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Fried Queso Fresco 🧀 ❤️ You absolutely NEED this! Perfect for entertaining, girls night or anything you want!
If you loved this recipe, check out my Crunchy Feta Recipe!
Why You’ll Love Fried Queso Fresco
This fried queso fresco is the perfect appetizer. It is so easy to make and SO good. The spicy tomato garlic confit adds so much flavor and texture. This is perfect for hosting or when you want a quick and easy app to make!
How To Prepare Fried Queso Fresco
🍋 First, peel the lemon and separate the peels.
🧄 Secondly, add the tomatoes in a small baking dish with the garlic, chile de arbol, pine nuts and tomato peel.
🧂 Then, add salt and pepper to taste and completely coat in olive oil.
🔥 Bake at 275F for 60-70 minutes.
🧀 Then, pat dry your queso REAL well.
🥘 Preheat a non stick pan for 2 minutes on high. Then, add a tiny drizzle of olive oil.
🌟 Then, sear the queso for about 2-2.5 minutes per side or until golden brown. When you flip squeeze half a lemon and then turn heat off.
🍅 Serve it with as much of the tomato confit and olive oil as you want.
🌿 Lastly, serve with the herbs and ciabatta.
Substitutions and Variations
- You can use feta, or panela instead of queso fresco.
- You can use any dry pepper of your choice instead of chile de arbol.
- If you don’t want it super spicy, you can adjust the amount of chile de arbol to your desired level of heat.
- Herbs are always very easy to swap for your favorites or which ever ones you have on hand.
- You can use any bread of your choice instead of ciabatta.
Chef Nadia’s Tip
Pat dry the queso fresco real well so you get it more golden. Always poke a hole in the tomatoes so they don’t burst in your mouth and burn you.
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Common Questions
I use Cacique Queso Fresco.
You can use panela or feta instead of queso fresco.
You can use any dry peppers of your choice or crushed red peppers instead of chile de arbol.
Fried Queso Fresco
Ingredients
- 8 oz queso fresco, round
- 3/4 pint cherry tomatoes, sungold and regular
- 1 lemon
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
- 4-6 dried chile de arbol , or 1 tbsp crushed red peppers
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper , to taste
- Chives, to taste
- Parsley, to taste
- Ciabatta
Directions
- First, peel the lemon and separate the peels.
- Secondly, add the tomatoes in a small baking dish with the garlic, chile de arbol, pine nuts and tomato peel.
- Then, add salt and pepper to taste and completely coat in olive oil.
- Bake at 275F for 60-70 minutes.
- Then, pat dry your queso REAL well.
- Preheat a non stick pan for 2 minutes on high. Then, add a tiny drizzle of olive oil.
- Then, sear the queso for about 2-2.5 minutes per side or until golden brown. When you flip squeeze half a lemon and then turn heat off.
- Serve it with as much of the tomato confit and olive oil as you want.
- Lastly, serve with the herbs and ciabatta.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
