Fry a Batch of Churros for Cinco de Mayo

While Cinco de Mayo is more of a celebration in the US than it is in Mexico, we’ll seize any opportunity to enjoy some of our favorite Mexican foods, especially guacamole and nachos. Today, we’re exploring another delicious Mexican classic: churros. This fried dough concoction isn’t just for dessert. Make them sweet or make them savory, but be sure to read these tips to make sure your churros turn out well.

Key Items for Making Churros

How hard can it be to whip up some dough and fry it? Churros are quite simple, but there are a few important tools you’ll want to have on hand for safety’s sake. A candy or deep-fry thermometer is essential, and so is a medium-sized star pastry tip with a piping bag. A deep Dutch oven is ideal for keeping the oil contained while frying. A splatter screen isn’t required, but it’s a smart tool to use any time you deep fry. Finally, a set of tongs will help you safely move food in and out of the oil.

The thermometer will help you monitor the temperature of the oil. It takes time for oil to heat up, and the temperature will change again when you pipe churro dough into it. Pay attention to the oil temperature specified in whichever recipe you use, and adjust your burner as necessary. If the oil is too hot, your churros won’t cook evenly and may even explode.

Preventing churro explosions is also the primary reason for using a star pastry tip. Those ridges on churros aren’t just for decoration; they expand the surface area of the churro that’s exposed to the oil. More surface area means the outside of the churro takes more time to cook than it would if the dough were rolled into cylinders, which gives the inside of the churro more time to cook too. Likewise, the ridges mean a smaller volume of churro dough inside. As the inside cooks and releases steam, the outside is still porous enough for the steam to escape. The entire pastry cooks more evenly and doesn’t explode. And here you thought you’d never need those geometric formulas from high school ever again.

Now that you understand the roles that surface area and volume play in making churros, it will make more sense when we caution you to use a medium-sized star pastry tip. If you use a larger one, the surface area of your churro decreases and the volume increases, which makes it more likely to explode. Be assured that a medium-sized tip is safer, and your slender strips of churro dough will expand as they cook.

Don’t believe us about the explosions? Read these entertaining accounts from Vanilla Garlic and BS in the Kitchen. They’re only funny because nobody got hurt.

Tips for Cooking Churros

Now that we’ve convinced you how important it is to use the right size star pastry tip and monitor the temperature of your oil, let’s talk about the cooking process itself. The dough is a basic French pastry dough, no matter which recipe you choose. Some recipes don’t include egg while others do. Using an egg will help your churros rise a bit and add to the flavor. However, take care to let your dough cool down a bit before mixing the egg into it, so it doesn’t scramble from the heat.

Be sure your pastry bag is durable enough to handle the stiff churro dough, and take care to eliminate any air bubbles. You can pipe the dough directly into the oil and snip the end of each churro with kitchen shears, or you can pipe all your churros onto parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and transfer them a few at a time.

Because churros are most delicious when they’re still warm, don’t fry the dough until shortly before you plan to serve your churros. However, you can make the dough ahead of time and keep it refrigerated. Bring it to room temperature before frying to ensure the insides cook through. Your best bet for frying is to use canola oil or vegetable oil, as both of these have a high smoke point and won’t impart any flavor to your churros.

Watch the color of your churros as they fry, and turn them to facilitate even cooking. It shouldn’t take more than a couple minutes per side, but the color of your churros is the best indicator that they’re done. Let them drain on a cooling rack lined with paper towels before rolling them in plain granulated sugar or cinnamon sugar. You want them to be moist enough for the sugar to coat them, but not so oily that the sugar clumps.

Sweet Sauces for Churros

Churros are delicious plain, but for an extra-special treat, whip up some dipping sauce to serve with them. Traditionally, churros go with chocolate sauce, and we love this one that includes a dash of cayenne to round out that Mexican flavor. Dulce de leche also complements churros well. You can simmer a can of sweetened condensed milk in a stockpot of water, or you can use your pressure cooker.

For a change of pace, try serving your churros with mango sauce. Puree fresh or frozen mango with sugar and lime juice for a chilled sweet-tart dipping sauce. We’re also tempted by this vanilla mascarpone sauce with whipping cream and powdered sugar.

Savory Churro Recipes

You may think of churros as a sweet treat for breakfast or dessert, but savory versions are worth a taste too. We found two recipes that sound tasty. Either one of them could make a great appetizer for your next gathering, whether on Cinco de Mayo or any other day of the year.

First, this recipe adds guajillo chiles to churro dough. Look for them in the ethnic foods section of your grocery store or at a Spanish market. You can buy them dried, and then soak in water to soften them up before using. Be sure to remove the stem and seeds, and then puree before adding to the dough. After you’ve piped and fried your churros, top them with Cotija cheese and fresh cilantro. The brick red chiles will give your churros some added color in addition to a flavor kick.

For an Italian twist on savory churros, try this recipe that incorporates the flavors of cacio e pepe. The dough includes black pepper, and Parmesan and Pecorino Romano cheeses. Then dip your freshly-fried churros in this sauce that also evokes cacio e pepe. It starts with a roux, plus garlic and onion powder, black pepper, and Monterey Jack, Parmesan and Pecorino Romano cheeses. If you love cheese, this recipe may quickly become one of your favorites.