Venezuelan Tequeños — Fried Cheese Sticks Recipe

This Venezuelan tequeños recipe brings the best fried cheese sticks you'll ever taste straight from Miami's Latin food scene to your kitchen. Crispy homemade dough wrapped around queso blanco, fried until golden — we discovered these at Casabe 305 Bistro in Coral Gables and had to recreate them.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup cold butter, cut into small cubes
• 1 egg
• 3–4 tablespoons cold water
• 8 oz queso blanco (or mozzarella), cut into finger-sized sticks
• Vegetable oil for frying
• Your favorite dipping sauce

Instructions

1. 1Place flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl and mix to combine. Add cold butter cubes and work into the flour with your fingers until you have small pea-sized pieces throughout.
2. 2Add egg and 3 tablespoons cold water, pressing the dough against the side of the bowl until it forms a ball. If it's not coming together, add water 1 tablespoon at a time.
3. 3Press dough into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. 4On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a square about 1/8-inch thick. Trim the edges to create a clean 12-inch square. Cut into strips about 3/4-inch wide — you should get about 12 strips.
5. 5Take one strip of dough and wrap it around a cheese stick on a diagonal, overlapping like a corkscrew. Make sure both ends are fully sealed — pinch tightly so no cheese can escape while frying.
6. 6Fill a cast iron skillet with enough oil for deep frying and heat to 400°F over medium-high heat.
7. 7Fry tequeños in batches — don't overcrowd — until the crust is golden brown, about 3–5 minutes, turning halfway through.
8. 8Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, let cool for 1–2 minutes, and serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.