Fried Crispy Vegetarian Cheesy Broccoli Bites

Hot and cheesy, these Fried Cheesy Broccoli Bites are delicious with crisp edges and a broccoli flavor. They are tasty morsels that you can enjoy as a snack or appetizer before a main meal, but you could also serve them as a finger food at a party. Making these broccoli balls is a bit of a process but it is well worth it considering how delicious they are.

First, you mix cooked grated potato with mashed broccoli, salt, pepper, egg, parmesan, and breadcrumbs. Then, the mixture gets divided into balls and each one gets stuffed with a cube of cheese. After that, the balls are breaded before being fried in hot oil until golden brown and crisp on the outsides. This may become your favourite new way to use broccoli!

What are Broccoli Balls?

These broccoli balls are basically a potato and broccoli mixture that is shaped into balls before being stuffed with cheese, breaded, and fried. They are wonderful because they are great for vegetarians, although no one will miss meat when they try them.

Pro Tips

• You can pierce the potatoes with a fork to test that they are done. You will know they are fully cooked when a fork easily slides in and out again.
• Allow the potatoes to cool slightly to make it easier to handle them when you peel and grate them.
• If you find that your broccoli mixture is too wet, feel free to adjust with more breadcrumbs as needed.
• When breading the broccoli balls, use one hand when dipping them into the egg and your other hand when you dip them into the flour and breadcrumbs. This will ensure that your hands don’t get too messy during the breading process.

What to Serve with Broccoli Balls?

These broccoli balls are great to serve as a snack at a party along with other dishes like meatballs, caprese skewers, chips and salsa, and more. However, you could also serve them as part of a main meal with a side salad.

Do I Need to Blanch Broccoli Before Making These Balls?

No, you don’t need to blanch the broccoli for this recipe. Simply steaming the broccoli is enough to soften it for mashing. Blanching is typically done to preserve color and nutrients, but in this case, steaming works just as well for the texture needed to make the balls.

Can Broccoli Balls Be Made in an Air Fryer?

Yes, if you are looking for a healthier alternative to frying, you could cook the broccoli balls in an air fryer. To do so, you should spray them with some cooking spray to ensure that the breading doesn’t fly around in the air fryer before cooking them. You will know they are done when they are golden and crisp on the outside and piping hot in the middle.

Can You Freeze Broccoli Balls?

Yes, these broccoli balls should freeze quite well. To freeze them, you can place the cooked broccoli balls on a baking sheet in the freezer and freeze them until set. Then, you can place the broccoli balls in a sealed bag so you can easily grab them to thaw as you need them.

How to Reheat Broccoli Balls?

If you have broccoli balls leftover, rest assured that they reheat quite well. Simply warm them up in the microwave or put them in a 350 F (177 C) oven until they are warmed through.

How to Store Broccoli Balls

If you have leftover broccoli balls, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Alternatively, they will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How to Make Broccoli Balls

Step 1: Boil the potatoes and steam the broccoli.

Step 2: In a bowl, mash the broccoli with a fork. Grate the potatoes.

Step 3: Stir the broccoli with the potatoes, salt, pepper, egg, parmesan, and breadcrumbs until combined.

Step 4: Shape the broccoli mixture into balls and stuff each with a cheese cube. Roll the broccoli balls in a dish of flour followed by a dish with eggs, and finally a dish of breadcrumbs.

Step 5: Fry them in oil, turning once, until they are golden brown.

Step 6: Serve the broccoli balls immediately!