Yard House Cheese Curds Recipe
Make this Yard House Cheese Curds Recipe at home with fresh cheese curds, a crisp beer batter, and warm savory gravy for dipping. This easy copycat recipe comes together in about 30 minutes and gives you golden, crunchy fried cheese curds with a soft, melty center. I love serving them hot because that’s when the contrast is best. Serve your Yard House cheese curds with burgers, sandwiches, ranch, or extra gravy for dipping.
Ingredients
- For the Gravy
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup gravy
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion salt
- For the Beer Batter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tablespoon seasoning salt
- 1 cup beer
- For the Cheese Curds
- 1 pound cheese curds
- ½ cup all-purpose flour for coating
- Oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Step 1 - Make the Gravy: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk the butter and flour together until smooth. Gradually add the gravy, then stir in the dried thyme, garlic powder, and onion salt. Continue stirring until the gravy is smooth and heated through. A thicker gravy works especially well for dipping the fried cheese curds.
- Step 2 - Prepare the Beer Batter: Add 1 cup of all-purpose flour and ½ tablespoon of seasoning salt to a bowl. Pour in 1 cup of beer and whisk until the mixture becomes smooth and evenly combined. The finished batter should be thick enough to coat the cheese curds without being overly heavy.
- Step 3 - Coat the Cheese Curds in Flour: Place the cheese curds in a bowl of plain all-purpose flour and toss gently until each curd has a light coating. Shake off the excess flour before dipping the curds into the beer batter. The flour helps the batter adhere to the cheese.
- Step 4 - Dip in the Beer Batter: Transfer the floured cheese curds into the beer batter. Toss or stir gently until each piece is completely coated. Work in small batches so the cheese curds stay separated and are easy to handle when frying.
- Step 5 - Heat the Oil: Heat enough oil for deep frying in a heavy pot or deep fryer until it is hot and ready for frying. Keep the oil at a steady frying temperature so the batter becomes crisp before the cheese has too much time to melt. Work carefully around the hot oil.
- Step 6 - Fry the Cheese Curds: Carefully place the battered cheese curds into the hot oil, preferably one at a time, and fry until the outside becomes golden and crispy. The cheese curds cook quickly, so keep a close eye on them. Smaller curds can crisp faster, while thicker pieces may take a little longer.
- Step 7 - Drain the Fried Curds: Remove the fried cheese curds from the oil as soon as the coating is crisp and golden. Let the excess oil drain away before serving. Some cheese may melt into the crispy batter during frying, which gives the curds their rich, cheesy texture.
- Step 8 - Serve with Gravy: Serve the fried cheese curds hot with the warm gravy for dipping. The combination has a poutine-like flavor, with crispy beer-battered cheese curds taking the place of fries. The cheese curds already have plenty of saltiness, so additional seasoning on the cheese is not necessary.