How to Make Chili Queso Fresco

queso fresco

🥗Healthier: cottage cheese

💰Cheaper: ricotta cheese

Cottage cheese provides a similar texture with fewer calories.

chili peppers

🥗Healthier: bell peppers

💰Cheaper: canned green chilies

Canned green chilies are often less expensive and still flavorful.

cream

🥗Healthier: Greek yogurt

💰Cheaper: sour cream

Greek yogurt reduces calories while maintaining creaminess.

tortilla chips

🥗Healthier: baked tortilla chips

💰Cheaper: pita chips

Pita chips are often less expensive and still crunchy.

Crush dried Bird's eye chilies, wearing gloves to avoid irritation.

Boil 3 tablespoons of water in a small saucepan and add the crushed chilies, boiling for about 5 minutes to rehydrate and kill bacteria.

Drain the pepper water through a tea strainer, retaining the chili flakes and seeds.

In a large pot, add 4 liters of full cream milk and whisk to break up any lumps of cream.

Heat the milk to a target temperature of 32°C (89.6°F).

Dilute calcium chloride in water and add it to the milk.

Pour in the reserved pepper water from the chilies and stir well.

Sprinkle 1/16 teaspoon of M36 mesophilic culture over the milk and stir to incorporate.

Add diluted renit to the milk and stir for about a minute.

Cover the pot and let the mixture set for 1 hour, checking for a clean break.

Cut the curds into 1/4 inch cubes using a knife, treating them gently.

Stir the curds for 20 minutes while slowly increasing the temperature to 35.5°C (95°F) using a double boiler method.

Let the curds rest for 5 minutes to allow them to settle.

Drain the whey from the curds into a cheesecloth-lined colander, being careful not to break the curds too much.

Return the curds to the pot and let them sit for a while to develop more flavor.

Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the curd mass and mix gently.

Add the reserved chili flakes to the curds and mix gently with gloved hands to avoid irritation.

Let the curd mass rest for 30 minutes at 35°C (95°F) to expel more whey.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens