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    Home » Recipes » Side Dishes

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    Queso Frito (Easy Fried Cheese)

    Queso Frito (Fried Cheese)
    Queso Frito (Fried Cheese)
    Queso Frito (Fried Cheese)

    En Español Recipe ↆ

    Queso frito (Dominican fried cheese) is quite a treat in itself, and an important component of Los Tres Golpes, the traditional Dominican breakfast meal. Find out just how easy it is to fry cheese and make this special treat that we love so much.

    Fried cheese (queso frito)

    JUMP TO: show ↓
    1. Why we ❤️ it
    2. What is queso frito?
    3. What's queso de freír?
    4. Substitutions
    5. Tips for great fried cheese
    6. Serving suggestions
    7. About our recipe
    8. Recipe
    9. FAQs

    Why we ❤️ it

    Los Tres Golpes: Queso frito (fried cheese), Mangú with red onions, fried eggs, and fried Dominican salami is the quintessential Dominican breakfast, and what, in an ideal world, Dominicans would probably choose most days for breakfast.

    Yes, even the cheese is fried. And it's a food of the gods.

    What is queso frito?

    Queso frito just means "fried cheese" in Spanish, but in the Dominican Republic it specifically refers to this type of fried cheese made with "queso de freír" which is an essential component of the traditional Dominican breakfast.

    What's queso de freír?

    For this recipe you need a good queso de freír, or Dominican queso blanco.

    Queso de freír or queso blanco is a salty Dominican cheese with a very high melting point that is almost always served fried. Queso blanco is a favorite of those on a low carb diet.

    Substitutions

    If you cannot find queso de freír cheese where you live, try to find halloumi (without mint!), the taste and texture are very similar, and I can attest that it works just fine.

    Queso Frito (Fried Cheese)
    Dominican Keto Breakfast

    Fried cheese (queso frito)

    Tips for great fried cheese

    A good "queso de freir" will keep its shape when deep fried, but as some times it is not necessarily the case we present you here a simple trick to make it a successful experience.

    If the first slice melts instead of frying into a golden color, dip the remaining slices with corn starch and shake off the excess. If it fries without problem, this step is not necessary.

    How long you fry the cheese depends entirely on your own taste. Some prefer it a light golden color and lightly "melty", some prefer it fried to crispiness and a darker color. Go with what you prefer.

    Serving suggestions

    Aside from he traditional serving suggestions from the first paragraph, this fried cheese goes great with our Puré de auyama (pumpking mash), and Puré de yautía (malanga mash). A cup of café con leche (Dominican latte) goes great with your breakfast, or any of our hot breakfast drinks.

    About our recipe

    This simple 2-ingredient recipe is an integral part of our breakfast tradition, and as easy to make as it sounds. Do you have any tips for great fried cheese? Share it in the comments!

    Buen provecho!

    Tia Clara

    Recipe

    Fried cheese (queso frito)
    Keep screen on while cooking

    [Recipe + Video] Queso Frito (Fried Cheese)

    By: Clara Gonzalez
    Learn how to make fried cheese, our beloved Queso frito recipe, an important part of the traditional Dominican breakfast.
    5 from 15 votes
    Save for Later Send by Email Print Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 15 mins
    Course Breakfast, Dinner
    Cuisine Dominican, Latino
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 454 kcal

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound queso de freir, [0.23 kg]
    • ⅓ cup oil for frying

    Instructions
     

    • Prep cheese
      Cut the cheese into 12 slices (2" x 3", ¼" thick, approx). Pat dry the cheese with a paper towel to minimize splatters.
    • Frying cheese
      Heat the oil over medium-high heat[350 ºF or 175 ºC] in a medium pan, and fry the cheese on one side until it turns golden brown (fry one slice first to see if it fries well, see notes if it doesn't).
      Turn and repeat. Do not add many slices at the same time as the oil must remain very hot to prevent the cheese from staying in the oil for too long.
    • Serving fried cheese
      Serve hot.

    Tips and Notes

    If the first slice melts instead of frying into a golden color, cover the remaining slices with corn starch and shake off the excess. If it fries without problem, this step is not necessary
    How long you fry the cheese depends entirely on your own taste. Some prefer it a light golden color and lightly "melty", some prefer it fried to crispiness and a darker color. Go with what you prefer.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 454kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 25gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 21gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gSodium: 1361mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gCalcium: 1134mg

    Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutritional information.

    READERS SEARCHED FOR fried cheese recipe, how to make fried cheese, los tres golpes, queso frito, queso para freir
    More recipes with: cheese

    FAQs

    Which cheese can be fried without melting?

    Queso blanco or halloumi are perfect for frying as they have a very high melting point and will turn crispy when fried long enough.

    What kind of oil do you fry cheese in?

    You need oil with a high smoke point, typically soy, corn or peanut oil. If you no dot consume vegetable oils, ghee works well too.

    How to fry cheese?

    For this recipe the cheese is fried in small batches in hot oil until it turns crispy and golden.

    Published Mar 21, 2002, and last revised May 23, 2022

    Edited: May 23, 2022 | Publish: May 20, 2022

    ¡Hola! I am Tía Clara, your host. Thanks for visiting.
    - Any questions or comments about this?
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    38 Comments
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    Josie
    August 19, 2018 11:18 PM

    I live in Ga, so I can not find Dominican cheese? What other types of cheese can I use and what types of Salami as well? Thanks Josie

    0
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    View Replies (7)
    Cathie Currie
    January 31, 2017 9:12 PM

    I discovered queso de freier at a DR coffee shop near City College in New York City many years ago. Unbelievably good!!! Fortunately the basic cheese can be found in any food shop in Spanish Harlem, and many other areas in NYC.

    11
    Reply
    Stone Saver
    November 24, 2016 6:44 PM

    Wanted to share that I followed your recipe and this was delicious!! Thanks for making it available for my first time trying this dish.

    3
    Reply
    Edy Albizu
    October 24, 2016 7:46 AM

    Loved the history on the mangu and heavy breakfast. Now my children will understand why they eat dinner leftovers for breakfast is in their Dominican genes. Their friends are always shocked to see them do that.

    2
    Reply
    View Replies (1)

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