The Best Colombian Buñuelos Recipe
Celebrate the holidays with a touch of Colombian flair by making the Best Colombian Buñuelos recipe. This recipe gives you perfectly crispy buñuelos on the outside while remaining fluffy and soft on the inside.
Ingredients
- 4 cups (300 g) queso costeño or cotija cheese, grated (*See notes)
- 2 cups (300 g) cornstarch
- ¼ cup (30 g) cassava flour (Sometimes found as tapioca flour or starch)
- ¼ cup (50 g) white sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- Salt to taste (**See notes)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp butter, melted (Optional)
- 1-1½ cups (236-354 ml) milk (Depending on the level of moisture of the cheese that you are using)
- Oil For Frying (Use a high smoking point, neutral flavor oil)
Instructions
- Preheat the oil to 300-325 degrees F (148-162 degrees C).
- Mix the cheese, cornstarch, cassava flour, baking soda, salt (if using), egg, and butter in a large bowl.
- Gradually pour the milk into the bowl and knead until you get a soft and smooth dough. If you notice that the dough is still too dry, add a bit more milk. If it’s too wet, add more cornstarch or cassava flour.
- Shape the ball into small, medium, or large balls, depending on how big you want the buñuelos.
- Place the dough balls in the hot oil and fry for about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. The buñuelos will start rotating on their own to cook evenly on all sides. If not, you can help them rotate by pushing them with a spoon.
- Remove the buñuelos from the hot oil and drain them on a plate or bowl lined with paper towels. Let them rest for a few minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- *If you cannot find queso costeño or Mexican cotija cheese, you can substitute it with 80% Mexican queso fresco with 20% feta cheese.
- **Queso costeño is a salty Colombian cheese, so no salt will be needed. If using Mexican cotija or a combination of queso fresco with feta cheese, add salt to taste. The best way to know if your dough is salty enough is to state a small amount of dough before deep frying the buñuelos.
- Store the buñuelos inside an airtight container for up to 2-3 days and then reheat them for a few seconds in the microwave before serving.
- Buñuelos do not freeze well, so I do not recommend freezing them.
- For best results I highly recommend you fry the buñuelos right after you make the dough. However, you can make the dough the day before and refrigerate it inside an airtight container overnight. Since the cold temperature of the refrigerator will dry it out, you can add a small amount of milk to add more moisture.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!