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Fried Cheese Curds

Fried Cheese Curds are little morsels of deep fried heaven! They are perfect for serving as appetizers, for game day, or just for snacking on the everyday!

 

main image of fried cheese curds

 

Squeaky cheese is delicious, but deep fry it so it’s melty and hot and crunchy on the outside? Holy delicious!

I love that these deep fried cheese curds are quick to make! The longest part is waiting for the oil to heat up!

I also love that frying cheese curds gives me the perfect excuse to buy more cheese curds! I mean I love buying them anyway, so I’ll take any excuse I can get!

This fried cheese curds recipe is also made with all simple ingredients. You should be able to find everything (except maybe the cheese curds themselves) in your local grocery store.

Most important is when you make a deep fried cheese curd, be sure not to invite too many people over. They are crowd favorites! And they’ll be gone in no time flat.

 

cheese curds coated in panko bread crumbs

 

What is Fried Cheese Curds?

If you don’t live in Minnesota or Wisconsin, you may not be familiar with Wisconsin fried cheese curds.

They’re very popular in the northern portion of the Midwest, but outside of that, you’ve got to go to a cheese factory to find the little cheese curd nuggets.

I’ve gotten a lot of questions about cheese curds over the years so let me address that here. Cheese curds are not cottage cheese!

Actually, cheese curds are the un-aged cheese before it’s processed or had anything done to it.

They’re extremely squeaky when you eat them un-fried and therefore are often called squeaky cheese.

You can find fried cheese curds at the Minnesota State Fair or Wisconsin State Fair so if you ever happen to be up that way, be sure to check them out!

Until then, you can make these crispy fried cheese curds right in the comfort of your own home.

 

cheese curds put into hot oil

 

What Ingredients are in Fried Cheese Curds?

You’ll need the batter ingredients and the fresh curds too!

  • Vegetable Oil: You need the oil for deep frying. You can substitute another oil if you prefer as well.
  • Buttermilk: No buttermilk? Use whole milk and vinegar instead.
  • All-Purpose Flour: The flour is the base of the cheese curd coating.
  • Baking Powder: You’ll just need a little bit of baking powder.
  • Salt: Don’t skip the salt!
  • Cayenne Pepper: This is the best part of the cheese curd crust! So yummy!
  • Cheese Curds: Find these at your local cheese factory or buy them online.
  • Egg: A large egg will help the batter to adhere to the cheese curds.
  • Water: Nothing special here, just grab some water from your tap!
  • Panko Bread Crumbs: The bread crumbs really add to the crispiness.

Pro Tips:

  • The cayenne pepper doesn’t make these spicy (even my toddler loved them!) If you want to leave it out, test just a couple both ways. 

 

cheese curds ready to remove from hot oil

 

How to Make Fried Cheese Curds

This is a great recipe because you can whip up a whole batch of coated curds really quickly!

  1. Mix: Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and cayenne pepper together.
  2. Dip: Dip the cheese curds into the buttermilk and then flour mixture.
  3. Mix: Combine buttermilk, water, and egg with the flour mixture.
  4. Dip: Now dip the floured cheese curds in bread crumbs and then egg mixture.
  5. Fry: Place cheese curds in deep fryer pan. They fry quickly! Cook until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drip dry on paper towels.

Pro Tips:

  • Make sure you’ve got hot oil before you put the coated cheese curds in.
  • Don’t overcrowd the frying pan. You want the cheese curds to have a bit of space.
  • Place hot cheese curds on a plate with paper towels to drain excess oil.
  • Be sure you have enough oil that the cheese curds don’t rest on the bottom of the pan.

 

zoomed out bowl full of cheese curds

 

Can You Air Fry Cheese Curds?

You can also air fry battered cheese curds! While I much prefer the delicious flavor of deep fried cheese curds, I understand the desire to not deal with the oil.

So if you fall in that camp, don’t worry! Air fryer cheese curds are an easy alternative.

Follow the recipe up to the frying part and place the cheese curds into your air fryer instead.

Be sure to spritz the cheese curds with oil to keep them from sticking. Don’t overcrowd the bottom of the air fryer but place them in a single layer.

You’ll fry the cheese curds at 350 for 5-7 minutes being sure to flip halfway.

What do Fried Cheese Curds Taste Like?

Great question! If you haven’t tried fresh cheese curds before, you may be wondering if you’ll even like them!

I had the same thought before I first had squeaky cheese curds. My husband, having lived in Quebec for a few years, fell in love with them.

But I didn’t have them until after we were married and was a little hesitant. A squeaky snack? I wasn’t so sure. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised!

Cheese curds taste very mild, with a salty, fresh milk kind of flavor. That’s what makes them perfect for frying and seasoning in all sorts of ways! The perfect fair food!

