Wisconsin Fried Cheese Curds are a classic Midwestern staple. Made with fresh cheese curds, they are coated in a light batter and quickly fried until golden brown and crispy on the outside, but still warm and gooey on the inside.
⭐️ Prep the oil. Add the oil to a stockpot. Heat over medium-high heat until it reaches 375°F. Continue to monitor the oil temperature as you cook the cheese curds.
4 cups vegetable oil
Prep the cheese curds. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, buttermilk, egg, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until smooth. Add the cheese curds and gently stir with a spatula until they are all coated.
1 1/3 cup gluten-free flour, 1 1/3 cup buttermilk, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 20 ounces fresh cheese curds
⭐️ Fry the cheese curds. Prep a plate lined with paper towels. Using tongs, carefully place the cheese curds individually into the oil. You will need to work in batches. Carefully move the cheese curds around until they are golden brown. They cook very quickly, about 20-30 seconds. Use tongs or a skimmer ladle to remove the cooked cheese curds and place them into the serving bowl.
Serve. Cheese curds are best enjoyed fresh out of the fryer so make sure to cook these only when you are ready to serve them.
Notes
Oil Temperature
Keeping the oil at 375°F is key. When the temperature drops below this the curds will start absorbing the oil and become soggy. Higher temps will result in overly dark curds.
Tips
Fry in batches to prevent overcrowding the pot and the curds from clumping together.
Add spices like salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder or your favorite to the flour batter.
Keep a close eye when frying to prevent burning. The curds cook very quickly (under 30 seconds).
Remove the curds with tongs or a wire strainer if available. Let any excess oil drip off then place on a paper towel to absorb additional oil.
If in a pinch, you can swap with block cheese that has been cut into cubes.
Don't skip the baking soda as an ingredient. It helps to create the crispy crust when fried.
The batter consistency should be similar to waffle or pancake batter. If too thick, add more buttermilk. If too thin, add 1 Tablespoon of gf flour until it thickens.
CKC Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you're new to eating gluten-free we understand it's overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don't. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination.The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn't require a helper.