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Queso fresco

Queso fresco is a mild fresh cheese commonly crumbled over Mexican dishes or used as a filling and garnish.

Queso fresco — illustrative ingredient image

About Queso fresco

Queso fresco is a mild, fresh Latin American cheese made from milk and intended for consumption without aging. It is commonly crumbled over Mexican dishes, beans, soups, salads, and antojitos, or used as a filling, topping, or garnish.

It has a clean milky flavour and gentle saltiness. The texture is usually moist and crumbly or softly sliceable, ranging from cohesive and springy to fragile and granular depending on pressing, moisture, and production style.

Queso fresco is usually white and may be sold as a block or other fresh cheese portion for crumbling or slicing. It can be mixed into preparations where a fresh dairy flavour is wanted. Heating generally softens it but does not produce the elasticity of a highly melting cheese; cooking may make it firmer or more crumbly.

Ingredient type
derived ingredient

Forms & related ingredients

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ON A MENU OR LABEL

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Where queso fresco appears

2 linked foods

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Breakfasts

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for queso fresco

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

Queso fresco

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Queso fresco nutrition & diet

Queso fresco nutritional value

Cheese, fresh, queso fresco

Per 100 g of the edible portion in the recorded food form.

Calories
299kcal
Protein
18.1g
Carbs
3.0g
Fat
23.8g

Reference values for the specific food form shown. Other varieties, brands and preparations can differ.

Portions & preparation

Use the edible fresh cheese as sold, distinguishing plain, salted, crumbled, pressed, or seasoned forms. Moisture and formulation can vary between products. When used as a garnish or filling, record the cheese separately from tortillas, beans, meats, sauces, oils, and other recipe components.

Compare the right form: Match references to the specified plain queso fresco form, with moisture, salt, seasoning, and recipe additions identified; brand matters.

Diet considerations

Queso fresco is animal-derived dairy and is not vegan. Plain crumbles differ from versions containing seasonings or mixed fillings. Tacos, pastries, and other dishes may add cereal ingredients, meat, beans, sauces, or frying fat; these additions change compatibility and can create a portion-dependent carbohydrate pattern.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Typically incompatible
  • Vegetarian
    Depends on the version
  • Pescatarian
    Depends on the version
  • Keto
    Depends on the version
  • Paleo
    Typically incompatible
  • Low-carb
    Depends on the version
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Typically incompatible
The ingredient profile identifies an animal-derived food or derivative.
Vegetarian · Depends on the version
Check the coagulant or rennet source: animal rennet and vegetarian alternatives are both relevant to this category.
Pescatarian · Depends on the version
Check the coagulant or rennet source: animal rennet and vegetarian alternatives are both relevant to this category.
Keto · Depends on the version
Compatibility depends on the portion and preparation. A sourced carbohydrate amount for a defined serving is not available.
Paleo · Typically incompatible
This profile falls outside the conventional paleo pattern used here (grains and pseudograins, legumes, dairy or refined sugar).
Low-carb · Depends on the version
Compatibility depends on the portion and preparation. A sourced carbohydrate amount for a defined serving is not available.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: USDA FoodData Central — Cheese, fresh, queso fresco ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .