Fried Goat Cheese Salad
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Apr 15, 2025 
This decadent Fried Goat Cheese Salad recipe with apples, walnuts, and a creamy vinaigrette is the perfect elegant salad for any occasion.
Meet the Ultimate Fried Goat Cheese Salad
Warm, crispy and tangy, this Fried Goat Cheese Salad really has it all!
Goat cheese, possibly my all-time favorite thing to eat, is taken to another level of goodness by breading and pan-frying it to top this salad. The warm goat cheese is served over cool crisp granny smith apples and fresh herbs — it’s really a thing of beauty.
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
This Fried Goat Cheese Salad recipe is definitely salad goals. It’s so much more than just a pile of greens! It’s loaded with flavors and textures and trust me, you’re going to fall in love with it just after one bite.
Why You’ll Love This Salad Recipe
- Fancy Yet Simple – This salad is next level restaurant-worthy, yet it’s surprisingly simple to make at home and made with a few ingredients.
- Prep Friendly – You can prep this salad ahead of time by making the creamy apple vinaigrette and and freezing the goat cheese rounds before frying.
- Texture Bliss – From crunchy walnuts and crisp apples to creamy goat cheese, this salad is packed with the most satisfying mix of textures.
It’s so delicious that it will entice even the pickiest salad eaters!
Ingredient and Tips
- Goat Cheese – You’ll need an entire softened log of goat cheese which you’ll to slice into individual rounds and freeze before frying up.
- Apple – I love pairing this salad with crisp Granny Smith apples, but you can use whatever type you prefer.
- Walnuts – Use toasted walnuts for this recipe to bring out that nutty flavor.
- Herb Salad Mix – Make sure your salad mix is fresh and firm.
- Dredging Station – To fry up the goat cheese you’ll need to dredge it with buttermilk, eggs, flour, white pepper and panko breadcrumbs.
- Salad Dressing – For the creamy apple vinaigrette, you’ll need champagne vinegar, grated ginger, honey and dijon mustard.
Recipe Variations & Dietary Swaps
- Fruit – Swap the apples with thinly diced pear, dried cranberries or grapes.
- Protein – Add grilled chicken or shrimp for an extra boost of protein.
- Mozzarella – If you’re not a fan of goat cheese, substitute it with mozzarella for a cheesy pull.
- Gluten-free – Use a gluten-free breading mixture like GF panko or crushed GF crackers.
- Low-sugar – Reduce or omit the honey in the vinaigrette dressing if you’re watching your sugar intake.
How to Make Fried Goat Cheese Salad
The cheese is added to the salad while still warm. So chilling the plates ahead of time is a nice touch to keep the greens cold!
Find the full Fried Goat Cheese Salad recipe with detailed instructions and storage tips in the printable form at the bottom of the post!
Storage Notes
- Storing Leftovers – Place the salad, vinaigrette and fried goat cheese in individual airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Reheating Fried Goat Cheese – Warm up the fried goat cheese in the oven for 5-7 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Try not to microwave them because they’re get foggy.
What to Serve With Fried Goat Cheese Salad
This salad is definitely the star of the show, however you enjoy it! Serve it as an appetizer at your next dinner party alongside these Grilled Lamb Loin Chops or with this Grilled Blackened Mahi Mahi.
Or you can enjoy this rich salad alongside a bowl of creamy Healthy Tomato Basil Bisque or this rich Basil Pesto Chicken Pasta.
Frequently Asked Questions
For the best results, dip a sharp knife into hot water and slice the goat cheese into neat individual rounds.
To avoid melting goat cheese, first, either freeze it or refrigerate it before frying. Second, make sure to coat it in a batter in order to protect the cheese.
There are so many ways to eat uncooked goat cheese! Enjoy it with crackers, fruit, on salads or on sandwiches.
