This post may contain affiliate links. That means I may make a small commission on items purchased through links in this post at no extra cost to you! Affiliate Disclaimer

Image for Beer Battered Fried Cheese Curds with a side of ranch.

Happy National Cheese Curd Day! Yes, this is a holiday, and don’t tell a Wisconsinite otherwise. You have been warned. To celebrate this delicious little snack and the National Cheese Curd Day itself, I am excited to share my fried cheese curd recipe using my beer batter!

For anyone who is not familiar with this holiday, it’s a great day to celebrate the amazing cheese curd.

Have you ever wondered what a cheese curd is? Well, you might have heard of curds and whey. Cheese curds are actually the solid part that’s left after the whey (the liquid) is removed during the process of making cheese. The curds are often compressed together to make cheese blocks. However, in the Midwest, cheese curds themselves are also considered an amazing snack!

My Latest Food Videos

If you’re also looking for the best restaurants to try cheese curds in Wisconsin, check out Sam, also known as the Cheese Queen and the creator of Wisconsin Cheese Please, on Instagram. She even has a website with a cheese curd map that highlights the top spots.

An Image of Schullsburg Cheese curds, by beer batter, and a New Glarus Spotted Cow — I am NOT being paid by any of these companies, I just absolutely LOVE them and love supporting local Wisconsin Companies. ©Photo, Prop Styling, and Food Styling by Jenn Smith

Before you get started…

Substitutions/suggestions

Light Colored -Ale beer (I like New Glarus®Spotted Cow or Blue Moon® are good choices, just make sure it’s an Ale) Don’t use IPAs or Dark beers. This is supposed to be light and go with the fried cheese curds. You will not taste the cheese and the spices won’t work the same.
If you don’t want to use beer, you can use mineral water. In a REAL pinch, use tap water.
Wisconsin Cheese Curds (in today’s post I’m using Shullsburg Creamery Cheese Curds, but I also LOVE Westby Creamery’s Cheese Curds as well (although, I’m not sure if Westby ships their cheese curds, other than in gift boxes).
Oil: Peanut Oil It can hold high temp and is less expensive than others.
If you have a peanut allergy and can’t use it, then I highly suggest using canola or avocado oil instead.

Tools for success:

Spider Strainer (Set of 3)

Buy Now →

Mora Ceramics Small Mixing Bowls Set of 2 – 2.5 & 1.6 Qt (Vanilla White)

Buy Now →

Bielmeier 12.5″ Carbon Steel Wok Pan with Lid, Gloves, & Cookware Accessories

Buy Now →

Thermoworks Industrial IR Gun (IR-GUN-S)

Buy Now →

The Fried Cheese Curd Process

Start by Freezing your cheese curds in one flat layer on a pan (no need to line or anything, you just want to freeze them for a few hours, 1 hour is the shortest I could go)

Next, heat the oil. We want to heat the oil to about 350℉ (the oil needs to be clean and hot). To help ensure the temperature I use the Thermoworks Industrial IR Gun. Simply point at the center of the oil and the temp reads instantly.

The Beer Batter

The beer batter used is my Wisconsin Supper Club Beer Batter Mix which I use for my Beer Battered Fried Fish as well. If you’re like me, and keep this mix on hand to use when needed, just scoop out ¾ cup of the mix. If you don’t have it on hand, simply mix all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl according to this recipe.

finished beer batter in a jar with a spoon on a cutting board.

Pour in the beer of your choice. I really don’t recommend light beer, it doesn’t really have the same taste, but if that’s what you drink, use that. I just personally feel that “regular” ale beers give a better flavor than light beers. Ultimately, it’s not my kitchen, so go for what you like. 🙂

Some things to note:

Do not use IPA’s or Dark beers. This is supposed to be light and go with the curds. You will not taste the cheese and the spices won’t work the same.
If you don’t drink beer use mineral water. In a REAL pinch, use tap water.
You don’t have to pull out a measuring cup either, you just start pouring in beer (slowly) and stirring it in.
You’re looking for a thick pancake batter-like consistency. What my husband and I do is start with 1/4 of the bottle/can, and whisk, if it looks too thick slowly add more, whisk and keep going until it’s where we want it…
When you get the consistency right… drink the rest (you’re welcome). 🙂

Miller in a Milwaukee Brewers Glass — I might have opened another bottle…🤫

The frying process

Now, grab your cheese curds out of the freezer and set up a station line. Frozen curds, batter, a hot oil pan, and a plate lined with a paper towel.

