Learn what this Mexican cheese is and why you want to have some in your refrigerator. Also a simple recipe for Panela Fried Cheese Tacos, great for a meatless taco.
📋 What's New In This Post (1/21/25) - New photos, added additional cooking tips for the fried cheese tacos and add green or red taco sauce as a suggestion to add to the tacos. Also shared what ingredients you should look for when buying Panela.
A Mexican Cheese You Can Fry!
We are a cheese loving family, always on the lookout for a new cheese to try.
We have tipped our toes into the world of Mexican cheese a little, but I thought it was as good of time as any to get fully submerged into the cheeses from Mexico.
I have seen Queso Panela cheese at the store several times. It's usually hanging out with the Queso Fresco and the Cotija cheese. Probably some tortillas and crema nearby as well.
Let's take a deep dive into what Panela cheese is and how to best use it in your kitchen. In this post I will explain
- What Panela Cheese Is
- If It Melts
- What Are the Best Ways to Use It
And at the very end you will get a recipe for how to make tacos with it. Who doesn't love that!
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Jump to:
🙋 What is Panela?
Panela is a mild, white fresh cheese. It is not aged before being sold.
It crumbles like Queso Fresco but not as much. It's texture might best be described as a extra firm Ricotta.
Traditionally Panela cheese was molded in baskets, which is why you will hear it called basket cheese in some places. Panela you find in the store today comes in a round shape.
It doesn't have a different name in English, so there isn't an American equivalent. The most similar cheese to Panela is probably Paneer cheese from India.
You can find both whole milk Panela and part skim milk Panela. Either will work for any way you can to use it. I prefer the higher fat Panela as it's more creamy.
🥪 Does it Melt?
The first question I have about a cheese is, "how does it taste?" The second question is, "does it melt?", or better yet, "is it a good melting cheese?" In the case of Panela, the answer is nope.
However....
🌮 What is it Used For?
Since it doesn't melt and hold its shape well, it can actually be pan fried. That's right, you can toss it right into a pan, get it brown and it will still be in it's same shape. How sweet is that!?
This cheese offers many advantages such as
- It absorbs flavors well
- Eaten as an appetizer (pan fried, add seasonings)
- Can be used in a sandwich like a Mexican Torta
- Crumble to go on top of a salad or in a taco
- Use it as a meat substitute in tacos
- Can be baked in the oven and served with chips (another appetizer option!)
- It's not expensive (a 10oz round cost me $3.89)
A simple way to use is frying it up and serving it with some veggies (like peppers and onions) into of a soft taco tortilla (See recipe below). If you are wondering what the texture of the cheese is liked when I cooked it reminded me of some types of fish. Not in that it's flaky, but a firm softness. You may be able to trick yourself that you are eating unbattered fish tacos!
Top Cooking Tip - Don't turn over the cheese until it releases from the pan without having to completely pry it off.
♻️ Substitutes
Just can't find Panela or have a recipe that calls for it and you want to use something else ? Paneer cheese will work but I think that is harder to find in most places.
If you are just crumbling it up you can use Queso fresco or even feta.
🛒 Where to Buy
This cheese should be easy to find in any Mexican grocery store and in many supermarket chains too. I found mine at Kroger.
Check out these stores:
- Walmart
- Kroger
- Sam's Club
- Jungle Jim's International Market
- some Costco stores
- HEB
- Vons
- Wegman's
- Winco Foods
👀 Watch the Ingredient List
It's important that when you are shopping for Panela cheese that you read the whole ingredient list. All you should see on it is milk, salt, and enzymes. You don't want to buy any that has an ingredient list like this that I was stunned to find:
I couldn't believe how many things were in that "cheese". Cheese should be very straightforward with nothing in it that you can't easily pronounce.
🧀 More on Cheese
Want to learn more about cheese including my recommendation for the best cheese for pizza? Read through the posts below.
- What's the Difference - Cheddar vs. Colby
- What is Muenster Cheese?
- Different Types of Manchego and Mahon
- Where to Buy Squeaky Cheese Curds
- What is Butterkase Cheese Best For?
Panela Fried Cheese Tacos
Ingredients
- 10 ounces Panela cheese
- 1 medium yellow or sweet onion sliced
- 2 bell peppers (combo of any color) cut into strips
- 2 tbsp cooking oil your choice
- kosher salt to taste
- pepper flakes to taste
- 4 flour tortillas soft taco size
- green or red taco sauce to taste
Instructions
Prep the Ingredients
- Slice the peppers into strips
- Slice the onions in strips.
- Slice the Panela into strips
Cooking
- Place a pan or skillet over medium heat with a 2 tsp of oil.
- Place the Panela in the, cook until it has browned on one side, then flip. It should only take a couple minutes.
- Remove the cheese. Add the onions to the pan, cook until soften.
- Add in the peppers, cook until soften.
- Add the Panela cheese back in to the pan for a minute to heat back up and you are ready to serve.
Assembly
- Evenly distribute the ingredients onto soft taco sized flour tortillas.
- Season with salt and pepper flakes to taste
Alex @ CheeseOrigin.com
An informative piece that perfectly highlights the versatility of Panela cheese. The suggestions for frying and serving it with vegetables in a soft taco, or using it as a substitute for queso fresco or feta, are spot-on. This article is a must-read for anyone looking to explore the diverse culinary applications of this unique Mexican cheese.
Alex,
https://cheeseorigin.com/
Eric Samuelson
Thanks Alex!