Copycat Culver’s Cheese Curds

If you have never been to a Culver’s, their cheese curds are the reason to go. Fresh Wisconsin cheddar cheese curds, battered and fried until the outside is crunchy and golden and the inside is a molten, stretchy mess of cheese that pulls apart in strings. They are absurdly good. A regular order at Culver’s costs about $5.49, and you get maybe 8-10 curds. This recipe gives you a mountain of cheese curds — enough for four people — for about $6, and they come out of the fryer so hot that the cheese is practically liquid.

Ingredients

For the Cheese Curds

• 1 lb fresh white cheddar cheese curds (not regular cheddar — actual cheese curds that squeak when you bite them)
• Vegetable or peanut oil for frying (about 4 cups)

For the Batter

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup cold club soda (the carbonation makes the batter lighter and crispier)
• 1 large egg, beaten

For Dipping

• 1/2 cup ranch dressing (Hidden Valley)
• Or marinara sauce, warmed

Instructions

1. Freeze the cheese curds for 30 minutes before frying. This is the most critical step in the entire recipe. Room temperature cheese curds will melt completely and leak out of the batter in the fryer. Frozen curds give you enough time to fry the outside golden before the inside fully melts. Set a timer.
2. Mix the dry batter ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne.
3. Add the cold club soda and beaten egg to the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined — lumps are fine and actually desirable. Overmixing develops gluten, which makes the batter tough and chewy instead of light and crispy. Think tempura batter consistency.
4. Heat 4 cups of oil in a heavy Dutch oven or deep pot to 375F. Use a clip-on thermometer and do not start frying until the oil is at temperature. Too cool and the batter absorbs oil and gets greasy. Too hot and the outside burns before the cheese melts.
5. Working in batches of 6-8 curds, drop them into the batter with a fork, let the excess drip off for 2 seconds, and carefully lower into the hot oil. Do not dump them in — place them gently. Crowding the pot drops the oil temp by 30-40 degrees and guarantees soggy curds.
6. Fry for 2-3 minutes, flipping once, until deep golden brown. The curds will float to the surface when they are nearly done. When they are evenly golden all over, pull them out with a spider strainer or slotted spoon.
7. Drain on a wire rack set over a sheet pan. Not paper towels. Wire racks let air circulate underneath so the bottoms stay crispy. Season with a light sprinkle of salt immediately while they are still glistening with oil.
8. Serve within 2 minutes with ranch or warm marinara. These do not hold well. They are best eaten so hot that you burn the roof of your mouth and do not even care.

Pro Tips

• Fresh cheese curds are the entire point of this recipe. They squeak against your teeth when you bite them — that is how you know they are fresh. Look for them at Walmart, Costco, or any grocery store in the Midwest. If you are outside Wisconsin, order them online from Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery — they ship next-day.
• Club soda must be cold and freshly opened. Flat soda makes flat batter. The CO2 bubbles expand in the hot oil and create an airy, tempura-like shell.
• If curds are leaking cheese into the oil, they were not frozen long enough. Put the remaining curds back in the freezer for another 15 minutes before continuing.

The Michelin Twist

Here are some ways to dress it up:

• Use high-quality Comte or young Manchego curds instead of cheddar: These European cheeses have more nuanced flavor profiles and melt beautifully. Comte adds a nutty, almost sweet note that takes the curds to another level.
• Serve with a black truffle aioli: Mix mayonnaise with black truffle paste, lemon juice, a minced garlic clove, and a crack of black pepper. Drizzle it on a plate and set the curds on top.
• Add a dusting of everything bagel seasoning and fresh herbs right out of the fryer: The sesame, poppy, garlic, and onion from the seasoning create a savory crust, and torn fresh dill adds brightness that cuts through the richness.

Cost Breakdown

Ingredient	Amount	Cost
Fresh cheese curds	1 lb	$4.49
All-purpose flour	1 cup	$0.15
Cornstarch	1/2 cup	$0.15
Club soda	1 cup	$0.30
Egg	1	$0.25
Frying oil	4 cups	$1.60
Spices	various	$0.20
Ranch dressing	1/2 cup	$0.35
Total		$7.49

Compare to $5.49 per order at Culver’s (4 orders = $21.96) — save 66%

Nutrition (Per Serving)

• Calories: 395
• Protein: 18g
• Fat: 24g
• Carbs: 26g