These crispy fried manchego bites are such a treat! Manchego cheese is an absolute treat on its own, but when it’s coated in breadcrumbs, fried to a crisp, and served with a spicy tomato sauce, it becomes simply irresistible. Whether you’re preparing these crispy bites for a gathering or indulging yourself, this dish will bring rich flavours and contrasting textures to the table.
Table of Contents
- Crispy Fried Manchego: Ingredient Breakdown
- What is Manchego?
- Why Crispy Fried Manchego Needs Two Types of Breadcrumbs?
- Why You Need To Double-Dip The Manchego
- Why Freeze the Breaded Manchego?
- Top Tips for Crispy Fried Manchego
- Final Thoughts
Crispy Fried Manchego: Ingredient Breakdown
- Manchego: A Spanish sheep’s milk cheese with a nutty, tangy flavour that holds its shape when fried.
- Panko breadcrumbs: Light and airy Japanese breadcrumbs that add crunch to the coating.
- Fine breadcrumbs: Standard breadcrumbs that ensure complete coverage, keeping the cheese from escaping.
- Plain flour: The first layer in the dredging process that helps the egg adhere to the cheese.
- Eggs: Used to bind the breadcrumbs to the cheese, ensuring the coating sticks.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: Adds rich, fruity notes to the spicy tomato sauce.
- Garlic: Infuses the tomato sauce with a deep savoury flavour.
- Crushed red pepper flakes: Brings heat to the sauce, cutting through the richness of the fried cheese.
- Tinned crushed tomatoes: A vibrant, tangy base for the tomato sauce.
- Fresh basil: Adds an aromatic, slightly sweet note to the sauce.
- Hot honey (optional): A spicy-sweet drizzle that enhances the overall flavour with a contrasting bite.
- Vegetable oil: Used for frying the cheese, this neutral oil allows the manchego’s flavours to shine.
What is Manchego?
Manchego is a semi-hard cheese made from the milk of Manchega sheep, traditionally produced in the La Mancha region of Spain. It has a distinctive flavour profile that sets it apart from other cheeses. Aged manchego offers a rich, nutty taste with subtle fruity undertones, making it slightly sweet but still savoury. Its texture is firm and buttery, and when fried, it retains its structure while becoming melty and soft on the inside.
Unlike soft cheeses like mozzarella, manchego doesn’t completely lose its form when heated, making it ideal for turning into crispy fried manchego bites. The high-fat content and lack of excessive moisture mean it’s a cheese that lends itself well to high heat while still delivering that luscious, gooey centre we all crave in fried cheese dishes.
Why Crispy Fried Manchego Needs Two Types of Breadcrumbs?
This Crispy Fried Manchego recipe uses both panko breadcrumbs and fine breadcrumbs for a reason, and it’s all about texture and coverage.
- Panko breadcrumbs are famous for their light, flaky texture, which creates a beautifully crispy crust when fried. They don’t absorb oil as readily as regular breadcrumbs, which helps keep the fried manchego from becoming greasy. The panko provides the satisfying crunch you want in each bite.
- Fine breadcrumbs, on the other hand, are much smaller and denser. They don’t add as much crunch, but they’re perfect for ensuring that the cheese is completely coated. Panko alone tends to leave gaps, especially on irregular surfaces. Fine breadcrumbs fill in these gaps, preventing the cheese from seeping out during frying. Without them, you might end up with a half-empty crust and molten cheese all over your pan.
Why You Need To Double-Dip The Manchego
Frying cheese can be tricky, and no one wants to end up with a pan full of melted cheese and no crispy coating. That’s why the double-dipping method is essential in this Crispy Fried Manchego recipe. By dredging each piece of manchego in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs twice, you create a solid structure that can withstand the heat of frying.
This double coating not only gives the manchego a super crispy exterior but also prevents the cheese from leaking out while it fries. And the best part? The crunch from the panko mixed with the finer breadcrumbs creates a texture that’s light yet satisfying with every bite.
Why Freeze the Breaded Manchego?
One of the secrets to successful crispy fried manchego is freezing it before frying. Manchego, like many cheeses, can melt quickly under high heat, which can lead to disaster if it’s not properly prepared. By freezing the cheese bites for at least 30 minutes, you slow down the melting process, giving the breadcrumb coating enough time to crisp up before the cheese starts to ooze.
