Fried Sweet Potato Balls
These cheesy fried sweet potato balls are the perfect use for a lone sweet potato and a great way to revamp leftovers too, transforming them into a crispy craveable appetizer!
Servings 19 sweet potato balls
Calories 85kcal
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb sweet potato or 1 ½ cups mashed sweet potato*
- 4 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 TBSP unsalted butter*
- 2 TBSP sour cream*
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ ground cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 2 TBSP chopped chives or scallions
- ¼ cup flour
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
oil for frying
avocado oil, peanut oil, or vegetable oil
OPTIONAL EXTRAS
- sour cream for dipping
- honey or hot honey for drizzling
Instructions
STEP 1: PREP THE POTATOES
- Prep the potato by washing then piercing a few times with a fork. Microwave for 7 minutes or until tender. Once cool enough to handle scoop out the flesh of the potato and transfer 1.5 cups of sweet potato to a mixing bowl.
- *If using leftover mashed sweet potatoes already whipped up with butter and sour cream and milk to make it creamy, you can skip the following steps of adding the butter and sour cream to the potatoes. Both were added for the plain cooked sweet potato option.
- Add 2 TBSP butter. Whip with a hand mixer until smooth then add 2 TBSP scallions/chives, 2 TBSP sour cream, 4 oz grated cheddar cheese, and 1/4 tsp each of: garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and fine sea salt. Mix well with a large spoon and set aside.
- No hand mixer? Mash the sweet potatoes the old fashioned way with a potato masher until no lumps remain.
STEP 2: SCOOP INTO BALLS
- Use a medium cookie scoop with a 1.5 tablespoon capacity to easily scoop mixture into balls. If you don’t have an easy-release cookie scoop, you can absolutely opt for measuring them out with a regular tablespoon to make smaller balls. You will need a little more flour, panko, and egg for dredging since you will end up with more potato balls to coat.
STEP 3: PREPARE THE COATING
- Grab 3 shallow bowls. Place 1/4 cup flour in one bowl. (season with a little of garlic powder, salt, and cayenne pepper for extra flavor) Place 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs in another bowl. Place 1 large egg in the last bowl and whisk well to combine.
- Dredge each mashed potato ball in flour, then in beaten egg, then panko.
STEP 4: FRY THE POTATO BALLS
- In a small pot, heat about 2-3 inches of oil to 375℉.
- Use a slotted metal spoon to carefully add in the potato balls to the hot oil, frying just 3-4 at a time.
- Use the slotted spoon to lightly stir the balls in the beginning to prevent sticking.
- Fry each batch for 2-3 minutes or until they are fully browned and crispy. Use the slotted spoon to remove from the oil and place on a paper towel lined baking sheet to drain. Repeat with the remaining mashed potato balls.
- Enjoy while hot and crispy with sour cream (or your favorite dip) for dunking or drizzle with honey for a kiss of sweetness. They're also fantastic with hot honey! Delish!
Notes
*If using leftover mashed sweet potatoes, the thicker the better! Runny potatoes will not hold their shape as well as thicker potatoes and might not work for mashed potato balls. For best results, use them cold straight from the fridge. If they roll into balls that hold their shape, you're good to go!
Nutrition Facts below are estimated for each fried mashed potato ball (made with 2 tsp of filling per ball) using an online recipe nutrition calculator. Adjust as needed and enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 85kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 97mg | Potassium: 53mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1626IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 0.3mg
