Colombian Cheese Sticks or Venezuelan Tequeños
These homemade Colombian palitos de queso (cheese sticks) or Venezuelan tequeños are crispy, golden, and filled with warm, melty cheese. Made with a simple dough wrapped around cheese sticks and fried until perfectly crunchy and delicious!
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 Tbsp white granulated sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup cold unsalted butter
- 6-7 tbsp cold milk or ice-cold water
- 12 whole milk string cheese or 1 lb firm white cheese (See notes)
- Oil for frying (Vegetable, corn, canola, sunflower)
Instructions
- Prepare the Cheese. If using string cheese, remove the wrappers and place them on a baking sheet or plate. Freeze for 20–30 minutes before assembling. This helps prevent the cheese from melting too quickly during frying. If using a block of cheese, cut it into 12 sticks about 4–5 inches (10-13 cm) long and ¾ inch (2 cm) thick.
- Make the Dough. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add the egg, cold butter, and 6 tablespoons of milk or water. Mix with your hands until a dough forms. If the dough feels dry or crumbly, add more water or milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it comes together.
- Knead and Rest the Dough. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for 3–5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Place it back in the bowl, cover, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Roll and Cut the Dough. Roll the dough into a 10 x 13-inch (25 x 33 cm) rectangle. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut it into 12 long strips, each about ¾ inch (2 cm) wide.
- Wrap the Cheese. Lightly flatten each strip of dough with a rolling pin until thin. Starting at one end of a cheese stick, wrap the dough diagonally from end to end. Then, wrap it around the cheese in a spiral pattern, slightly overlapping the dough as you go to completely cover the cheese. Pinch the ends closed and gently roll the cheese stick between your hands to seal any seams.
- Heat the Oil. Pour enough oil into a large skillet or deep pan to reach a depth of about 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). If you don't have a thermometer, drop a small piece of dough into the oil; if it sizzles immediately, the oil is ready.
- Fry the Palitos de Queso or Tequeños. Carefully fry the cheese sticks in batches of 3–4, avoiding overcrowding the pan. Cook until golden brown and crispy on all sides, about 2 minutes for fresh cheese sticks or 4 minutes if frying from frozen.
- Drain and Serve. Transfer the fried cheese sticks to a plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil. Serve immediately while warm and crispy with your favorite dipping sauce.
Video
Notes
- For the best cheese pull, I recommend using whole milk string cheese, whole milk low-moisture mozzarella, or Colombian queso doble crema. These cheeses become deliciously gooey when warm and create that classic stretchy cheese effect.
- Mexican queso fresco, Colombian quesito campesino, queso para freír, and Venezuelan queso llanero are also excellent choices. They offer wonderful flavor and hold their shape well during frying, but they won't produce the same long, stretchy cheese pull as mozzarella-based cheeses.
- If using string cheese, mozzarella cheese, or queso doble crema, freeze it for 20-30 minutes before frying to reduce the chances of it melting out into the hot oil.
- Refrigerate cooked cheese sticks inside an airtight container for up to 2-3 days. When ready to eat, reheat them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds or in the oven at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) until warm.
- Freeze uncooked cheese sticks in a single layer on a lined baking sheet for about 1 hour. Once frozen, you can store them inside a freezer bag for up to 3 months. You can fry them from frozen without having to thaw them out for about 4 minutes or until golden brown.
- To make palitos de queso or tequeños in the air fryer, lightly brush or spray them with oil and arrange them in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 8–10 minutes, flipping them halfway through, until they are golden brown and crispy on the outside.
- To bake palitos de queso or tequeños, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange them in a single layer, leaving a little space between each one. Lightly brush or spray them with oil, then bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 8–12 minutes, flipping them halfway through, until they are golden brown and crisp on the outside.
Nutritional values are approximate and calculated per serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 204kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 40mg, Sodium: 361mg, Potassium: 40mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 154IU, Calcium: 55mg, Iron: 1mg
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