This step is non-negotiable – skipping it may result in unevenly fried cheese or worse, cheese that melts straight into the oil.
Top Tips for Crispy Fried Manchego
Frying manchego isn’t difficult, but because the cheese melts quickly, there are a few key tips to keep in mind to achieve perfect results. Follow these insights to avoid any mishaps:
- Ensure thorough coating: Make sure that every piece of manchego is coated on all sides with both the flour and breadcrumb mixture. If there’s a bare spot, the cheese will ooze out, leaving you with an empty, crispy shell. Don’t rush this step—take your time to coat each piece properly.
- Double coat for best results: Double-dipping the cheese in both egg and breadcrumbs is crucial. After the first round of dredging, coat the cheese a second time to build up a stronger barrier. The extra coating also adds more crunch, making the bites even more satisfying.
- Oil temperature matters: Make sure your frying oil is hot enough, ideally around 180℃. If the oil isn’t hot enough, the coating won’t seal quickly, causing the manchego to melt too fast and leak out. On the other hand, if the oil is too hot, the outside will burn before the cheese inside has a chance to warm through.
- Freezing is key: Before frying, freeze the breaded manchego pieces for at least 30 minutes. This step hardens the cheese, slowing down the melting process during frying. Skipping the freeze could result in manchego that melts too quickly and makes a mess in the pan.
Final Thoughts
This Crispy Fried Manchego is a delightful treat that’s perfect for sharing (or not!). The combination of textures—the crunchy breadcrumb coating and the creamy, gooey cheese centre—is absolutely irresistible. When served with a spicy tomato sauce and a drizzle of hot honey, these crispy cheesy bites become something truly special.
So grab that manchego, coat it, fry it, and enjoy every crunchy, cheesy bite. Just don’t forget the sauce! And if you love the sound of fried cheese, why not try my Halloumi Nuggets with Hot Honey? They’re delightful!
Crispy Fried Manchego
These crispy morsels of cheesy goodness are such a treat! Drizzled with hot honey and served with a spicy tomato sauce, what’s not to love?
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Ingredients
- 80g plain flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 50g panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
- 50g fine breadcrumbs
- 250g manchego, rind removed
- extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced or minced
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 x 400g tins of good-quality crushed tomatoes
- 1–2 sprigs fresh basil
- vegetable oil (or any neutral oil), for frying
- hot honey, for drizzling (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare your dredging station. 1) Place the plain flour in a wide shallow bowl. Season lightly with salt and pepper and mix well to combine. 2) Place the eggs in another wide shallow bowl. 3) Finally, place the panko and fine breadcrumbs in another wide shallow bowl and mix until well-combined.
- Cut the cheese into 2cm cubes or 1 ½ cm-thick slices, depending on whether it comes in a block or wedge respectively.
- Working with one piece of manchego at a time, dredge in flour, ensuring that there aren’t any bare spots. Shake off any excess flour, then dredge in egg, again, ensuring that there aren’t any bare spots. Let the excess egg drip back into the bowl, then coat the manchego in breadcrumbs. Repeat these steps for a second coating: double dipping offers maximum crunch and structure to stand up to the frying process.
- Arrange the manchego bites in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for at least 30 minutes – this will help prevent the cheese from melting too fast as it fries.
- In the meantime, you can make the spicy tomato sauce. Heat a splash of extra-virgin olive oil in a medium saucepan set over a medium heat.
- Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook, stirring almost constantly, for 1 minute, then add the tinned tomatoes and fresh basil.
- Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, or until thickened. Once thickened, taste and adjust the salt level to your liking, then set aside.
- Back to the manchego. Fill a large, deep frying pan or sauté pan halfway with vegetable oil. Set the pan over a medium-high heat and heat the oil to 180℃.
- Fry the manchego in batches, turning occasionally, until crispy and golden brown, 2 to 2 ½ minutes, then transfer to a kitchen towel-lined baking sheet to absorb excess oil.
- Transfer to the cheese bites to a serving platter, drizzle with hot honey (optional) and serve immediately with the spicy tomato sauce.
