Queijo Coalho Brazilian Grilling Cheese Skewers

Other Ways to Prepare and Enjoy This Grilling Cheese

• You can also use a grilling pan over a medium-high stove, a panini or a counter toaster (do not shut), an air fryer or a non-stick skillet. 
• Instead of oregano serve it with a drizzle of garlic-flavored sauce.
• For a sweet version serve it with a bit of honey or syrup. In Brazil they often use cane syrup (Melado de cana) to drizzle over the cooked queijo de coalho.

Where to Buy Queijo Coalho?

Imported queijo coalho is sold at ethnic stores that carry Brazilian favorites and several online retailers. We buy ours at Wild Fork Foods (no affiliate relationship).

If you feel like it is too much of a hassle to source Brazillian rennet cheese already skewered, you can easily approximate the street food treat by skewering another grilling cheese with similar flavor.  

Substitutes for Brazillian Rennet Cheese

There are several excellent grilling cheeses that are near perfect susbtitutes for queijo coalho and have the same thermal properties. Overall they also taste very similar, so using one of them will give you almost the same results. The top three rennet options are listed below. 

What are the Best Grilling Cheeses? 

The best grilling cheeses are all coagulated with rennet (an animal derived enzyme) the actions of which ultimately create their high temperature resistant protein structure. In addition, several other varieties that are not made with rennet are suitable for grilling, but require a bit more care when you do so. Below is a list of the top cheeses to grill from all over the world.

Rennet grilling cheese options

Queijo de coalho - see text and step-by-step instructions above.

Halloumi cheese is most like queijo coalho in terms of flavor and texture. It is very easy to skewer and it holds up well to being grilled threaded. 

Cheese curds are a Wisconsin favorite and relatively easy to find. Simply skewer a few close to each other and grill.

Bread cheese is a Finnish rennet cheese traditionally made with reindeer milk and locally called juustoleipä or leipäjuusto (leipä=bread and juusto=cheese). Cheesemakers in the US have modified the traditional recipe and make it with pasteurized cow's milk. It is readily available in the specialty cheese sections of grocery stores around the country. It is also sold online. 

Non-rennet grilling cheese options

When marinated in oil and herbs/spices these two cheeses are delicious when grilled. Because their protein networks are not as strong it is a good idea to use an aid such as a non-stick grilling basket or pan or a non-stick mesh liner. 

Paneer is an Indian fresh cheese which stands up to grilling and takes on the flavor of the marinade ingredients. Slice it in chunks you can thread on a skewer or simply grill chunks of it (handle with care).

Feta cheese can also be great for grilling - you will need to find one that is not too crumbly and is sold to you in brine. It is best not to skewer it due to its tendency to be brittle. You can cut it into inch thick rectangles, marinate them and grill whole. 

Can You Eat Grilling Cheese Raw?

Yes, of course, but the true virtues of these exceptional cheeses are revealed after a crispy exterior and gooey inside form from the grill or skillet heat. 

Grilling Cheeses are Beer Friendly - Very Beer Friendly

In fact there is hardly a better beverage than beer to select when it comes to enjoying a Brazilian grilled cheese skewer! This is especially true for styles such as Czech pilsner, Ameican craft lager or amber ales, dark German lagers. Beer's exciting carbonation counters the richness of cheese while its maltiness and bready notes can introduce the feeling of enjoying the cheese with a cracker or on toast.