If you love fries, you’re going to fall in love with these Savory Potato Churros With Queso: they’re light and airy, with soft insides and crunchy outsides, rolled in parmesan + spices and served with a deliciously creamy queso dip! So fun to make and SO fun to eat! You’ll never crave fries again!
POTATO CHURROS WITH QUESO DIP
I’m really excited to be sharing this recipe with you today because, honestly, potato churros need more recognition. They should be a thing! They have crunchy outsides and soft insides, just like a “real” churro but are savory instead, and are rolled into parmesan and spices. FLAVOR GALORE!! Oh, and you get to dip them in queso too.
LIKE COME ON, they should be a thing!
They’re super easy to make & gluten-free, which is great if you’re trying to avoid gluten, something that a lot of people have been doing lately.
Also, they’re FUN to make, serve & eat. I don’t think you’ll ever come across anyone that will look at your potato churros and think “eh… boring”. They’re different and kinda like fries… but better!
WHAT ARE EXACTLY POTATO CHURROS?
Potato Churros are made with potatoes, eggs, milk, glutinous rice flour (regular flour will work too), and spices.
I like to roll my churros in parmesan and (even more) spices to add more flavor and give them more of a “churro” look, and of course, I *love* dipping them in queso!! Queso is life. So obviously, I’ll hook you up with my favorite queso recipe too (it’s quick & easy!).
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO MAKE SAVORY CHURROS?
- Potatoes! Boiled. You can boil them the day before to save some time!
- Eggs.
- Milk.
- Glutinous rice flour (like Mochiko) but all-purpose flour will work too.
- Garlic powder.
- Salt and pepper.
- Parmesan or hard Pecorino cheese
- Spices: paprika + cumin for the all-around seasoning mix.
HOW DO YOU MAKE POTATO CHURROS?
- Boil the potatoes and peel them. I recommend doing this the day before to save some time!
- Mash the potatoes, and add in all the ingredients: egg, milk, glutinous rice flour (or flour), garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Place the batter in a ziplock bag fitted with a star tip. Wilton 1M, Ateco #847, and Ateco #849 are great options, but any star tip will work. The larger the opening, the fatter your churros will be. The fatter the churros, the softer the inside!
- Fry until golden brown. Depending on how fat your churros are, this might take anywhere from 3 to 6 minutes. You should gently turn them a few times to ensure even frying. The oil temperature should always be between 350F and 375F, so I recommend using a thermometer if you’re new to frying!
- Roll in all-around seasoning mix.
- Serve immediately with queso dip.
TIPS TO MAKE THE BEST POTATO CHURROS EVER!
- Boil the potatoes the day before so you won’t have to wait for them to cool down to room temperature which is annoying if you’re impatient like me lol.
- Make sure the potatoes are slightly warm or room temperature before adding the eggs and all the other ingredients. If your potatoes are still hot, the eggs will scramble!
- The oil temperature should always be between 350F and 375F. If the oil isn’t hot enough, your churros will fry slowly and absorb all the oil, which will result in soggy churros :(. On the other hand, if the oil is too hot, the churros will burn immediately while the centers will remain wet and raw. Getting the temperature right is super important, so I recommend using a thermometer if you’re new to frying. I got mine from Amazon, it was really inexpensive, and I use it *all* the time (you can also use it for candy making)!
- Place the freshly fried churros onto a plate lined with paper towels (2 paper towels are enough): the paper towels will absorb all the excess oil leaving your churros nice and crispy!
- Roll the churros in the all-round seasoning mix when they’re still hot.
- Serve immediately: churros are best eaten as they’re made, you want them to be nice and warm!
HOW DO I STORE CHURROS?
I don’t recommend storing churros because they tend to turn soggy over time, but if you do have leftovers, you can store them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for a day.
If you think you might end up with leftovers, I would recommend cutting this recipe in half!
CAN I MAKE CHURROS AHEAD?
No 🙁 sorry! Churros are best eaten as they’re made. You shouldn’t attempt to make these ahead because they will turn soggy in a few hours, just like regular fries or onion rings.
HAPPY FRYING LOVES!! I hope you’ll love these potato churros with queso as much as I do! Please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating if you make it! I LOVE hearing from you! <3
OH! YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE MY:
- Copycat Taco Bell Quesadilla
- Meatballs In Beer Sauce
- Oh So Easy Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
- Baked Cajun Popcorn Chicken with Chipotle Mayo
Potato Churros with Queso Dip
Ingredients
For the churros
- 2 large potatoes boiled and peeled
- 1 medium egg room temperature
- 2 tbsp milk room temperature
- 2 tbsp glutinous rice flour (like Mochiko) or regular flour
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder or to taste
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
For the all-round seasoning mix
- 1/3 cup Parmesan or hard Pecorino cheese finely grated
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt (omit if using Pecorino cheese)
For the creamy Queso
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 small white onion finely chopped
- 1 fresh jalapeno seeded and finely chopped
- 1/2 garlic clove minced
- 1/2 tbsp cornstarch or flour
- 7 oz evaporated milk
- 1 and 1/4 cup Cheddar cheese shredded or grated (I recommend doing this at home instead of using store-bought)
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 2 oz green chile finely chopped
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp milk room temperature, optional
Instructions
For the churros
- Wash, boil and peel the potatoes. Allow the potatoes to cool down to room temperature before moving onto the next step.
- Place the boiled potatoes in a medium bowl and mash them until completely smooth and creamy. Add in the egg, milk, glutinous rice flour or flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix until combined. Place the batter in a piping bag fitted with a star tip (Wilton 1M, Ateco #847, and Ateco #849 are great options but any star will work).
- In a large heavy pot over medium-high heat, heat vegetable oil until hot (350F). Pipe the batter into the hot oil and use a knife or a pair of scissors to snip each churro at the piping tip. Each churro should be about 3-4 inches long. Don't overcrowd the pot or the oil temperature will drop!
- Fry the churros until golden, depending on how thick your churros are, this can take anywhere from 3 to 6 minutes. Gently turn the churros a few times to make sure they fry evenly.
- Place freshly fried churros on a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Prepare the all-round seasoning mix by combining parmesan or hard Pecorino cheese, paprika, pepper, and salt (omit if using Pecorino). Roll hot churros into the seasoning mix until evenly coated. Serve immediately with Queso for dipping!
For the Queso
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and jalapeno and cook until the onion is soft and fragrant (about 3-4 minutes). Stir frequently. Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds, then reduce heat to low, add in the cornstarch (or flour) and mix. Cook, stirring constantly, for a minute.
- Add in the evaporated milk, mix, and stir constantly. The mixture will thicken, lower the heat if it's thickening too quickly. Add the Cheddar and keep stirring until all of the cheese has melted. Add in the cumin, chopped green chile, and salt. If the queso seems too thick, add 2 tbsp of milk (one at a time) stirring constantly. Remove from heat and serve!
Cherie says
I was a bit unsure about trying this recipe because I tried other recipes and they either didn’t work or I didn’t like the result but I LOVED this one!! It was a hit! The queso dip was amazing, the churros were light and crispy as promised and the seasoning mix was just perfect!
Bianka says
Yay! Thanks for the amazing comment, Cherie! So happy to hear that you loved these!
Molly says
I made these yesterday exactly as written… my husband, who is usually the most critical of humans, said they were delicious! He kept asking how I made them and what was in them lol. Thank you for sharing this recipe!!!
Bianka says
YAY! So happy to hear that your family loved this recipe, Molly!
Julia says
Loved these! Thanks for sharing.
Bianka says
YAY! Happy to hear that you loved these churros, Julia!