Waffle Iron "Fried" Cheese (Queso Frito) Recipe

Breaded squares of cheese are "fried" in a waffle iron until their outsides turn golden brown and crunchy and their insides are melted and gooey.

By
Daniel Shumski
Headshot of Daniel Shumski, a Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
Daniel Shumski
Daniel Shumski is a writer, editor, and recipe developer. He has written four cookbooks, including Will it Waffle?, and has written for the Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated June 13, 2023
A closeup of waffle iron "fried" cheese.

Serious Eats / Daniel Shumski

Why It Works

  • The direct, two-sided heat of the waffle iron crisps the breading without the need for flipping.
  • Cooking in the waffle iron instead of deep-frying means less mess and quicker set-up and clean-up.
  • The imprinted waffle pattern increases the surface area of the cheese, which translates to more crunch and fried-cheese flavor.
  • Waffling the cheese creates divots, which capture and hold sauces quite well.

Is it just me, or do you take special pleasure in the cheese that leaks out of quesadillas—you know, the melty, crispy stuff that sticks to the pan?

I'm betting it's not just me.

Those cheese drips were the inspiration for these squares of waffled cheese, which are breaded and "fried" in a waffle iron for just a minute until their outsides turn golden brown and crunchy and their insides become molten and gooey.

The waffle iron is the right tool for the job here, better than any frying pan. Its direct heat crisps the breading on the top and bottom surfaces without the need to flip. And those indentations the waffle iron creates? Those will hold salsa nicely, thank you.

(Not that you need salsa to enjoy these. I can personally attest to the fact that they go down just fine on their own.)

Closeup of waffle iron fried cheese, stacked on a cutting board. Dipping sauces are visible in the blurred background.

Serious Eats / Daniel Shumski

I used a low-moisture mozzarella, but any good melting cheeses could be substituted as long as you avoid cheese that is too wet (think: fresh mozzarella), or dry cheeses that are meant for grating (think: Parmesan). Go along the lines of a provolone, fontina, Jack, cheddar, or a queso chihuahua.

You could even line up a variety and do a waffled cheese flight.

January 2015

Recipe Details

Waffle Iron "Fried" Cheese (Queso Frito) Recipe

Prep 10 mins
Cook 5 mins
Active 15 mins
Total 15 mins
Serves 4 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika, or a pinch of cayenne pepper

  • 1/2 pound low-moisture mozzarella, sliced about 1/2 inch thick (see note)

  • 2 large eggs, beaten

  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs

  • Nonstick cooking spray

  • Salsa, for serving (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat waffle iron. (Set it to medium if it has temperature controls.)

  2. On a plate, mix flour with paprika or cayenne. Place eggs in a second plate or bowl and bread crumbs in a third. Working one slice at a time, coat cheese in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs.

  3. Spray both sides of waffle iron with nonstick spray, place as many cheese slices as will fit in waffle iron, and close lid. Cook until bread crumbs turn golden brown, about 1 minute. Repeat with any remaining cheese.

  4. Serve hot on its own or with salsa for dipping.

Special Equipment

Waffle iron

Notes

Any good melting cheese such as young provolone, fontina, Jack, cheddar, or a queso chihuahua can be used in place of the mozzarella. Avoid fresh mozzarella or dry cheese meant for grating. Some recipes call for the breaded cheese to be refrigerated (or frozen) before cooking. I did not find this to be necessary with the waffle iron version, but you can certainly bread the cheese several hours ahead and refrigerate it until you're ready to waffle.

Read More

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
167Calories
7gFat
17gCarbs
9gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories167
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g9%
Saturated Fat 3g15%
Cholesterol 104mg35%
Sodium 203mg9%
Total Carbohydrate 17g6%
Dietary Fiber 1g3%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 9g
Vitamin C 0mg0%
Calcium 140mg11%
Iron 1mg8%
Potassium 154mg3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

More Serious Eats Recipes