Peruvian Tequeños
With only 2 ingredients, these Peruvian Tequeños are a perfect appetizer or snack with a pisco sour or your favorite beer. Won ton or eggroll wrappers, a good quality queso fresco, and a few minutes of your time are all you need to get the party started! Muy rico!
👩🏻🍳 Tamara Talks – Are Tequeños Peruvian?
Tequeños are a favorite all over Latin America. In Peru, they are extremely popular as starter, a light lunch, or a small snack in the evening with a Pisco sour or beer. You will find them on just about every menu in restaurants, and no party goes without them. Our campesinos (guides) included them on every multi-day trek in the Peruvian Andes!
While extremely popular in Peru, these tasty appetizers actually originated in Venezuela. They’re a traditional Venezuelan appetizer originating in Los Teques in the early 20th century, where they wrapped white cheese in wheat dough and fried it. Originally known as “quesitos enrollados,” they became a staple, popular snack at social gatherings.
Over time, tequeños migrated to Peru through usual avenues like hospitality businesses, tourism, and culinary curiosity. In the 2010s, large numbers of Venezuelans migrated across Latin America due to economic crisis, and Peru became one of the main destinations. During our travels, we met so many Venezuelans.
Venezuelans opened food stalls in places like the San Pedro Market in Cuzco. Tequeños were found in bakeries, and casual restaurant all over Peru. Peruvian cooks and chefs, masters of salsas, picked up the ball and “ran with it.” While Venezuelans tend to view them as a traditional food with wheat dough and cheese, Peruvian cooks adopted them as a vehicle for sauces like huancaína sauce, ají verde sauce, and salsa de palta. Cheese is still the most common filling, but you’ll find creative fillings like lomo saltado, ají de gallina, and sweet guava paste and cheese.
📋 Ingredients Notes
Here is a quick look at the ingredients in the recipe – it’s handy to use at the grocery store or as a summary of what you need. Skip to the recipe for quantities.
🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions
- Prepare the cheese – Uniform slices work best. I started with an odd shaped piece of queso fresco, so I did the best I could. 1/2″ by about 4 inches is a good size with the 7″ x 7″ size of my eggroll wrappers. Uniform sticks equals even melting. NOTE: My 6 ounce package of cheese made 9 tequeños. Use leftover wrappers with 7 days or freeze for future use.
- Place the cheese on the wrapper – Place cheese sticks oriented diagonally as shown.
- Begin wrapping – Fold 2 corners as shown (corners in line with the stick).
- Roll tequeño – Roll tightly, starting at the bottom like a burrito. Avoid air gaps if possible. IMPORTANT NOTE: Seal edges with water. This is critical to avoid cheese leaking.
- Finish rolling – Repeat the above steps on remaining cheese sticks.
- Heat oil – Your target temperature is 350–360°F (175–180°C) for best results. NOTE: Try to keep the oil temperature consistent. Use enough oil to cover at least half of the tequeños. I do fine with about 3/4 inch of oil.
- Fry the tequeños – Using tongs, gently place tequeños gently in the oil with the point down first.
- Turn the tequeños – Lift one end of the first tequeño to check for color and texture. It should be medium golden brown and crispy with noticeable blister spots. Carefully turn each one. NOTE: The entire process only takes about 3 minutes, depending on oil temperatures.
- Drain the tequeños – Remove tequeños from oil, and drain for 2-3 seconds. If possible drain on a rack over a tray to allow air to circulate. Blot gently with a paper towel if needed. Season lightly with sea salt. DO NOT PRESS.
Quick Success Checklist
❓FAQ
Yes, but the wrapper texture will be different. Preheat to 375°F (190°C). Lightly brush or spray with oil. Don’t skip this step as air fryers need surface fat to crisp properly! Arrange in a single layer, and cook a total of 6-9 minutes, flipping halfway through.
The oven is best for a large batch. Place on a wire rack over a tray (not directly on a pan). Heat 6-10 minutes at 375°F (190°C). The air fryer is faster, and does a good job. Heat to 375°F (190°C), and heat 3-5 minutes, shaking or turning halfway.
Make a double batch and freeze half before frying!
Don’t overcrowd the pan → keeps temperature stable
Fry in batches
Use enough oil for true deep frying, not shallow
Drain on rack – not paper towels alone – to keep them crisp
Fried foods are really on the menu at Andersen casa, but every once in a while, I just have to do these! All things in moderation, right?😀
Peruvian Tequeños Recipe
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Ingredients
- vegetable, canola, or refine coconut oil - ¾" or more
- 6 ounces queso fresco - see Ingredients Notes in post
- eggroll wraps - I used 9
- sea salt
Instructions
- NOTE: The body of the post has photos and in depth instructions. You may want to review before getting started!
- Cut cheese in ½" x 4" sticks. Lay on an eggroll wrapper with stick in line with diagonal corners.
- Starting with the corners in line with cheese, fold them in. Roll tightly like a burrito. Seal the edges with water. Repeat with remaining cheese.
- Heat oil to 350–360°F (175–180°C).
- Using tongs, gently place tequeños gently in the oil. DO NOT CROWD. Check and turn when medium-golden brown. Fry 2-3 minutes until medium-golden brown on both sides.
- Place on a rack over a tray to drain. Season with sea salt as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
NOTE: Macronutrients are an approximation only using unbranded ingredients and MyFitnessPal.com. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.