They aren’t strongly flavored in any particular direction and therefore you can season them how you really want!

They’ve got a rubbery texture to them which some people love and others don’t. Luckily, deep frying the tasty cheese curds keeps all their delicious flavor even if you don’t like the squeaky part.

If you’re looking for something with a little more flavor, try beer batter cheese curds.

 

zoomed in image of cheese curds in a bowl

 

How to Store Fried Cheese Curds

Store any leftover fried cheese curds in the fridge.

Keep them in a covered container, but be sure to allow them time to get to room temperature first.

They should stay good for up to 5 days.

How to Reheat Fried Cheese Curds

Reheat cheese curds in an air fryer or the oven until heated through.

I highly recommend not reheating any fried cheese curds in the microwave.

The microwave will make their crispy coating soft. While they still taste good, it leaves so much to be desired in texture.

 

hand holding a fried cheese curd

 

What to Serve with Fried Cheese Curds

You can eat fried cheese curds all on their own, or serve with delicious dipping sauces!

Some good sauces to try are:

 

cheese curds in a bowl with one pulled open to show cheese filling

 

More Easy Appetizers You’ll Love…

Fried Cheese Curds are a super easy and amazing snack or appetizer. They’re non-alcoholic, perfectly crisp, and a great addition to every party! Enjoy!

 

Yield: 6 Servings

Fried Cheese Curds

cheese curds in a bowl with one pulled open to show cheese filling

Fried Cheese Curds are little morsels of deep fried heaven! They are perfect for serving as appetizers, for game day, or just for snacking on the everyday!

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 quart vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cup buttermilk, divided
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 pound of cheese curds (or more, or less - really as much as you are willing to eat)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

Instructions

  1. Heat oil on stove over medium to medium high heat while preparing the curds.
  2. In a small bowl add 1/2 cup of buttermilk. Set aside.
  3. In a third bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and cayenne pepper, mix well.
  4. Take curds and dip into buttermilk. Then dip into flour mixture and set aside. Do this to all of the curds.
  5. Add 1 cup of buttermilk, water and egg to the flour mixture and mix well.
  6. In another bowl add bread crumbs and set aside.
  7. Dip floured curds into liquid buttermilk batter and remove with a slotted spoon. Place curds into bread crumbs and cover.
  8. Once oil is ready {test oil with the end of a wooden spoon, if bubbles form around soon, then it's hot and ready} place battered curds into hot oil and cook 2 minutes, then flip and cook another 2 minutes until golden color.
  9. Remove and place on a plate with paper towels.
  10. As soon as they are cool enough to eat ~ DEVOUR!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

20

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 537Total Fat: 52gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 41gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 347mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 8g
Originally Posted: May 19, 2015

Photos & Text Updated: August 30, 2022

 

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Joce M

Sunday 23rd of July 2023

Made this recipe and it was delicious!! We added some onion, garlic and tumeric powder to jazz it up a bit. Very tasty!

Janelle

Sunday 1st of October 2023

Thanks for the suggestions Joce! So glad it was a hit.

Vicky Turner

Wednesday 20th of December 2017

I grew up in northern NY and have always loved cheese curds. We had cheese plants all over where I grew up and we would go get them while they were still at room temp. or warm and loved eating "squeaky" cheese. There is a cheese store in my home town of Lowville NY that still sells cheese curds and various other regional cheese. Sure do miss that. They do sell it online.

Janelle

Thursday 21st of December 2017

We always like to get fresh squeaky cheese when we visit my parents as there is a local cheese factory there. There is nothing like fresh warm cheese curds. I too have seen them sold online. Amazon I know sells a few brands. But nothing quite beats local!

Becky

Monday 10th of October 2016

Cosco carries cheese curds...so does Fry's(Kroger) in their supercenters.

Janelle

Saturday 5th of November 2016

Thank you for your suggestions! Good to know!

Cheryl

Tuesday 2nd of August 2016

Hi, I do not have a cheese factory in my state that I am aware of but I would love to make the crispy fried cheese curds. Just my luck but I am going to try to find the curds before I give up.

Janelle

Saturday 20th of August 2016

Cheryl, no worries! Did you know you can buy cheese curds online? Amazon has some HIGHLY rated ones here: http://amzn.to/2brvY4U

heath

Saturday 15th of August 2015

Cottage cheese? Where would one get 'curds'?

Janelle

Monday 7th of September 2015

Hi Good Golly Miss Holly! Cheese curds are an actual item. Some people call it squeaky cheese, but it's real name is cheese curds. The best place to get them is at a cheese factory. However many stores carry them in their cheese section. You can ask your local store if they carry them. Generally speaking though if there isn't a cheese factory around (in your portion of the state) then you wont have access to them. However they are NOT cottage cheese.

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