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!
I know what you’re thinking. It’s been a while since I’ve had my balls in your face.
That wasn’t what you were thinking was it?
How awkward of me.
Well since we’re on the topic anyways, let’s talk about these crispy fried sweet potato balls!
They’re the vibrant orange counterpart to my mashed potato balls but with a baller boost of beta-carotene, vitamin C, and potassium.
Savory appetizer vibes are the name of the game, so we’re adding lots of flavor via cheddar cheese, green onions, garlic, cayenne, and a kiss of butter and sour cream to make them absolutely luxe.
hAVE LEFTOVER SWEET POTATOES HANDY?
This recipe is a FABULOUS way to use up leftover sweet potatoes! You can revamp leftover mashed sweet potatoes, sweet potato casserole, or baked sweet potatoes by using them as the base for these fried sweet potato balls!
How To Make Fried Sweet Potato Balls
I tried to make as many process shots of this recipe as I could, but feel free to leave me a comment if you need assistance with any of the steps. I’m happy to help!
Step 1: prep the potatoes
Snag a sweet potato that weighs around 1 and 1/2 pounds – it’s okay if it’s a wee bit over as we’ll be taking around 1.5 cups of mashed sweet potato from the spud for these mashed potato balls.
Prep the potato by washing then piercing a few times with a fork. Microwave for 7 minutes or until tender. Transfer 1.5 cups to a mixing bowl and 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. I love the OXO one. 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 egg, then panko.
Step 4: fry the mashed potato balls
I like to use a small saucepot so I use less oil. But a larger pot works too especially if you plan on doubling the recipe.
Heat about 2-3 inches of oil to 375℉.
Carefully drop in the mashed potato balls into the hot oil, frying just 3-4 at a time.
Use a slotted spoon to lightly stir 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.
I like to serve them with sour cream for dunking. The combination gives me loaded baked potato vibes that I absolutely cannot get enough of!
You can even drizzle some hot honey on them for a sweet and spicy experience. It’s a wee bit transcendent.
Ready to get your fried sweet potato ball on? I’m SO EXCITED for you to try this recipe! Here’s the printable recipe card with the detailed instructions and ingredients:
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!
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!
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
Q: Can I make these sweet potato balls sweet instead of savory?
You sure can! I actually used to have a sweet version on the blog back in 2012 but it didn’t make it over to the new domain when I switched everything over. The mashed sweet potato was seasoned with cinnamon and a little nutmeg, ginger, and a teeny bit of brown sugar. You can even season the flour with cinnamon sugar if you’d like.
I also made this glaze that was super tasty for dunking, kind of like at restaurants where they give you little donut balls to dunk in a sweet sauce? Here’s the recipe for that:
Cinnamon Sugar Glaze: 2 Tbsp cream cheese, 1-2 Tbsp vanilla greek yogurt, 1/2-1 Tbsp honey, cinnamon sugar, to taste and a few drops of vanilla extract. To make it, simply combine, whisk, and get ready to dunk and drizzle! Feel free to adjust the cinnamon, sugar, vanilla, and/or honey to taste .
If you get a chance to try these fried sweet potato balls, let me know!
Leave me a comment here (LOVE checking those daily!) and tag @PEASandCRAYONS on Instagram so I can happy dance over your tasty creations. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
Peas and Crayons is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliated sites at no cost to readers.