Tequeño

soft pastry dough is wrapped around melting cheese and deep fried until golden brown

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Venezuelan

Keyword tequeño

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 5

Total Time 20

Servings

Calories 209kcal

Start by making the dough. In a large mixing bowl combine the flour and salt. Cut the cold butter into small pieces and incorporate it into the flour mixture. It should resemble small pebbles.
Next Add the egg and 1/4 cup cold water. Stir together until the dough forms a shaggy ball.
If it seems too dry to stick together you may need 1-2 more tablespoons of cold water. The dough should be a slightly softer version of pie crust dough.
Allow the dough to rest for a few minutes.
Cut the cheese into small sticks. I tend to aim for mozzarella cheese sticks (the kind you buy that are individually wrapped for snacking) size but then cut in half lengthwise.
Roll the dough into a large rectangle. Cut into thin strips, I use a pizza cutter to do this.
Wrap each cheese stick in the dough, sealing the ends but dapping a little water onto the dough and pressing together.
In a large pot or cast iron skillet heat the oil to around 375°F.
Deep fry the tequeños in the oil for 3-4 minutes. Rotate them halfway through so all sides get crispy and golden brown.
Transfer to a plate with paper towels after to remove excess oil.

Queso blanco and queso semiduro are more traditional choices for the the filling in tequeños but I always use low moisture mozzarella as it’s easier for me to find. Really any salty, hard melting cheese will work in these.
I reference mozzarella cheese sticks to give you an idea of the thickness you are aiming to cut the cheese into. But, I don’t recommend using cheese sticks as typically the mozzarella used for those isn’t low moisture and so tends to be too soft to hold up well in deep frying.
Wrapping the tequeños is skill. It’s not difficult but it may take one or two before you get the hang of it.
If your tequeños leak a little during frying it’s OK! The cheese will turn into little crunchy bits that stick to the outside and IMO make these even better.
These are flaky and lightly sweet on the outside with a salty, melted cheese inside. They are delicious but a little plain. Sauce is a must! My top choice is guasacaca (Venezuelan avocado sauce) or salsa rosa (mayo and ketchup—add a splash of hot sauce if you dare). Salsa work great. But another option, completely untraditional, is marinara sauce. 🙂
Tequeños are best the day they are made, warm from the initial cooking. If you do have leftovers you can rewarm them in the air fryer for a few minutes.