Homemade queso fresco (queso casero), is much easier than you ever imagined! You need three ingredients! Three ingredients and you can be enjoying this homemade queso fresco tomorrow!
Yes, you could just go out to the market and purchase some queso(cheese), right? Well, no! Not all of us live in cities that cater to large Hispanic communities. This is one of the major reasons I have taught myself many of the recipes that I enjoy sharing with you.
Homemade Queso Fresco (Queso Casero)
Ingredients
- 1/2 gallon whole milk
- 1/3 cup white distilled vinegar or lemon juice
- Salt to taste
- 2 cloves of garlic previously minced and sauteed, optional
- 1 teaspoon salsa macha optional
- 4 layers of cheesecloth
- Colander
- small bowl
Instructions
- In a large heavy pot, add the milk and heat to medium.
- Using and instant read thermometer, you want to bring the milk up to between 165-180 degrees F.
- Once the the milk reaches the correct temperature, gradually stir in the vinegar. Stir gently with wooden spoon. Just add 1 tablespoon at a time.
- When the curds separate from the way, remove pot from heat and let it sit for 30 minutes.
- Line a colander with 4 layers of cheesecloth. It should hang over the sides slightly.
- With the lined colander in the sink, carefully drain the cheese. Once it’s all transferred, leave in sink to drain for 20 minutes.
- When ready, gather the cheesecloth and twist to remove all of the excess moisture from the cheese.
- Transfer cheese to a bowl. Season to taste with salt and knead the cheese for a few minutes.
- To the small bowl, add the salsa macha and garlic and spread out evenly. take the cheese and press it down firmly into the bowl until it’s an even compact layer. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.
- Next day, loosen the edges slightly with a small knife or spatula. Flip over onto serving plate. Slice or crumble and enjoy!
These rustic, street-style, enchiladas are easy to prepare. Lightly fry corn tortillas. Add some enchilada sauce to the skillet to coat tortillas. Fold over into quarters and fry to seal in the sauce. Garnish with crumbled queso fresco, Mexican crema(cream) and thin sliced onions. Click the link to see Enchiladas Norteñas Recipe! https://pinaenlacocina.com/enchiladas-nortenas-de-pollo-chicken-enchiladas/
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I’m looking for a recipe for the Mexican sweetbread called “cemita de Anis” do you have a recipe for it? My husband loves it and there are no Mexican bakeries here in mid Ohio close enough for us to go to.
Hi Enedina,
It’s just a basic pan dulce with anise, right? I use the concha dough recipe and just add anise to it. I brush milk on it before baking it and sometimes add the sesame seeds on top. The milk help the bread brown nicely as it bakes.
Great recipe (Homemade Queso Fresco), I make this quite often. Sometimes I had whipping cream also if I happen to have it.
Thank you for the recipe.
Hi Randy! Thank you. Next time I will add some whipping cream, yummy!