Fried Mashed Potato Balls are loaded with bacon, cheese, and onions—perfect for using Thanksgiving leftovers! I love to put leftover potatoes to good use and fry up some cheesy mashed potato bites. They make the ultimate appetizer or side dish!
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“So popular at the last get together with the girlfriends.” -Bunny
Fried Mashed Potato Balls Recipe
Fried mashed potato balls are the perfect way to use up leftovers from Thanksgiving. Loaded mashed potatoes combined with crispy bacon, cheese, green onion are shaped into the balls and coated with the crispy Panko bread crumbs and fried to golden brown crust! Yum!
These remind me arancini balls except they’re made with leftover potatoes. You really can’t go wrong with these amazing cheesy mashed potato bites!
Tips For Beginners
Yukon potatoes are the BEST potatoes for these. They are starchy, creamy, and absorb liquid ingredients. If planning to make with freshly boiled potatoes, be sure to refrigerate them for 1 hour. It sets the perfect texture for deep frying.
Fried Mashed Potato Balls
Ingredients
- 3 cups leftover or pre-prepared mashed potatoes, cold
- 1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions
- 3/4 cup cooked bacon crumbles
- 8 ounces Colby Jack cheese cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 egg beaten
- 1/2 cup panko style bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, shredded cheddar, onions, and bacon. Mix everything nicely.3 cups leftover, 1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup chopped green onions, 3/4 cup cooked bacon crumbles
- Use an ice cream scoop to form 1 inch balls, rolling with your hands to create the shape.
- Push 1 Colby Jack cube into the center of each ball, and then re-roll the mashed potato mixture around it to make it round again. Place on a plate and repeat with the rest of the mashed potatoes. Set in the fridge for 30 minutes to set.8 ounces Colby Jack cheese
- In a shallow bowl, place the egg.1 egg
- In another shallow bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and salt and pepper.1/2 cup panko style bread crumbs, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste
- Start by dipping each ball into the egg mixture, shaking off the excess, and then rolling in the panko mixture. Pat to make sure the panko adheres well and that the mashed potatoes are fully covered. Set back on the plate and set aside.
- Heat a large pot or dutch oven with about 2-3 inches of oil to 375°F.Oil for frying
- Carefully drop in the mashed potato balls 3-4 at a time into the hot oil, allowing them to be fully submerged. Use a slotted spoon to lightly stir as they fry to make sure they don't stick to the bottom or sides of the pot.
- Fry each 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 plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining mashed potato balls until they are all fried.Serve while hot and enjoy!
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Becky’s Tips
- For more flavors add sour cream or seasoned cream cheese.
- Feel free to use cilantro or parsley or thyme in place of green onions.
- While deep frying, keep turning the balls every 1 minute. Don’t wait to cook on one side before turning sides. It makes the cheese come out in the middle.
- If want to bake in the oven, bake them for 20 min at 350°F. Flip them in between.
- To air fry them, spray the basket with non-sticky cooking oil and fry them at 380°F for 15-20 mins or until crust is golden.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Make Fried Mashed Potato Balls
Prepare the mashed potato mixture: Combine the 3 cups leftover mashed potatoes, 1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup of chopped green onions and 3/4 cup of cooked bacon crumbles in a large bowl. Mix everything nicely.
Once everything is combined use an ice cream scoop to form 1-inch balls, rolling with your hands to create the shape.
Push 1 Colby Jack cube (out of 8 ounces Colby Jack cheese) into the center of each ball, and then re-roll the mashed potato mixture around it to make it round again.
Place on a plate and repeat with the rest of the mashed potatoes. Put in the fridge for 30 minutes to set.
Dredge and coat with bread crumbs: While the shaped balls are setting in the fridge, prepare the dredging stations.
In a shallow bowl, beat 1 egg and keep aside.
In another shallow bowl, mix together the 1/2 cup of panko style bread crumbs, 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
After 30 minutes, take the shaped balls out of the fridge. Start by dipping each ball into the egg mixture first, shaking off the excess, and then rolling in the panko mixture. Pat to make sure the panko adheres well and that the mashed potatoes are fully covered. Set back on the plate and set aside.
