Fried Cheese Curds
Fresh cheddar curds in a light, crisp beer batter, fried until golden and oozing. The Wisconsin bar and state fair snack, served with ranch.
Before You Start
Use the freshest curds you can find, at room temperature. They melt quickly in the hot oil, and the squeaky texture is best when they are just made.
Hold the oil at 190°C / 375°F and fry in small batches. Cool oil makes a greasy coating, and a crowded pan drops the temperature.
Dust the curds in flour before the batter. It gives the batter something to hold on to, and stops it sliding off.
Making Fried Cheese Curds
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Mix the 120 g flour, baking powder, garlic granules, paprika and salt in a bowl. Whisk in the lager until you have a smooth batter about as thick as double cream.
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Heat the oil in a deep, heavy pan to 190°C / 375°F.
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Toss the curds in the 2 tablespoons of flour, so that they are lightly dusted and the batter will stick.
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Working in 3 or 4 batches, dip the curds in the batter, let the excess drip off, and lower them into the hot oil. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes, turning once, until deep golden.
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Lift out with a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper, sprinkle with a little salt and serve at once with the ranch dressing.
What's Going On Here
Cheese curds are the small, irregular lumps of fresh cheese that form in the vat when milk is turned into cheddar, before the cheese is pressed and aged. Fresh, they are mild, milky and springy, and they squeak against the teeth, and the squeak is how a Wisconsinite knows that the curds are truly fresh. They are eaten as they are, from a paper bag, but the best-loved way of serving them is deep-fried in a batter, which is on the menu of bars, restaurants and county fairs across the state and through the Midwest. The heat melts the cheese inside a crisp coating, and the first bite pulls out a long string of hot cheese. The batter is a simple one of flour, baking powder and seasoning, mixed with cold beer, which makes it light and crisp and gives it a slightly malty flavour. The curds must be at room temperature, and this matters. Cold curds take longer to heat, and the batter overcooks before the cheese has melted, while curds that are at room temperature melt at once. The oil must be very hot, 190°C, so that the coating sets before the cheese leaks out, and the curds are fried in small batches. Eat them at once, because they cool and firm quickly. Ranch dressing is the usual dip, though a marinara sauce or a spicy mayonnaise also goes well.
Storage and Reheating
Best eaten at once. They do not keep, and they are poor reheated.
What to Serve Alongside
- Ranch dressing
- Cold lager
- Marinara sauce
Still Wondering?
How long does Fried Cheese Curds take to make?
About 30 minutes in total — 15 minutes of preparation and 15 minutes of cooking. The recipe serves 4.
What are the key tips for making Fried Cheese Curds?
Use the freshest curds you can find, at room temperature. They melt quickly in the hot oil, and the squeaky texture is best when they are just made. Hold the oil at 190°C / 375°F and fry in small batches. Cool oil makes a greasy coating, and a crowded pan drops the temperature. Dust the curds in flour before the batter. It gives the batter something to hold on to, and stops it sliding off.
What should I serve with Fried Cheese Curds?
Ranch dressing; Cold lager; Marinara sauce.
Is Fried Cheese Curds suitable for a special diet?
This recipe is no added sugar. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.
How many calories are in Fried Cheese Curds?
About 528 kcal per serving, with 21 g protein, 21 g carbohydrate and 40 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.
Nutrition per Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.
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Written and tested by Turab
One person, one kitchen — no test kitchen, no team. How every recipe on this site is checked before it goes up.
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