*I also like to use a fork to help batter the cheese curds.

Next, cover a curd in batter and drop it in the fryer. You’ll want to do a few at a time to keep the oil temp so you have to get them out without them oozing out all the cheese from the batter (Which is also why we freeze the curds first).

image of cheese curds on a pan before freezing

a fork holding a cheese curd covered in beer batter

Continue this process until all the curds are done.

Cheese curds around a small square bowl of ranch dressing

Serve with Ranch Dressing (the only way Wisconsin serves them) and enjoy!

Watch the entire process on my Instagram Reels!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jenn Giam Smith ⏐ Creator of Recipes, Crafts, & Family Fun! (@jenngiamsmith)

ENJOY and Share!

Let me know what you think of this Deep Fried Cheese Curd Recipe! Your star ratings with your comments are tremendously helpful! I love seeing friends and family come together over food.

Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Facebook, @jenngiamsmith #JennGiamSmith I will always share your posts on my stories and tag you! You can also share it on this post’s Pinterest Pin! Don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest for a steady stream of recipe (and other) inspiration!

It’s always wonderful to see loved ones coming together over delicious food.

Need more Wisconsin Supper Club and Bar Recipes? Try these:

Beer Battered Fried Cheese Curds

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Author: Jenn Giam Smith
Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
Yield: 4 people 1x

Print Recipe

Save Recipe

Description

Get a taste of Wisconsin with my irresistible and easy homemade fried cheese curd recipe. Enjoy the crispy exterior and gooey interior of these delectable cheesy bites.

Instructions

Start by placing your cheese curds in a single layer on a pan and freezing them for about an hour.
Heat the oil to around 350°F. Make sure the oil is clean and hot.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients (flour, black pepper, salt, garlic and onion powder, baking powder, and cayenne pepper) and whisk them together.
Gradually pour in the beer of your choice (preferably a light-colored ale) or mineral water, aiming for a thick pancake batter-like consistency. You can eyeball the amount of beer rather than using a measuring cup.
Take the frozen cheese curds out of the freezer and set up a station line with frozen curds, batter, hot oil pan, and a plate lined with paper towel.
Dip a frozen curd into the batter, ensuring it is completely coated, then remove it and drop it into the fryer. Repeat this process in batches to maintain the oil temperature.
Once the cheese curds are a golden brown color, place the finished curds on a paper towel.
Serve with Ranch Dressing and enjoy!

Equipment

Bielmeier 12.5″ Carbon Steel Wok Pan with Lid, Gloves, & Cookware Accessories

Buy Now →

Mora Ceramics Small Mixing Bowls Set of 2 – 2.5 & 1.6 Qt (Vanilla White)

Buy Now →

OXO Good Grips 11-Inch Balloon Whisk

Buy Now →

Notes

A Few Ingredient Recommendations, and substitutions/suggestions

I’m not an affiliate of the following brands themselves or get paid to recommend them.

Light Colored -Ale beer (I like New Glarus®Spotted Cow or Blue Moon® are good choices, just make sure it’s an Ale) Don’t use IPAs or Dark beers. This is supposed to be light and go with the curds. You will not taste the cheese and the spices won’t work the same.
If you don’t want to use beer, you can use mineral water. In a REAL pinch, use tap water.
Wisconsin Cheese Curds (in today’s post I’m using Shullsburg Creamery Cheese Curds, but I also LOVE Westby Creamery’s Cheese Curds as well (although, I’m not sure if Westby ships their curds, other than in gift boxes).
Oil: Peanut Oil It can hold high temp and is less expensive than others.
If you have a peanut allergy and can’t use it, then I highly suggest using canola or avocado oil instead.