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Fried Goat Cheese Salad Recipe
Ingredients
For the Apple Vinaigrette:
- 1/2 large Granny Smith apple, peeled
- 1/4 cup champagne vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoon honey
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil + extra for frying
For the Fried Goat Cheese:
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
For the Salad:
- 10.5 ounces soft goat cheese (1 log)
- 5 ounces herb salad mix
- 1 1/2 Granny Smith apples julienned
- 3/4 cup toasted walnuts
Instructions
- Do ahead: Slice the goat cheese log into ten to twelve ½ inch rounds. Wrap them in plastic wrap and place them in the freezer for at least 1 ½ hours.
- In a blender, puree the first 7 ingredients of the vinaigrette until smooth. Then slowly add ½ cup oil to the dressing until emulsified.
- Prepare 3 pie pans: one holding buttermilk whisked with egg, one with flour mixed with white pepper, and a third pan with panko.
- Place a small skillet over medium heat. Add enough oil to thoroughly coat the bottom of the skillet, about ¼ inch deep. While the oil is heating, prepare the salad plates by piling salad greens on 4-6 plates, topped with julienne apples and toasted walnuts. (Chilling the plates ahead of time is a nice touch!)
- When the oil is hot, quickly dip the frozen cheese rounds into the egg mixture, then flour, egg mixture again, then panko. That’s right, 4 dips in all.
- Place them into the skillet around the outer edges first, and fill the center last. Pan-fry the cheese for 1 ½ to 2 minutes per side until it reaches a golden brown color. Flip with a small spatula. Remove the fried cheese and place it on a paper towel to absorb the extra oil. Repeat with extra cheese if needed.
- Drizzle each plate with granny smith vinaigrette and place 2-3 fried cheese rounds on top of each salad. Serve while the cheese is warm!
This looks so good!
Do you think that because the cheese is frozen I could use a slightly softer cheese, like Boursin?
Have a Joyful Day :~D
Charlie
Hi Charlie, Yes! I’ve done this with brie, gouda and cheddar as well. Just make sure they are thoroughly coated, so the melted cheese doesn’t ooze out.
HOLY decadence! This looks absolutely heavenly. Thank you for sharing this …. it’s in the dinner queue!
Goat milk is often consumed by young children, the elderly, those who are ill, or have a low tolerance to cow’s milk. Goat milk is more similar to human milk than that of the cow, although there is large variation among breeds in both animals. Although the West has popularized the cow, goat milk and goat cheese are preferred dairy products in much of the rest of the world. Because goat cheese is often made in areas where refrigeration is limited, aged goat cheeses are often heavily treated with salt to prevent decay. As a result, salt has become associated with the flavor of goat cheese.*
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What a georgous & super tasty salad!!
Many greetings from Brussels, Belgium!
This looks SO delicious!! And I've always wanted to know how to make fried goat cheese- I get these salads all the time in restaurants. Nothing's better than warm goat cheese with tangy fruit. Beets would probably be great in this as well. Beautiful blog, btw!
Laura-
I understand…there are certain things I have trouble eating after trips abroad! I have made fried brie salads before that turned out beautifully. Just don't forget to freeze the cheese first!
This looks and sounds amazing, Sommer! I'm still working on my love for goat cheese (I think the goat cheese Pizza Hut pizzas in Bolivia were not a good introduction at 17), but I can easily imagine this also delicious with brie, comté, gruyère, or camembert- the flavors sound perfect.
What a GORGEOUS salad!!! I could eat some right now. Perfect on this lovely spring day in Philadelphia:)
Thank you for the tip on freezing the cheese! I've tried to fry goat cheese for salads before and it always ended up a gooey mess. I'll have to give it a try again. And next time I'll add apples too -yum!
How absolutely decadent, Sommer!
Lovely flavors and that fried goat cheese looks wonderfully scrumptious. Absolutely mouthwatering with the apples :)
Ciao, Devaki @ weavethousandflavors
I am drooling on the key board – I love warm goat cheese.
Great salad, I love warm goat cheese and the apple adds a nice little touch!