Best White Queso (2024)

FAQs

What kind of white cheese do most Mexican restaurants use? ›

Queso fresco

This soft white cheese is a fresh cheese made with cow's milk, goat milk, or a combination of the two. It is sold in small rectangular pieces similar in size to adobo bricks, which is why it is also known as adobera. Queso fresco comes from Jalisco, in the western part of Mexico.

Place cheese, milk, and butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir until cheese is melted. Add green chilies, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper; stir until smooth. Thin with more milk if sauce is too thick.

Queso asadero is Mexican cheese that's great for melting. It is soft, white and creamy with a mild taste, and is often used to make pizzas, quesadillas and queso fundido. The last cheese on this list is actually a cream.

Despite their similar names, flavors, and appearances, queso fresco and queso blanco are slightly different cheeses. To make queso fresco, producers use rennet and cultures to form the curds. Queso blanco requires just milk and an acidifying agent such as lemon juice or vinegar, making it an easy cheese to DIY at home.

Queso blanco is a general term for fresh white cheese, but is also the name given to a fresh white cheese often described as a cross between mozzarella and cottage cheese. This cheese is typically made from skim cow's milk.

Cheeses: I love to use cotija cheese for tacos, but queso fresco or any Mexican blend will work. Fresh Veggies: Thinly slice some radish for an extra fresh crunch.

In order to make authentic queso, use Manchego cheese. Mexican Manchego Cheese is a golden-yellow, semi-firm cheese with a slightly nutty flavor. In contrast to the Spanish version, which is made with sheep's milk, the Mexican version is made with cow's milk.

Whether it's orange or white, queso can contain green chiles or jalapenos or both, and it may be spiced with a dash of cumin or chili powder. Some even add meat to queso, like ground beef or spicy sausage.

Queso fresco can be substituted for queso blanco in just about any recipe. A longer-aged cheese with a drier texture and stronger flavor, such as cotija or queso anejo, may also be used in place of queso blanco for sprinkling or crumbling.

Creamy Texture: The melted cheese and dairy components in queso give it a creamy, smooth texture that can be very satisfying to dip tortilla chips, vegetables, or even bread into.

What are the five white cheeses? ›

queso blanco, traditionally made from cow's milk, and queso fresco ( Spanish pronunciation: [ˈkeso ˈfɾesko]), which may include a combination of cow's and goat's milk. While certain types like Oaxaca cheese melt when heated, the majority simply become soft when exposed to heat.

Authentic Mexican Cheeses

The Spanish word for cheese is queso, pronounced KEH-soh. There are dozens of delicious, genuine Mexican quesos, each one with its own charm, so don't settle for the often uninspiring product labeled “Mexican cheese” or “Mexican blend” that is so often sold in the United States.

Most of the most popular varieties are fresh cheeses, such as queso fresco, panela, and asadero. The two most popular aged cheeses are Cotija and Chihuahua. Four cheeses produced in Mexico are entirely Mexican inventions: Oaxaca, Cotija, Chihuahua and manchego.

The shredded white cheese that Chipotle uses is commonly known as Monterey Jack. It is a semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk that melts well when exposed to heat. Chipotle's Monterey Jack cheese is used to make quesadillas and queso dip, and it's happily added to any menu item when asked.

To make the traditional Mexican restaurant style queso blanco, use white American cheese. It melts the best. You can also mix in a small amount of Mozzarella, pepper jack, or Monterey jack to enhance the flavor. Buy the block and then hand shred it for a spicy but smooth cheese dip.

Oaxaca cheese: the mozzarella of Mexico

We think you'll melt for Oaxaca, because Oaxaca will definitely melt for you. This semi-soft, super meltable Mexican cheese is a lot like mozzarella cheese – the curds are stretched and kneaded into long ribbons that are gently wound into a ball or knot.