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How to Make Perfect Queso Fresco

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Making perfect queso fresco 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

Before I go on I need to clarify something: queso fresco is curdled with acid, like lemon juice or vinegar, and queso blanco, a similar cheese is curdled with rennet, an animal enzyme that you can usually find it 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 times you will not need special ingredients.   Mozzarella 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 perfect over nachos.

Here are the visual steps to make queso fresco at home:

A collage of photos showing steps to make queso fresco in a red pot and then draining cheese curds in a cheese cloth.
Step 1: Place the half gallon of 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 degrees 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.
Step 3: Cut the curds with a knife.
Step 4: Using a slotted spoon remove the curds and add to the cheese cloth in the colander. Stir the salt into the curds once all the curds are in the cloth.
Step 5: After all the curds are in the colander gather the edges of the cheese cloth and form a ball and tie it off with butchers twine or some twist ties.
Step 6: Hang the cheese cloth 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.

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.

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

4.95 from 18 votes
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How to Make Perfect Queso Fresco

Want to make queso fresco at home? Here is an easy recipe to make this homemade cheese that is a popular topping for tacos, nachos, enchiladas and tostadas.  Many Latin foods use this ingredient and it is so easy.  

Course Cheese
Cuisine Latin American
Keyword cheese making, fresco, homemade, Mexican, Mexican cheese, queso
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: Change to adjust-> 8 servings
Calories 148 kcal
Author Analida Braeger

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Place a cheese cloth lined colander over a large bowl of pasta pot.
  2. On medium heat bring milk to 170'F, stirring constantly to avoid uneven heating.
  3. When the milk reaches the desired temperature, remove from heat and add vinegar types. Stir a couple of times, then allow it to sit untouched on the stove top for about 30-45 minutes.
  4. Using a knife start breaking up the curds gently then start transferring to a colander using a slotted spoon.
  5. Allow the curds to sit untouched for about 30 minutes so they can drain properly. Add salt and stir lightly.
  6. Next, gather the edges of the cheesecloth and tie with kitchen twine or a twist tie. Hang from your sink faucet, and allow it to drip for about 30 minutes.
  7. Remove from the cloth and using your hands gently mold the cheese into a flat disc, about 1" tall.
  8. Return to the colander and let it sit this way for about 30 minutes.
  9. Transfer cheese to a bowl, and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Nutrition Facts
How to Make Perfect Queso Fresco
Amount Per Serving
Calories 148 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 11%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 23mg 8%
Sodium 538mg 22%
Potassium 312mg 9%
Total Carbohydrates 11g 4%
Sugars 11g
Protein 7g 14%
Vitamin A 7.7%
Calcium 26.9%
Iron 0.4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Quesco Fresco is great for usage in different areas. I guess a combination with nachos should be a consideration for me.

    Reply

  3. This has been the best thing I have read all day. I would like the bowl clean at restaurants if it wasn’t frowned upon.

    Reply

  5. Oh Analida, this recipe is the answer to my dreams come true! I cannot believe how easy it is to make Queso fresco. I LOVE the stuff but in my small home town it is surprisingly (any annoyingly) hard to come by! There are so many delicious dishes I want to make with it and now when I need to, I can make my own with your recipe! Thank you so much for sharing!

    Reply

  7. It’s been such a long time sine I made this! I remember making a cheese like this in primary school, using lemon juice to curd the milk. It was one of the first foods I cooked, now that I think about it. Made me want to try again, I was so proud with it!

    Reply

  11. Oh, cool! I’ve made similar types of cheese, but didn’t know queso fresco was in that category! It really is easy, and the flavor is so good.

    Reply

  14. Hi Analida, we have just started making ricotta and my parents would make a salt cheese. I always like to watch the process but now have an appreciation for cheese making. This is very similar to making ricotta. I love the simplicity of it and also the use of herbs and other flavors intrigues me immensely. Thanks for the inspiration and good luck with the mozzarella and burrata. Definitely want to see those recipes, yum!
    Happy Holidays!
    [email protected]

    Reply

  17. I LOVE to cook and I’m quite good at it but the thought to make my own cheeses has never crossed my mind. Thank you very much , after reading your recipe I completely inspired and cant wait to make some cheese !!! M

    Reply

  18. Analida, I was wondering what two types of vinegar you reference above. Obviously the one is cider but what is the other? I will make this recipe for my son’s bachelor party this weekend. He wants a taco bar and I want to make queso fresco. So that’s a great excuse to make it.

    Reply

  21. Good morning Analida:
    Thank you so much for this super recipe!!!!!
    👩🏼‍🍳😋 The Queso Fresco 🧀🧀came out perfectly. The flavor is outstanding. 😘So much better than packaged/store bought. This is our new go to cheese, no more store bought stuff. Like knowing exact ingredients.
    For anyone first making Queso Fresco or considering you must give this a try. Super simple. Nothing beats homemade and this is a keeper.

    Reply

      • Oh My!!! 😘beans, grilled chicken tostadas with your perfect Queso Cheese for dinner last night. Today… beans, homemade jalapeños and Queso Fresco tostadas for breakfast. What a wonderful way to start the day. 😋
        Also am truly enjoying your website. The recipe variety is limitless and all look wonderful. Thank you.

        Reply

        • Hi Nina, Those sound like great meals! I will have to try the chicken tostadas! If you like Latin food then you must try my family’s all time favorite: Puerto Rican Pernil. You can make a shoulder or two and freeze in containers for a quick meal. Check it out here: https://ethnicspoon.com/pernil/ Thanks!

          Reply

          • We love Latin Food in our home. I was raised on it.
            We have a very diverse group on my side. Great, another new recipe to make. Got a question regarding Queso Fresco… can 2% milk be substituted for whole? Hubby asked. 🙂 Personally, love the richness as is.

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