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Beer Battered Deep Fried Cheese Curds
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5 from 21 votes

Beer Battered Deep Fried Cheese Curds

Beer battered deep-fried cheese curds are a classic Wisconsin appetizer featuring gooey melted cheese waiting to ooze out of a crisp beer flavored crust!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time1 minute
Total Time6 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Wisconsin
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 593kcal
Author: Fox Valley Foodie

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 pound cheese curds (or cubed mild cheddar)
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 cup beer (+ 1-2 tablespoons as needed)
  • 1 egg (beaten)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon table salt
  • Oil for deep frying

Instructions

  • Heat oil in deep fryer or skillet to 400 degrees. If using a skillet ensure enough oil is added to cover the curds (approximately 2").
  • Combine flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.
  • Add beaten egg and beer and mix till combined. The batter should have the consistency of thin pancake batter. If it is too thick add additional beer as needed. If it is too thin, sprinkle in a little flour.
  • Deep fry one cheese curd to test the batter if needed.
  • Working in batches, drop cheese curds into the batter and evenly coat then lift cheese out of the batter with a spider or slotted spoon and let the excess batter drip off before placing in the oil.
  • Deep fry curds for 1 minute, or until golden brown, then remove the fried curds to drain on paper towels.
  • Let cool slightly and serve.

Notes

I found anywhere between 375 - 400 degrees to be a good frying temperature. Oil temperature drops when food is added, so by heating your oil to 400 degrees it should stay within the proper range when frying.
Frying in batches ensures the oil temperature doesn't drop excessively and also ensures the cheese curds aren't too crowded in the pan and clump together.
I found 1 minute to be the ideal cooking time, however, if you see cheese leaking out while frying they have been frying longer than needed and should be removed.
I use room temperature curds, but many people prefer to fry frozen curds to slow down the frying.
Use an inexpensive lager, save your better beer for drinking.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 593kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 1330mg | Potassium: 162mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 59IU | Calcium: 867mg | Iron: 2mg