The crispy and tangy goat cheese contrasts with the soft fruits and crunchy vegetables, while the raspberry dressing ties everything together. Serve it as an appetizer or a light entrée, and elevate your dish with vibrant ingredients and elegant plating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Freeze the goat cheese log for 15 minutes to firm up the fat. Slice with a small, sharp paring knife, cleaning the knife in between cuts. Dental floss can also be used for thin slices.
If you use a soft-ripened goat cheese with a creamy texture, it may lose its shape slightly when heated, but due to its lower moisture content, it won’t turn gooey. This characteristic helps it maintain its structure when breaded and briefly fried.
The standard breading procedure involves three steps: First, coat the cheese in flour to form a protective layer that crisps upon cooking and helps the egg adhere. Second, dip the cheese in the egg wash to bind the breadcrumbs. Finally, cover the cheese in breadcrumbs for a golden, crunchy exterior when fried while keeping the inside creamy and intact.
More Salad Recipes
If you tried this Fried Goat Cheese Salad, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Fried Goat Cheese Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 4 cups arugula, washed and dried
- 2 beets, medium-sized, thinly sliced or spiralized (4 cups)
- 1 carrot, thinly sliced
- 4 radish, thinly sliced
- ½ cup sugar snap peas
- 1 avocado, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup blueberries
- 1 ¼ cup raspberries, divided
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice, plus 1 teaspoon zest
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
Fried Goat Cheese
- 11 ounces goat cheese
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup pecans, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- vegetable oil, as needed for frying
Instructions
- Chill the Cheese – Freeze the goat cheese log for 15 minutes to firm up before cutting. This will make it easier to slice.
- Assemble the Salad – Add the arugula to a large serving bowl. Arrange the beets, carrots, radishes, peas, avocado, blueberries, and ¼ cup raspberries on top. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Make the Dressing – In a blender, combine 1 cup raspberries, lemon juice, zest, water, and honey until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while the blender is running until thickened. Add poppy seeds and blend for 10 seconds. Transfer to a small bowl, cover and refrigerate.
- Prepare the Breading – In a medium bowl, combine panko, pecans, thyme, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Beat the egg in a separate bowl. Place flour in a separate bowl.
- Slice the Cheese – Remove the cheese from the freezer. Using a small sharp knife, slice it into ½” rounds. Wipe the knife clean in between cuts. Reshape the round if needed to create a nice smooth circle. I find it easier to reshape the cheese once it's been dipped in flour.
- Bread the Cheese – Dip the cheese in the flour, then egg, and then panko mixture, and coat both sides. Place the breaded cheese rounds on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. If not frying immediately, refrigerate for up to 1 hour.
- Fry the Cheese – In a small frying pan, add enough oil to cover the goat cheese halfway, about ¼-inch deep. Heat the pan over medium-high heat, about 375°F (191ºC).Carefully place the cheese into the pan and cook until golden brown, about 30 to 45 seconds. This cheese cooks very quickly, so check every few seconds. Flip over with a spatula and fry the other side until golden brown. Drain the fried cheese on a paper towel to remove any excess oil.
- To Serve – Serve the salad with the fried goat cheese and drizzle with raspberry dressing.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Make Ahead: The breaded cheese can be refrigerated for up to 1 hour before frying. The fried goat cheese stays crisp for over 1 hour. Place on a wire rack after frying to keep it crisp.
- Storing: Refrigerate the salad in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat the fried goat cheese on the stovetop over medium-low heat to crisp up.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Leesha Murphy says
Do you use fresh beets and if so do you roast them before spiralling them ?
Jessica Gavin says
I use peeled, raw beets, don’t cook them before spiralizing.
Laura says
I would like to know what the yellow spiral vegetable is that is on the salad? All veggies are accounted for in the list of ingredients except for the yellow spiral one. Thank you.
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Laura- It’s golden beets 🙂
Jean says
Would you say this should feed four? Or more? And you said goat cheese freezes well. Could I bread and fry these up then freeze to use at a later date or might the outside coating become soggy?
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Jean- It’s a pretty large salad so 8 small servings and 4 generous ones. The cheese freezes well, but the coating may get soggy. You can prep them ahead of time by coating them and refrigerate before frying. Also after frying the cheese, you can refrigerate for up to 1 day, and then reheat them in the oven at 350 degrees until warm and the outside is lightly crisp again.
anna says
Hi Jessica! I must thank you for your tip on putting the goat cheese in the freezer for 15 minutes, this actually works! One of my favorite foods and I shall certainly try the raspberry dressing with it.
Judy Caywood says
Thank you Jessica. This is beautiful and I printed it out to make. I like goat cheese and my husband doesn’t but he is willing to try this so maybe I can work some goat cheese into our menu yet! Anyway what a lovely creation. I have the perfect dressing for this from Trader Joe. I think a poppy seed dressing would work well too. Do you?
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Judy! I love that you are trying to get your husband to try new things 🙂 I think that a poppyseed dressing would be perfect!
Carol Svec says
Hi, Jessica! This is definitely going on my list of “Must Make.” One question: I tend not to like sweet flavors in my salads–I avoid any dressing with honey or fruit. If I love the salad but want a different dressing, what would you recommend?
Thank you for all your hard work. Your dishes are beautiful, and you are a very inspiring writer and chef.
Jessica Gavin says
Yay Carol! I think you could do a simple balsamic vinaigrette, red wine vinegar dressing, Italian dressing or even a ranch dressing if you like it creamy 🙂 Thank you so much for your kind words, you keep me motivated yo keep creating and sharing my adventures in the kitchen!
Mary Lou says
Hi Jessica,
For years I have successfully used crushed Rice Krispie cereal as a gluten free breading for veggies & meats. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work for the cheese in this recipe which, by the way looks divine! Haven’t made it yet, but if it’s as yummy as all of your others, I know it will be a 5 star winner!
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for your suggestion Mary Lou, it’s a GREAT idea! I’m going to have to try it for this recipes and others too. You are brilliant!
Donna says
Wow…I must attempt this gorgeousness..Question…could I possibly use a non-gluten substitution for the panko crumbs?…Any ideas?..Nut or seed ground?…Quinoa flakes…buckwheat flakes…oatmeal ground or oat bran?…Thanks so much for the beautiful offering..The orange/poppyseed vinaigrette sounds stunning..and I adore figs!
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Donna, great question! I would definitely recommend grinding and toasting your favorite nuts (like almond, pecan, macadamia, hazelnut), then pressing the chilled slice of goat cheese to create a nice crust. You can than eat as is, or warm it in a 350 degree F oven for about 5 minutes. If you like a crisp crust, maybe a fried herbed corneal would be an idea to try! I have not tried the flakes or oatmeal fried, however I would love to see how it turns out for you! I love figs too, they are in season for about two months, so enjoy them as much as you can! I can’t wait to hear how the recipe turns out for you!
Jill Thomas says
This looks so simple and yummy. I think you need to move in with Jess and I — make it again, just to see if it turns out the same 🙂
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Jill! I think your right, I have to ensure that the recipes are repeatable! 😉