How to Make Perfect Queso Fresco

Published: April 27, 2019 • Modified: December 2, 2023 • by Author: Analida • Word count:1652 words. • About 9 minutes to read this article. • This post may contain affiliate links.

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Making perfect queso fresco cheese is easier than you think. You don't need special equipment or hard to obtain ingredients. You need milk, vinegar, and salt. That's it? Yup, that's it! Well, you will need cheesecloth, but that's not really an ingredient. You will also need a good digital thermometer for accurate reading. So, let's make some queso fresco!

a black slate with farmers cheese sliced and some cilantro with bowls of slaw and more cilantro

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What is queso fresco?
Cheesemaking is another hobby
Visual steps to make homemade queso fresco:
Ways to use queso fresco:
Ingredients notes and equipment
Frequently asked questions
How to Make Perfect Queso Fresco

What is queso fresco?

Queso fresco is a one of many popular Mexican cheeses made from whole milk. It is considered a fresh cheese since it is not and aged cheese and is ready to eat right after you make it. It is soft, moist and crumbly so it works great as a topping for tacos, nachos or sprinkling on salads and soups. It is similar to other types of white cheese like farmer's cheese or paneer from India.

Before I go on, I need to clarify something: queso fresco is curdled with acid, like lemon juice, lime juice or vinegar. Queso fresco will have a slight tangy flavor. Queso blanco, a similar cheese is curdled with rennet, an animal enzyme that you can usually find in the baking aisle of the grocery store. There are also some vegetarian rennet products, but I don't have any experience with them.

a round of homemade cheese on a slate with a plate of cilantro on the left

Cheesemaking is another hobby

I've tried making ricotta, and goat cheese. The process for making queso fresco is similar, and again, most of the time you will not need special ingredients. Mozzarella cheese and burrata are next on my list. Being Latin American, I really had to try my hand at making queso fresco because you can use it in so many different ways. I like to spread it on baguette and top it with a bit of fig jam. Do you like nachos? Queso fresco is a mild cheese and perfect over tortilla chips to balance a spicy salsa like sour cream does.

The origins of cheese-making go back to approximately the 5th millennium BC, and is attributed to pastoral societies. Terracotta vats with what appear to be draining holes have been found at excavation sites. There is also evidence of cheese-making from drawings found in Egyptians tombs. By the time of the Roman Empire cheese-making was already an established art.

Visual steps to make homemade queso fresco:

A photo showing steps to heat the milk and the correct temperature to make queso fresco.

Step 1: Place the half gallon of whole milk or raw milk in a large pot on medium heat. While the milk is heating place a colander over a large bowl and line colander with cheese cloth.
Step 2: Heat the milk to 170° F, remove from the heat and then add the vinegars to the milk and stir it a couple times. Let it sit for 30-45 minutes.

A photo showing string the curds and removing them with a slotted spoon.

Step 3: Cut the curds with a knife.
Step 4: Using a slotted spoon remove the curds and add to the cheesecloth in the colander. Stir the salt into the curds once all the curds are in the cloth.

A photo showing queso fresco curds in a cheesecloth and allowing them to drain.

Step 5: After all the curds are in the colander gather the edges of the cheesecloth and form a ball and tie it off with butcher's twine or some twist ties.
Step 6: Hang the cheesecloth over your sink faucet and allow to drip for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes you can form a ball from the curds, remove from the cloth. Press the curds into a flat disc and set it in the colander and allow to drip for another 30 minutes. Once it stops dripping you can place in a sealed container in the refrigerator until ready to use. Enjoy your fresh soft cheese!

Ways to use queso fresco:

Tostadas: Add some refried beans to a crispy tortilla along with tomato, onion, pork carnitas, avocado and top with your favorite salsa or pico de gallo and queso fresco.
Taco Tuesday: Add your favorite taco fillings and add some queso fresco too! It is hard to beat homemade queso in a taco. Make some fresh queso for cinco de Mayo
Enchiladas: Bake your enchiladas and add the queso fresco before serving. Queso fresco is a crumbly cheese and can work as a topping for just about any Mexican cuisine.
Arepas - Similar to tortillas, these are corn griddle cakes from Venezuela that are stuffed with stewed meat, herbs, cheese, plantains..really the choice is yours!
Jibarito - A Puerto-Rican inspired dish that actually hails from Chicago. Two planks of fried plantain make the "bread" for this sandwich.
Elote - A Mexican grilled corn on the cob topped with cheese, spicy mayo, and herbs. You can also use cotija cheese but you can swap since you have a fresh queso fresco recipe.
Soups: You can add some as a topping to your favorite Mexican restaurant style soups like chicken tortilla soup.

Ingredients notes and equipment

Whole cow's milk or raw cow's milk: This full fat milk will give the best results. If you have access to goat milk you can try a similar recipe for goat cheese.
Vinegar: This recipe calls for white distilled vinegar and apple cider vinegar. This is the key ingredient for acid-set cheese or acid coagulated cheeses. Other types of acid-set cheese are cottage cheese, quark or cream cheese. You can read more about these types of cheeses at the University of Guelph.
Salt: Use cheese salt or a non-iodized salt like Kosher salt.
Dutch oven or pasta pot: Heat the milk in a large pot and I prefer one with a heavy bottom to give very even heat distribution.
Digital thermometer: You want to be sure to get the milk to exactly 170°F while stirring.
Cheesecloth and colander: Line your colander with the cheesecloth to allow the whey to drain off while gather your curds. A slotted spoon work well to scoop them up.

Frequently asked questions

How long can I store queso fresco?

I typically recommend eating the queso fresco within a week, making sure to keep it refrigerated and properly sealed in an airtight container.

Can I rinse the curds before draining?

Yes, you can gently rinse the curds in the cheesecloth and it will remove some of the tangy flavor of the acid used to coagulate the milk. I like a slightly salty and tangy cheese.

How can I make the queso fresco softer or more spreadable?

You can add a small amount of heavy cream to the cheese to get the desired creaminess. You only need a small amount so add a teaspoon at time and mash it into the cheese.

Can I melt queso fresco for queso dip?

Queso fresco is not a melting cheese. It will get soft but stay a bit chunky. Many Mexican kitchens make queso dip from white American or Monterey Jack cheese, milk and some chilis.

Finally, please give this a try. Without a doubt you will find that making queso fresco is super easy and very rewarding. And, don't forget to share with your friends.