Our fried goat cheese discs and roasted beet salad is a combination that salad dreams are made of. Goat cheese and beets are a naturally delicious pairing, but we take it next-level by giving these tasty little goat cheese discs a crunchy, golden crust to go with that tart and creamy center. Then they’re set on top of sweet, roasted beets and a bed of fresh greens.

Overhead view of salad on a plate with a fork — Simple and elegant!

Topping off all that goodness is a hefty drizzle of an incredibly simple olive oil and sweet balsamic dressing. Hungry yet? Because we’re swooning over this elegant salad!

how do you roast beets?

Before I get to all the details about the best way to eat goat cheese (spoiler: it’s FRIED), let’s talk about the beets. It’s easy to oven-roast beets but since they can take up to an hour and will have to chill afterward, you’ll want to roast the beets before you make the fried goat cheese discs.

You can also roast the beets up to five days in advance and store them in the fridge. Check out our recipe and video for roasted beets showing all the best tips.

Scrub the beets, trim off the tops but leave a one-inch stub and most of the root tails. This keeps the beet from bleeding the good juices.
Place the beets in an oven-proof dish, drizzle with olive oil, and roast at 400°F for 45-60 minutes, depending on the size of the beets. You’ll know they’re done when you can easily pierce them with a fork.
Allow the beets to cool, then remove the top stubs, roots and skins.
Chill them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble the salad.

If you plan ahead, roast some extra beets to use in this roasted beet and blue cheese salad or in this beautiful beet salad with fennel and radish. You can freeze the extra beets and pull them out later for a quick salad.

breaded goat cheese discs on plate, green towel in background — Breaded Goat Cheese Discs

how to make fried goat cheese discs

If you didn’t think goat cheese could get any better, let me take a moment to remind you that fried > not fried. FRIED GOAT CHEESE will forever be the tastier option once you’ve tried these. Warm, tangy and crispy on the outside, these cheesy discs are like heavenly little treats on top of your salad. Just be warned, you’ll never want to eat goat cheese any other way!

To make them, you’ll need:

A log of goat cheese, cut into eight discs
Flour
Egg whites
Panko bread crumbs
Vegetable oil for frying

how to slice the goat cheese

Since goat cheese is soft, you’ll want to firm up the cheese log in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes before slicing it (but don’t let it freeze completely). This will allow you to cut goat cheese discs that are evenly portioned.

To slice, use a thin, sharp knife and rinse it after each cut (you can also use unflavored dental floss, or my favorite, #22 gauge florist wire!). If any of the slices crumble, press the crumbled pieces back into the goat cheese round.

Breaded Goat cheese discs in skillet with spatula — Crisp, crunchy, warm and creamy fried goat cheese discs

how to fry the goat cheese discs

Once the beets are in the oven and the goat cheese discs are sliced, you’re ready to fry them! Here’s the process, but make sure to scroll down to view the full recipe at the bottom of the page for all the details:

Place the flour, egg whites and bread crumbs in three separate bowls to create a dredging system.
Take one goat cheese disc at a time, coat with flour, dip into the egg white and then into the bread crumbs. Press the bread crumbs firmly into the cheese. Coat each cheese disc.
Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add half of the goat cheese discs, cooking until golden and crispy on one side. Flip the cheese discs to cook the other side.
Remove the goat cheese discs and place them on a paper towel-lined plate.
Wipe out the skillet with paper towels, add more oil, and fry the second batch.

I guarantee you will be hooked on these delicacies! The crispy coating around the warm, creamy goat cheese is irresistible.

assemble the fried goat cheese and roasted beet salad

Fried goat cheese and roasted beet salad are each delicious on their own, but when you combine them, you’ll discover this is a culinary match made in heaven! A simple oil and balsamic vinegar dressing is all that is needed for this sophisticated salad. We especially like this thick, syrupy cherrywood aged balsamic vinegar. Assembling the salad is this easy:

Place about one cup of salad greens on each of four salad plates.
Distribute red onion slices on each plate and arrange slices of the chilled roasted beets.
Drizzle each salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Add some fresh-ground salt and pepper.
Top each salad with two of the fried goat cheese discs (make sure to serve while the cheese is still warm).

fork with bite of cheese, cheese disc on plate of salad on greens with roasted beets — The creamy goat cheese is surrounded by a crisp fried crust.

