Queso frito (Dominican fried cheese) is quite a treat and an essential component of Los Tres Golpes, the traditional Dominican breakfast meal. Find out how easy it is to fry cheese and make this crispy fried cheese a special treat we'd have every day of the week if we could.
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 the food of the gods.
What is queso frito?
Queso frito 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?
Queso de freír or queso blanco is a salty Dominican cheese with a very high melting point, almost always served fried. Queso blanco is a favorite of those on a low-carb diet.
For this recipe you need a good queso de freír, or Dominican queso blanco.
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.
Fried cheese (queso frito).
Tips for great fried cheese
- A good "queso de freir" will keep its shape when deep fried, but as sometimes it is not necessarily the case, we present a simple trick to make it a successful experience.
- If the first slice you fry melts, coat the remaining slices with a fine layer of cornstarch and shake off the excess. If it fries without a problem, this step is not necessary. Some people use all-purpose flour, but it's not my preferred texture.
- How long you fry the cheese depends entirely on your taste. Some prefer it a light golden color and lightly "melty". Some like it fried to crispiness and a darker color. Go with what you like.
Serving suggestions
Aside from the traditional serving suggestions from the first paragraph, this fried cheese goes great with our Puré de auyama (pumpkin 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 integral to 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!
Video
Recipe
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Queso Frito [Recipe + Video] Fried Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound queso de freir, [0.23 kg]
- ⅓ cup oil for frying
Instructions
Prepare the cheese
Cut the cheese into 12 slices (2" x 3", ¼" thick, approx). Pat dry the cheese with a paper towel to minimize splatters.
Fry
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.
Tips and Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
FAQs
Queso blanco or halloumi are perfect for frying as they have a very high melting point and will turn crispy when fried long enough.
You need oil with a high smoke point, typically soy, corn, or peanut oil. If you do not consume vegetable oils, ghee works well too.
For this recipe, the cheese is fried in small batches in hot oil until it turns crispy and golden.
Published Mar 21, 2002, revised
