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Fried Mac and Cheese Balls

Heidi Larsenby Updated: Nov 12, 2025

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These crispy fried mac and cheese balls are the handheld appetizer version of everyone’s favorite cheesy comfort food. Instead of breadcrumbs, they’re coated in crushed potato chips for added crunch.

Fried mac and cheese balls on a white plate

This post is in partnership with Kettle Brand Potato Chips

Ditch the Chips and Dip and Make Mac and Cheese Balls for Your Next Party!

Photo of Heidi from FoodieCrush

With tailgate season in full gear and the holidays bearing down upon us, it’s that time of year to show off some unique skills in the kitchen. To think outside of the box and straight from the bag.

And these crispy mac and cheese balls are the appetizer I’ve been busting out whenever possible. Tender, ooey gooey mac and cheese is coated in crunchy potato chips and then deep fried to crisp up the outside even further.

This might just be the best thing to come out of my kitchen this year … and I didn’t even come up with the recipe! My husband deserves the credit for this masterpiece.

(I know I’ve said it here on the blog before, but this recipe proves it bears repeating: My guy deserves a hand clap emoji 👏 👏 👏 or 372 for being my secret weapon in the kitchen.)

If you ever eaten the fried mac and cheese balls served at The Cheesecake Factory, this version is so much better!

Enjoy!

Heidi
Two bags of Kettle Brand kettle chips

Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success

Start with any mac and cheese you like. Homemade, store-bought, or the blue box kind should all work. Naturally, I’m partial to my favorite baked mac and cheese, but you do you.

Skip the breadcrumbs and make a potato chip coating for serious crunch. To get that extra crunchy shell, my husband keyed in on using Kettle Brand potato chips as the ultimate crunchy coating. They work really, really well for this recipe because they’re thicker and more substantial than other potato chips or breadcrumbs, creating just the right crumb coat.

Don’t overcrowd the pot when frying or you’ll lower the temperature and the balls won’t get as crispy. Also, don’t use too big of a pot or you’ll need more oil and it will take longer to reheat the oil. We like this 4-quart pot for recipes like this.

What’s in This Recipe?

Bags of crushed kettle chips

The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.

  • Mac and cheese — This recipe starts with cooked and chilled mac and cheese. You can make baked mac and cheese, stovetop mac and cheese, or even Instant Pot mac and cheese. You’ll need to prepare 1 pound (16 ounces) of elbow macaroni noodles in total to fill one 9×13-inch pan, so scale up whatever recipe you’re using as needed.
  • Eggs — The mac and cheese balls are dredged in beaten eggs so the crushed chips have something to cling to.
  • Kettle Brand potato chips — With this recipe, you can pick and choose any one of the many flavors of Kettle Brand potato chips to coat the mac ‘n cheese, but we narrowed it down to the Buffalo Bleu and Pepperoncini flavored chips to pair well with the cheesy pasta.
  • Frying oil — Use canola or peanut oil. Both are neutral in flavor and have a high smoke point. Avoid using olive oil.

How to Fry Mac and Cheese Balls

Process shot showing mac and cheese balls being made
A mac and cheese ball being deep fried on the stove
  1. Make the mac and cheese, then chill overnight. We made this baked mac and cheese recipe (minus the bread crumb topping) and refrigerated it overnight so the macaroni and cheese would solidify and the balls would hold together while frying.
  2. Shape into balls. I suggest using a 1 ½-inch scoop to make cheese balls. Compact them well to form a nice round ball.
  3. Coat the balls in potato chips. My husband recommends crushing the chips finely with a rolling pin to get the most coverage when dredging. To coat the mac and cheese balls, dip them into the egg wash, then into the crushed chips.
  4. Deep fry in 350ºF canola oil. Cook for 3 minutes and 30 seconds (or 4 minutes if you like them a little more brown).

Heidi’s Tip: A candy thermometer is useful for gauging the oil temperature and keeping it steady.

Fried mac and cheese balls on a white plate

What to Serve with Mac and Cheese Balls

While these crunchy mac and cheese bites taste terrific without any dipping sauce, we both found ourselves shaking a dash or 32 of vinegary hot sauce on the hot little balls. Other good dipping sauces include:

Fried mac and cheese balls on a white plate
Fried mac and cheese bites topped with hot sauce

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.

4.04 from 55 votes

Fried Mac and Cheese Balls Recipe

A crunchy potato chip crust turns macaroni and cheese into a hand held appetizer version of everyone’s favorite cheesy comfort food.
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Ingredients 

  • 1 recipe baked macaroni and cheese , chilled and refrigerated overnight (or a 9 X 13 pan of your favorite recipe)*
  • 2 (8.5) ounce bags Kettle Brand Potato Chips any flavor
  • 2-3 eggs
  • 6 cups canola or peanut oil

Instructions

  • Make the macaroni and cheese and refrigerate overnight.
  • Use a 1 ½-inch scoop or spoon out about 2 tablespoons macaroni and cheese and shape into 2-inch rounded balls, compressing lightly.
  • Place about 2 cups of each flavor of potato chips into their own gallon freezer bags and seal. Gently roll a rolling pin over the chips to crush into small flakes. Add more chips to the freezer bag and crush as long as it’s manageable.
  • Pour the crushed chips into a shallow bowl or plate. In another shallow bowl, whisk the two eggs until smooth. Dip the rounded balls into the whisked egg then roll in the potato chips, firmly pressing the chips into the macaroni balls to create a solid crust. Repeat until you have about 10-12 balls.
  • Heat the oil in a deep 4-quart pot until the oil registers 350 degrees F on a candy or deep fry thermometer. Fry 6 cheese balls at a time for about 3 minutes 30 seconds or until golden. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.

Notes

*You’ll need 1 pound of macaroni in total. 
Fried mac and cheese balls on a white plate

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Heidi of FoodieCrush

Hi! I’m Heidi and I cook real good, real food I hope you’ll love to make, too.

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  17. Denise

    Damn girl and Heidi’s guy! This recipe looks killer, and I can definitely see some fried mac and cheese balls in my life soon! The only hard part is deciding on which chip to use!

    Reply

  18. Jennifer Brooks

    Hi Heidi, I love this fried balls recipe, it look so yummy. I will it a try and hope cooking this recipe at home is as easy as you shown us here :) Will let you know how it goes. Cheers!

    Reply

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