Flaming Hot Cheese Curds

I’ve clearly been living in Wisconsin too long.

Beer battered cheese curds, covered in a flaming hot Cheeto Dust. Because, why not? Unhealthy? Of course. Immoral? Maybe. All I know is if I had a dive bar, this would be my most popular recipe. I highly recommend serving with a garlic aioli.

When prepping everything, make sure your Cheeto dust is powder-fine, as in crushed to oblivion. Put it in a blender if you have to. It will make sticking to the curds that much easier. Other than that, it’s as simple as making your regular run of the mill Wisconsin-style cheese curds.

Time You Need

  • ~2 hours resting
  • ~30 minutes prep & cooking

What You Need

  • ~1 –1.5 pounds cheese curds
  • 5 cups of finely crushed flaming hot Cheetos
  • ~2 quarts of vegetable, canola, canola or corn oil
  • ~1 cup of all-purpose flour (or more if mix is too runny)
  • ~1 egg, beaten
  • 1 tbsp baking powder or corn starch
  • 1 cup of spotted cow (or beer of choice) (or more if batter is too dry)

What You Do

  • Line a baking sheet with foil and grease.
  • In mixing bowl, whisk together the beer, flour, baking powder and egg to form a batter.
  • In a third bowl, or in a large ziplock bag, place the crushed Cheetos.
  • Roll cheese curds – a few at a time – in the baking flour, and then in the batter.
  • Take the battered curds, shake off any excess batter, and toss in Cheetos until thoroughly coated.
  • Then place on the lined baking sheet.
  • Repeat steps for the rest of the cheese curds.
  • Then, place the baking sheet in the freezer. Freeze for about 1-2 hours.
  • In the meantime, one the freezing time is almost up, fill a large cast iron skillet or stainless steel pot with corn oil and heat to 375 degrees (here’s a tip to tell if you don’t have a thermometer).
  • Remove cheese curds from freezer and fry in batches.
  • Fry for around 60 seconds, then place on a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat for the rest of the curds.
  • Serve hot and in your favorite dipping sauce!
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