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Oaxaca cheese

Eggs & dairy · Fresh cheeses

Oaxaca cheese

Mexican stretched-curd cheese wound into a ball; mild, stringy and a superb melter for quesadillas.

Also called: quesillo, queso oaxaca, asadero, string cheese (Mexican)

Around the world: quesillo, queso Oaxaca (es)

A kind of cheese

3 recipes with it

Photo: nsaum75 ¡שיחת! ‎, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-3.0)

What it is

Queso Oaxaca (quesillo) is a white, semi-soft cow's-milk cheese made like mozzarella, then pulled into long ribbons and wound into a knot or ball. It pulls apart into strings, like string cheese. Asadero is a similar Mexican melting cheese. It is mild and buttery, unlike crumbly cotija.

How it’s used

  • Quesadillas and molletes
  • Chiles rellenos
  • Queso fundido
  • Tlayudas and empanadas
  • Melted over enchiladas

Characteristics

Taste
Mild, milky, slightly salty and buttery.
Texture
Semi-soft and stringy; melts smooth and stretchy.
When cooked
Melts very well into long strands without becoming greasy.
Sold as
fresh
Cooking uses
Usually eaten raw, Commonly cooked

Storage

Refrigerated. Keep wrapped in the fridge and use within about a week of opening.

Diet, allergens and safety

Contains Milk.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Contains milk (allergen).

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
356 kcal
Protein
22.6 g
Carbohydrate
4.13 g
Fat
25 g
Fibre
0 g
Sugars
0 g

USDA FoodData Central: Cheese, mexican, queso asadero (a close stand-in).

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Mozzarella — Low-moisture mozzarella 1:1; slightly less salty.
  • Monterey Jack — Melts well; less stringy.

Related ingredients

Recipes with oaxaca cheese

More fresh cheeses