Goat Cheese Caprese Skewers

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Goat Cheese Caprese Skewers

None of us are a stranger to a caprese salad and I’m particularly into a more modern take on this classic Italian side dish. Versions within our archives range from burrata and peach to a strawberry rendition with brown butter and beyond.

There’s something about the minimal prep, minimal ingredient and seasonal approach that has made this a side dish I come back to time and time again for casual weeknight dinners equally as much as an upscale dinner or cocktail party I host.

However, the buck doesn’t stop with salads. Our Crispy Goat Cheese Caprese Skewers prove that classic caprese can be interpreted even in abstract (and just as delicious) ways.

This bite-sized rendition diverts from, well, all of the traditional ingredients of a classic caprese. Instead of soft mozzarella we swap in tangy creamy goat cheese with a crispy exterior for a pop of texture, peaches instead of tomatoes, and throw in a little bit of thinly sliced prosciutto for a hint of salty protein.

In lieu of  presenting it in salad form, we load everything on wooden skewers and  serve them appetizer style.

Oster Air Fryer

The only cooking required is made easy by our Oster Air Fryer, a small kitchen appliance I find myself gravitating towards at least a few times a week. And I’m not a big believe in unnecessary items that clutter up my kitchen but this guy is 100% necessary and 100% worth it. Gosh I love it.

Not only does it keep me from heating up our entire house with an oven on a 99-degree summer day but its large 5-quart capacity basket allows ample room for all the items I want to “fry” up in a moments notice.

And since we’re talking Oster Air Fryer perks, it also uses it’s Diamond Force Non-Stick technology to keep foods (goat cheese balls anyone) from sticking to the bottom.

We use it for everything from salmon to brussels sprouts, taquitos and more.

Ingredients in Goat Cheese Caprese Skewers

Peaches. Like any caprese salad, seasonal produce is the key to making a delicious final product. Because peaches are currently at their prime, that’s what we go with but if you want to stick with traditional tomatoes, particularly cherry tomatoes, that would obviously work fine..

Prosciutto. I’m partial to Prosciutto de Parma – it’s the best. However any prosciutto or thinly sliced salami or capicola would be lovely.

Goat Cheese. Honestly, any goat cheese will work great here. We used plain but I imagine honey or herbed would be great.

Flour + Egg + Panko. All the standard breading ingredients.

Parmesan. We add this in addition to the panko breadcrumbs, you don’t need to use Parmigianino as we recommend in most of our other recipes but don’t use the pre-shredded stuff.

Let’s Make Caprese Skewers

Preheat the Air Fryer. It’s not always necessary to pre-heat an air fryer but I just like to have it hot when I’m trying to mimic the texture of something fried. Plus goat cheese tends to melt so it helps to have the vessel hot already. Just preheat while you prep everything.

Bread the goat cheese. We use a standard breading process but because goat cheese has a tendency to melt and lose its shape, it’s important to double bread them. First, coat in flour, then egg, then the panko mixture.

Freeze the goat cheese balls. To maintain their shape, be sure to freeze them for a hour or even overnight to cook them properly.

Fry! Pile all the goat cheese balls in the Air Fryer, spray with non-stick spray and let it do the work.

Assemble. While the goat cheese fries, quarter your peaches. Thread a peach on to each skewer, followed by some prosciutto, cheese and a final piece of peach.

Where can I get skewers?

I use these and cut them down to size. These or these would work great as well.

Do I have to use goat cheese?

I have not tried the breading process with anything but goat cheese so I can’t attest to how it will work.

Substitutions and Tips and Tricks for Recipe Success

• Be sure you freeze the goat cheese. If they are room temperature when they go into the air fryer, they will be all over the base of your air fryer.
• Swap out tomatoes, strawberries or your favorite seasonal fruit for peaches.
• If you can’t find prosciutto, salami or ham will work well.