Tempura Fried Cheese Curds with Sriracha Mayo
These golden brown tempura fried cheese curds are surprisingly simple to make at home! Deep fried in tempura batter, they're light, melty, and perfect with a side of spicy, garlicky Sriracha mayo. Learn how to make this delicious snack for game day, a party appetizer, or happy hour at home.
Ingredients
Tempura Fried Cheese Curds
- 1 pound cheese curds, frozen
- 1 cup cake flour, sifted
- 1 cup club soda, very cold
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 quart vegetable oil
Sriracha Mayo
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons Sriracha (more or less, to taste)
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
Instructions
Sriracha Mayo
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, Sriracha, and garlic until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until you're ready to serve.
Batter & Frying
- In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat until it reaches 375°F. Preheat the oven to the lowest setting (usually 150-170°F). Stack a wire rack on top of a sheet pan and place in the oven for later.
- While the oil is heating, make the batter. In a medium bowl, combine the sifted cake flour, cold club soda, and Kosher salt. Whisk the mixture, just until the batter forms. Do not over-mix! A few lumps are ok.
- When the oil is heated, you can start the frying process. Working with about six cheese curds at a time, dip the curds into the batter with chopsticks or the tines of a fork. Coat, and then let some batter drip off. From the side of the pot, drop the curds in the hot oil, frying them until they're puffy, crisp, and light golden-brown, about 30-60 seconds. Do not overcook, or the cheese will leak out.
- Place the fried curds on the wire rack in the oven to keep them warm while you're frying the rest. Serve the cheese curds immediately with the Sriracha mayo.
Notes
If you're sensitive to spice, start with 1 Tablespoon of Sriracha (or less) and add more to taste.
Using frozen cheese curds will prevent the cheese from melting out during the frying process. Freeze for at least 1-2 hours (or overnight) for best results.
For beer battered curds, use very cold beer instead of club soda.
I recommend using a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature of the oil. You want an even temperature to ensure that the cheese curds fry properly.
If the cheese is leaking out of the curds, they are cooking for too long. Cook for 30-60 seconds, just until the outside of the batter is puffy, crisp, and light golden-brown.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 385kcal, Carbohydrates: 18.2g, Protein: 14.9g, Fat: 28.8g, Saturated Fat: 13.3g, Cholesterol: 32mg, Sodium: 753mg, Potassium: 20mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 1g, Calcium: 288mg, Iron: 1mg
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