Deep fry & serve: Heat a large pot or dutch oven with about 2-3 inches of oil to 375°F.
Carefully drop in the mashed potato balls 3-4 at a time into the hot oil, allowing them to be fully submerged. Use a slotted spoon to lightly stir as they fry to make sure they don’t stick to the bottom or sides of the pot.
Fry each 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 plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining mashed potato balls until they are all fried. Serve while hot and enjoy!
These deep fried loaded mashed potato balls take leftovers from drab to fab in just minutes, and they are SO EASY to make. Yes, your hands will get a bit dirty, but it’s worth it.
Why are my potato balls falling apart while frying?
Potato balls generally fall apart while frying due to too much liquid content (mixture is too wet and sticky). This happens if using freshly boiled potatoes (that is the reason mashed potatoes should be refrigerated for sometime, minimum 1 hour) or if too many dairy ingredients were added.
If so, add some cornflour and combine well. You can expect slight stickiness but you should be able to form the round shape.
How to Store Leftovers
Store leftovers in a container with a lid and refrigerate for 3-5 days. Reheat in the microwave for 30 second intervals or bake in the oven for 10 minutes at 350°F. I don’t recommend re-frying them!
If planning ahead of time and want to enjoy mashed potato balls just like the fresh one, refrigerate the potato mixture 3-4 days ahead of time. When ready, just shape the mixture into balls, dredge and deep fry.
Can I freeze fried mashed potato balls?
To freeze before frying: Stop just before the frying step (until coated with breadcrumbs). Space out potato balls in a baking sheet and freeze for an hour. Transfer them to a storage bag and freeze. When ready, simply take them out and deep fry them just like frozen fries.
To freeze after deep frying: Wait until they are at room temperature. Place them in a freezer-friendly bag and store for 3-5 months. Reheat for 20-30 minutes in the oven at 350°F.
Serving Suggestions
My whole family enjoys these loaded mashed potato bites over a casual get together, or during a snack time in the afternoon with my Starbucks copycat Cold Brew or Iced Caramel Macchiato. My kids also love carrying them to school for snack time with my Chick Fil A Sauce.
It’s up to you if you want to gulp them down as-is or with the a sauce like Fry Sauce, Yum Yum Sauce, or Mustard Cream Sauce!
I made this and they all fall apart while frying – was the oil not hot enough yet?
Hi Jeanne, it sounds like your potato balls might have been too wet! An easy fix for this is to use cold ingredients and add a little bit of flour to help bind them together.
Tasty, I had the same problem….can I air fry them?
Hi Deb, you can try to air fry them, but you’ll really need to baste them with oil to get them crisp.
I actually made them today & forgot to spray them with Pam. The panko crumbs made them very crispy. My grandson loves them, but frying them in oil bothers his stomach so I tried the air fryer. Hopefully I’ll remember to spray next time to compare the results.
We loved the recipe, it is definitely a keeper.
Curious is these can be frozen and whether it would be better to freeze after assembly then fry later or fry first, freeze, and reheat later? I have so many garden potatoes that i have no way to store as is so looking for different recipes that can be frozen.
I recommend fry, then freeze!
I haven’t made these, but they look amazing! I’m wondering if they could be done in an air fryer. Has anyone tried this??
We haven’t tried that yet, but we think it would work!
These are even better if you use freshly chopped jalapeno peppers along with the green onions and insert a cube of Velveeta cheese into the center of the potato ball. Instead of bacon, you can use pork rind bread crumbs. A BBQ flavor or ‘hot’ flavor will add more kick.
Thanks so much for sharing, Chris!
Wow that does sound good, Chris. Sounds like an entire different recipe. You should write that and post it.
So popular at the last get together with the girlfriends
Thanks for sharing, Bunny!
Can you make these in air fryer?
It may not work out well with how the air fryer circulates air!
Can I use regular bread crumbs
Yes, of course!!
it reminds me of a Cuban recipe a friend showed me. they are delicious and worth the time to make. thanks for wonderful recipe that takes me back to friends I haven’t seen in many years.
You’re welcome, Kelly! Let me know what you think once you’ve tried them!
Awesome! tasty! https://installvidmate.com