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Square image of stacked Cheese Curds Recipe on white plate with dipping sauce in back.
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Cheese Curds Recipe

Light, golden brown, and crispy on the outside with a stringy gooey cheesy inside, this easy fried Cheese Curds Recipe is deliciously irresistible and will have you coming back for more.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 minute
Total Time11 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 388kcal
Author: Tornadough Alli

Ingredients

  • Peanut oil for frying
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ cup buttermilk cold
  • ½ cup club soda or beer cold
  • 1 pound cheese curds cold
  • Marinara sauce to serve
  • Ranch to serve

Instructions

  • Add the peanut oil to the deep fryer or dutch oven until it reaches about 4 inches up the sides and heat your oil to 375°F.
  • While you're heating the oil, make the cheese curd batter. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, garlic powder, and onion powder in a large bowl.
  • Next, stir in the buttermilk and club soda or beer until it's nice and smooth.
  • Coat the cheese curds in the batter.
  • Carefully, a handful at a time, add the cheese curds to the hot oil. Do not let them touch each other in the hot oil. When you're not frying the curds, place the remaining curds in the bowl back into the refrigerator so the rest stay cold.
  • Let the curds fry for about 1 minute in the peanut oil, flip them halfway through and continue to fry them until they're light golden brown.
  • Remove the fried Cheese Curds from the oil, letting any excess oil drip off. Transfer them to a paper-towel-lined plate to soak up any excess oil. Then place the cheese curds on a wire rack that's on top of a sheet tray while you fry the remaining curds to cool.
  • Serve cheese curds immediately with marinara and ranch for dipping sauce options.

Notes

  1. I prefer to use peanut oil for frying since it has a high smoke point. It also doesn’t seem to stink up the house as much. But you can use whatever cooking oil you prefer.
  2. If you can't find cheese curds, you can get a block of mozzarella or white cheddar and break it up into chunks.
  3. I did not add more salt to the batter because the cheese curds are already very salty themselves. This could vary with different brands, so taste a cheese curd first to check the salt level. Add up to ½ teaspoon of fine sea salt to the batter if they need it. 
  4. You can freeze these for later, see my tips above. 
  5. I like to serve with both marinara and ranch for dipping, but you can use other sauces, see above for some of our other favorites.
  6. These are best enjoyed when you first make them so be hungry!
  7. Easily double this recipe to serve to guests.
  8.  

Nutrition

Calories: 388kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 513mg | Potassium: 155mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 33IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 611mg | Iron: 1mg