You can also make this salad gluten-free and keto-friendly with a few easy substitutions (see the recipe notes below)!

Fried goat cheese discs served on top of a roasted beet salad is simply salad perfection! We are loving this delightful and sophisticated salad, and know you will too. In fact, it just might be my new favorite food. 🙂

serving of Fried Goat Cheese Discs and Roasted Beet Salad

More Recipes You Will Love

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These Sautéed Rosemary Lemon Beets are a sweet and tangy side dish that’s easy to make.
This Roasted Chicken and Barley Salad is filled with veggies and barley, making it a hearty and satisfying meal. It’s flavorful, filling, and great for lunch or dinner!

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Fried Goat Cheese Discs and Roasted Beet Salad

Beneath that crunchy golden crust is an amazingly creamy, fried goat cheese discs. The subtle tartness of the goat cheese compliments the sweet roasted beets. A simple dressing of good olive oil and thick balsamic vinegar is all that is needed for this elegant salad.

4.80 from 5 votes

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Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 1

Total Time: 1 30

Servings: Servings

Calories: 580kcal

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds baby beets See Notes
8 oz. log of goat cheese cut into 8 discs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 egg whites lightly whisked
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
Vegetable oil for frying
4 cups crisp salad greens of choice
1 red onion thinly sliced
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F.

To Roast the Beets:

Scrub the beets, trim off the tops but leave a 1-inch stub and most of the root tails. This will keep the beets from bleeding the good juices. Place the beets in an oven-proof dish and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in center of the oven until tender when pierced with a fork. About 45-60 minutes depending on their size. When cool enough to handle, remove the top stubs, roots and skins. Transfer the beets to the refrigerator and chill.
The beets can be roasted in advance and refrigerated until needed.

Slicing the Goat Cheese:

Place the goat cheese log in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to firm up, do not freeze it. Remove from the freezer and slice the goat cheese log into 8 discs with a thin sharp knife, rinsing the knife after each slice. Unflavored dental floss is also a great tool for slicing the cheese. If any of the slices crumble just press them back into the round.

Frying the Goat Cheese Discs:

Set up a 3-bowl dredging system with the flour, egg whites and bread crumbs. Working with one disc at a time, coat with flour, then dip into the egg white, then into the bowl of bread crumbs, pressing them firmly to the cheese. Place the disc of cheese on a parchment-lined plate and continue until all the cheese discs have been coated.
Add enough vegetable oil to a skillet set over medium-high heat and when it is hot add half of the goat cheese discs and cook until golden and crispy. Carefully flip with a turner and cook the other side. Remove the fried goat cheese discs and place on a paper-towel lined plate.
Wipe out the skillet with paper towels, add additional oil and repeat the frying of the remaining goat cheese discs.

To assemble the salad:

Place 1 cup salad greens (more or less) on each of 4 salad plates. Distribute the red onion slices over each plate and arrange slices of the chilled beets. Drizzle each salad with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. Grind salt and pepper on each salad. Add two fried goat cheese discs to each salad.
Serve while the cheese is still warm.

Notes

Beets can be prepared in advance and refrigerated for up to 5 days.
For easier slicing, chill the goat cheese log in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
A dental floss string that is lightly oiled.
Fine florist wire is my choice of tool when slicing the goat cheese.
To make the salad for a gluten-free diet swap the all-purpose flour to rice flour and the Panko bread crumbs for finely chopped nuts.
To make this salad keto-friendly sub the sweet beets with avocado, use almond or coconut flour and finely chopped nuts