Easy Tequeños Recipe

August 7, 2016 by Tiffany 90 Comments

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Easy Tequeños Recipe – These delicious Venezuelan cheese sticks are made with puff pastry and only require 3 ingredients. Crispy, cheesy, freezer-friendly, and perfect for parties.

Easy tequeños recipe made with puff pastry and cheese

Easy Tequeños Recipe, 3-Ingredient Venezuelan Tequeños

This easy tequeños recipe is the fastest way to make crispy Venezuelan cheese sticks at home. Made with puff pastry and cheese, these shortcut tequeños are golden, melty, freezer-friendly, and perfect for parties.

Anyone who’s ever lived in Venezuela can probably tell you that there is no party or celebration without tequeños. When you go to a wedding, birthday, graduation, or family gathering, there is always a tray of these cheesy little beauties somewhere nearby.

This version is different from my traditional homemade recipe. If you want the classic version made with homemade dough, visit my Best Venezuelan Tequeños Recipe. This post is the quickie version, made with store-bought puff pastry for those days when you want tequeños without making dough from scratch.

Crispy Venezuelan tequeños served as a party appetizer

What Are Tequeños?

Tequeños are Venezuelan cheese sticks wrapped in dough and fried until golden. They are crunchy on the outside, cheesy on the inside, and basically impossible to stop eating.

In Venezuela, tequeños are more than an appetizer. They are part of the culture. You see them at weddings, birthdays, school parties, baby showers, holidays, and even casual get-togethers. If there are Venezuelans in the room, there better be tequeños.

Venezuelan tequeños with crispy pastry and melted cheese

Easy Tequeños Recipe: Why You’ll Love It

Only 3 ingredients
No homemade dough required
Perfect for parties, holidays, birthdays, and game day
Freezer-friendly
Crispy outside and cheesy inside
Great shortcut recipe when you need a quick appetizer

We usually buy tequeños frozen and fry them at the last minute, but this easy version lets you make them at home with very little prep. There are tons of recipes out there for homemade dough, but a plain sheet of puff pastry works beautifully when you want a fast shortcut.

The secret is definitely the cheese. As you take a bite into the crunchy dough, you are instantly hit with that melty cheese center. Choose to dip them in sauce or eat them plain. No judgment here.

Easy tequeños recipe served hot and golden

Shortcut Tequeños vs Traditional Tequeños

This easy tequeños recipe is the shortcut version. Instead of making dough from scratch, we use thawed puff pastry, cheese, and oil for frying. The result is flaky, crispy, cheesy, and party-ready.

For the more traditional Venezuelan version, make my homemade tequeños recipe. That one uses homemade dough and gives you the classic texture. This one is for when you want the same cheesy happiness with less work.

Best Cheese For This Easy Tequeños Recipe

Traditional tequeños are usually made with a semi-firm salty white cheese. For this shortcut version, use queso blanco, queso de freír, queso llanero, or another firm melting cheese that can hold its shape while frying.

If you cannot find Venezuelan-style cheese, you can use a firm mozzarella or another cheese that melts without becoming too watery. The goal is a cheese that gets soft and melty inside but does not completely escape into the oil.

How To Make This Easy Tequeños Recipe

First, cut the cheese into sticks or batons. I like to cut mine approximately 2 inches long.

Cheese cut into sticks for easy tequeños recipe

It does not have to be perfect. Tequeños are forgiving, and once they are wrapped and fried, nobody is measuring your cheese sticks with a ruler.

Then roll out the thawed puff pastry dough on a lightly floured surface. With a knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into strips.

Puff pastry strips for easy Venezuelan tequeños

Just like a mummy, wrap the dough all around the cheese. Make sure there are no holes and that the cheese stick is completely enclosed in the pastry.

Wrapping cheese sticks with puff pastry for tequeños

Enlist the help of your children if you have little kitchen helpers nearby. This is a fun recipe for kids because wrapping the tequeños feels like a craft project, except you get to eat it afterward.

Wrapped tequeños ready to fry or freeze

Stop right here if you want to freeze them. Place the uncooked tequeños on a floured tray or container, cover, and freeze until ready to cook.

If you are cooking them right away, fry them in abundant hot oil until golden brown. Place them on paper towels to drain the excess oil.

Golden fried tequeños from an easy tequeños recipe

Can I Freeze This Easy Tequeños Recipe?

Yes! These tequeños freeze beautifully. Arrange the uncooked tequeños on a tray dusted with flour, freeze until firm, then transfer them to a freezer bag or airtight container.

When you are ready to serve, fry them straight from frozen. Add an extra minute or two to the cooking time. No need to thaw.

How To Serve Tequeños

Serve tequeños hot, right after frying, when the outside is crisp and the cheese inside is melted. They are delicious on their own, but you can also serve them with garlic sauce, guasacaca, cilantro sauce, spicy mayo, or pink sauce.

They are perfect for birthday parties, holidays, cocktail nights, graduation parties, Super Bowl snacks, or anytime you want a quick Venezuelan appetizer that disappears fast.

These delicious Venezuelan Tequeños (cheese sticks) are made with Gouda cheese and only require 3 ingredients. The perfect appetizer to any party or event.

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Easy 3 Ingredient Venezuelan Tequeños

A quick shortcut version of classic Venezuelan tequeños made with puff pastry, cheese, and oil for frying.

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Total Time30

Servings: tequeños

Calories: 99kcal

Author: Tiffany bendayan

Ingredients

1 package puff pastry sheets thawed
12 ounces queso blanco or queso de freir
Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

Cut the gouda cheese into sticks about 2 inches long and 1/2 inch thick.
Lightly flour surface and roll puff pastry sheets slightly.
Cut pastry into strips about 1 inch wide.
Wrap each cheese stick tightly with pastry strips, sealing edges completely so cheese does not leak.
Heat 2 inches of oil in deep skillet or pot to 350°F.
Fry tequeños in batches until golden brown, turning as needed.
Remove and drain on paper towels.
Serve hot.

Notes

Freeze uncooked tequeños on a tray, then transfer to a freezer bag. Fry directly from frozen adding 1 to 2 extra minutes.

Nutrition

More Venezuelan Recipes You’ll Love

Easy Tequeños Recipe For Parties

I hope you can try this delicious, easy tequeños recipe at home. Make a double or triple batch, freeze the extras, and fry them whenever the next party comes around. Easy, cheesy, and very dangerous if you are trying to eat only one.

If you make them, please upload a pic on Instagram and tag me @Livingsweetmoments or use the hashtag #LivingSweet. I promise to repost it.

Easy Tequeños Recipe FAQs

Can I make this easy tequeños recipe ahead of time?

Yes. Assemble the tequeños, freeze them uncooked, and fry them straight from frozen whenever you are ready to serve.

Can I bake this easy tequeños recipe instead of frying?

Yes. Frying gives the crispiest result, but you can brush them with egg wash and bake at 400°F until puffed and golden.

What cheese is best for tequeños?

Use queso blanco, queso de freír, queso llanero, or another firm melting cheese. A firm mozzarella can also work if you cannot find Venezuelan-style cheese.

Are these authentic Venezuelan tequeños?

This is a shortcut puff pastry version inspired by classic Venezuelan tequeños. For the traditional homemade dough version, try my Best Venezuelan Tequeños Recipe.

Can I fry frozen tequeños?

Yes. Fry them directly from frozen and add one or two extra minutes to the cooking time.